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• • January 12, 2013 at 11:51 pm #63926
    Tom Pardy

    Member

    I am using InDesign CS5.5 on a 24-inch iMac running Mountain Lion. Recently a curious behaviour has begun and I suspect I have unwittingly done a key combination or something to turn it on. Now I want to know how to turn it off.

    Whenever I create a new InDesign document, instead of opening in a simple window with the first page shown in the middle of that window, now my window has a column running down the left-hand side with the heading “Structure”. I am sure this column has useful features for some people, but I have not yet seen any way that I can use it. I can close it by dragging the divider between it and the main part of the window to the left, but I would prefer not to have to deal with it in the first place.

    How can I go back to not having it appear? And, assuming there is some useful feature of it that I might want to use on some occasion in the future (please tell me what it is!), how could I turn it on in an existing document?

    This seems such a simple thing, yet I cannot fathom it out. And (says he, somewhat red-faced) I have been using InD since version 2!

  • January 13, 2013 at 12:05 am #63927
    Gert Verrept

    Member

    Furry,

    The structure column comes from an xml file. When you import an xml file, the structure panel opens and shows you the elements of that xml file. Why it stays on when creating new docs I cannot say since I don't have the problem and I cannot create it (woriking on win 7pc). Just found it:

    Use the Structure pane

    • To open the Structure pane, choose View > Structure > Show Structure.
    • To close the Structure pane, choose View > Structure > Hide Structure, or click the splitter button.

  • January 13, 2013 at 1:31 am #63928
    Tom Pardy

    Member

    Thanks for your prompt reply, Gert.

    So far as I am aware, I have not opened any xml files for many, many months, perhaps years. Thanks for telling me how to open it, if I should ever need to use it. Now all I need is for someone to tell me how to prevent its opening for a new doc and what it is used for anyway. :-)

  • January 13, 2013 at 6:20 am #63930
    Bob Rubey

    Member

    Furry,

    With no documents open, Hide Structure.

    Someone else will have to explain its use.

    Bob

  • January 13, 2013 at 6:46 am #63932
    Tom Pardy

    Member

    Thanks, Bob. That did the trick.

    Now let’s see who can explain the use of Structure.

  • January 13, 2013 at 2:03 pm #63935
    Theunis De Jong

    Member

    After importing XML or tagging text and objects in the document itself, you can see the entire XML structure tree in this, as well as attributes, processing instructions, and comments.

    When text is tagged, you can move it around inside an ID document by dragging its associated XML element to another position in the structure tree.

  • January 13, 2013 at 3:34 pm #63937
    Tom Pardy

    Member

    Thankyou, Jongware. I think I understand that.

    I am always impressed that InDesign caters for so many more people than me. It (mostly) does what I want but then I discover that there are other features that I will probably never use but are of great use to other people.

  • January 15, 2013 at 12:05 pm #63948
    angharad09

    Participant

    Just to add a few thoughts — the Structure pane works together with the Tags panel (when you tag something from the Tags panel, you'll see it show up in the Structure pane). The things structure is good for include making a PDF that can be read on a variety of devices and/or that's easy for an assistive device like a screen reader to work with. (Also for improving exports to e-books? not sure.) For example, if you have a creative page design that doesn't flow in a linear, logical direction, a screen reader will still “know” which bits to read in what order. Also, I gather that some companies (mostly larger ones?) use an XML-based template process, and you might need this at some point in that workflow. Caveat: This is what I got from studying for the certification test, not extensive real-world experience, so take it with a grain of salt. I agree that it's amazing how many different ways people can use InDesign. I can't wait to get a chance to try out more of this stuff on real projects.

  • January 16, 2013 at 3:36 am #63952
    boris the typo

    Participant

    I can just add to what Amanda wrote. It's a darn efficient tool to layout and style lots of structured content. With some emphasis on structured. I'm currently digging into it. And it makes my mouth watering.

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