Updating Objects in Objects in the Library

[Robert_Bovasso@adobeforums.com]

We just received an InDesign job from a client and they provided templates, fonts, art, and a library. When I drag a library item onto a page I get a gray box where a graphic is supposed to be.

I thought the art in the object was missing, but they have included it, but the library items can't seem to find them.

Now, I can update the dragged library item on the page, but can't seem to update the art in the objects in the library.

It will be a real pain if we have to update the library items on the pages everytime we drag them out.

Any way to fix this?

Thanks.

PS Old Quark user, new InDesign user...

[Dave_Saunders@adobeforums.com]

Are we talking CS or CS2? CS2 has the Update Library Item command. You should be able to use that to replace the original item with the relinked one after you place it in your document and fix the link.

If you're talking about CS, then you'll have to do that update process manually by storing the new version of the item in the library with the same name as the original. Then, before you trash the original, copy across any of the information from the Item information dialog. A bit of a clumsy process, I'm afraid.

Dave

[Robert_Bovasso@adobeforums.com]

It's CS2.

So I can't actually update the items IN the library. I would have to drag them all out, update them on the page, and drag them back in the library again?

[Dave_Saunders@adobeforums.com]

Right.

A script could do it for you, but it would go through the same process.

Dave

[Mike_Rempe@adobeforums.com]

Are you sure you don't have the Display Performance on fast? It shows a grey box instead of the image. It's basically so your screen redraws quicker if your working on a large document.

[Peter_Truskier@adobeforums.com]

Are you sure you don't have the Display Performance on fast?




I'm guessing that's not it. In ID CS2, Library items became snippets under the hood. As such they do not have preview data in them, at least not that InDesign uses when it places the item(s) on a page.

So, what Robert is seeing is typical of placing a library item with an un-resolvable image link into a CS2 document. Library items in ID CS, on the other hand, did contain preview data, so even if the link was broken, you'd still see its preview.