18. Collaborating with Others
Introduction
Adobe InCopy is a stand-alone writing and editing program that allows you to work seamlessly with Adobe InDesign. The integration with InCopy allows InDesign users to select text and graphics in a document, and then assign the content to InCopy users for writing and editing.
Exporting content from InDesign allows you to make content available to InCopy users to check out and change while still maintaining a link back to the original document. After you export content to InCopy, the file is called a managed file. Icons appear at the top left of the exported frame in InDesign and InCopy, and in the Assignments panel to indicate the content is currently assigned to another user for changes.
The Assignments panel is a centralized place to work with content assignment in InDesign. The panel displays the content files exported from the current document and an icon indicating the status of the content. You can use buttons on the bottom of the panel to quickly identify the assigned user, update content, check out content, create new assignments, and delete assignments.
Before you can open and edit an assignment file, the content needs to be checked out. This prevents two users from accidentally editing the same file at the same time. When content is updated in InCopy or InDesign by the assigned user, an out-of-date icon appears in the Assignments and Links panel. In the Assignments panel, you can update the content in the original document by choosing update commands on the Options menu for selected, out-of-date, or all content.
Sharing Content with Adobe InCopy
Adobe InCopy is a stand-alone writing and editing program that allows you to work seamlessly with Adobe InDesign. The integration with InCopy allows InDesign users to select text and graphics in a document, and then assign the content to InCopy users for writing and editing. Content designates either a body of text that flows through one or more frames or an imported graphic.
InCopy users can open an assignment file with only the material assigned to them and then make changes to it. An assignment file is a container that stores a piece of content from an InDesign document and other related file-locking and notification tools. You can share assignment files on a server for easy access or through assignment packages.
InCopy uses live layout view to display how the content changes affect the InDesign document. Multiple InCopy or InDesign users can open the same content file at the same time as a read-only file. However, only one user can check out the content file to make changes. You can open a content file by opening an assignment file, assignment package, linked InCopy file, or InDesign file with linked content. An assignment package is a compressed version of an assignment file. If users don’t have access to a common network server, you can can create assignment packages and then send them to the assigned user as an e-mail attachment. The assigned user can open the assignment package, make changes, and then return it. If an assigned user is done with the update or you no longer want the user to make changes, you can unlink or cancel the assignment.
Working Together on a Local Server
In InDesign, create assignments and add content to them.
Save the assignment files for InCopy users on a local server.
In InCopy, open the assignment file, and check out and edit the content. When you finish, check in the content.
In Design, while the content is checked out, you can still make changes to the rest of the InDesign document. When the content file is checked back in, you can make changes to the content.
In InCopy, open the assignment file, check out, and edit a story or graphic.
Exporting content from InDesign allows you to make content available to InCopy users to check out and change while still maintaining a link back to the original document. You can export content from an InDesign document to InCopy by creating an assignment file, or by exporting text and graphics frames separately as files. After you export content to InCopy, the file is called a managed file. Icons appear at the top left of the exported frames in InDesign and InCopy, and in the Assignments panel to indicate the content is currently assigned to another person. A link to the exported file also appears in the Links panel.
Setting Up User Identification
When you work with InCopy, all users who want to check files in and out need to have a unique identification name. You can specify or change a unique user Identification name and select a linked color by using the User command on the File menu or the Assignments panel. If you want to change a user identification name, make sure you don’t have any files checked out.
Set Up User Identification
Click the File menu, and then click User.
Type a unique name.
Click the Color list arrow, and then select a color.
Click OK.
Did You Know?
You can add notes and track changes. When you add notes to managed files, the information in the notes is pasted along with content for viewing and changing in InCopy. Use commands on the Notes submenu on the Type menu to create and manage notes.
Exporting Content from InDesign
Exporting content from InDesign allows you to make content available to InCopy users to check out and change while still maintaining a link back to the original document. You can export content from an InDesign document to InCopy by creating an assignment file (ICMA for CS4 and INCA for CS3), or by exporting text and graphics frames separately as files (ICML for CS4 and INCX for CS3) using one of the Export commands for InCopy. When you use one of the Export commands, the managed file is unassigned, which you can change later. Icons appear at the top left of the exported frame in InDesign and InCopy, and in the Assignments panel to indicate the content is currently assigned to another person for changes. A link to the exported file also appears in the Links panel.
Export Content from InDesign
Select the text or graphics frames that you want to export.
Click the Edit menu, point to InCopy, and then point to Export.
Click one of the following commands:
• Selection. Use to export all selected text or graphics frames.
• Layer. Use to export all content on the selected layer.
• All Stories. Use to export all text in stories that have not been exported already.
• All Graphics. Use to export all graphics that has not been exported already.
• All Graphics and Stories. Use to export all graphics and text in stories that have not been exported already.
Enter a name for the file.
Navigate to the location where you want to save the content file.
To make the file compatible with CS3, click the Save as Type list arrow (Win) or Format popup (Mac), and then click InCopy CS3 Interchange.
Click Save.
Using the Assignments Panel
The Assignments panel is a centralized place to work with content assignment in InDesign. The panel displays the content files exported from the current document and an icon indicating the status of the content. You can use buttons on the bottom of the panel to quickly identify the assigned user, update content, check out content, create new assignments, and delete assignments. You can also use the Options menu to select these and other commands. For example, you can select commands to update assignments for selected, out-of-date, or all content (New!). Before you can make an assignment, you need to save your InDesign document. If you have not yet saved the file, InDesign will prompt you to save it (New!).
Use the Assignments Panel
• Click the Window menu, and then click Assignments.
Use any of the following buttons to perform an operation:
• Update Content. Select the assignment, and then click the Update Content button.
• Check Out/Check In Content. Select the assignment, and then click the Check Out/Check In Selection button.
• Create New Assignment. Click the New Assignment button, enter information, select options, and then click OK.
• Delete Assignment. Select the assignment, and then click the Delete button.
To locate and select the text and graphics associated with an assignment, double-click the assignment name in the panel.
Creating an Assignment
You can create an assignment file several ways. One is to create an empty assignment file and add content to it later. Another is to create an assignment and add content at the same time. The last way is to add content to an existing assignment. When you create an assignment, a folder is created in the same location as the InDesign document file in order to store the assignment files (ICMA) and any exported InCopy story files (ICML). After you create an assignment, you can move the folder into a location where all users have access to it or create and distribute an assignment package.
Create an Assignment and Add Content
• Click the Window menu, and then click Assignments.
Click the New Assignment button on the panel.
Specify the following New Assignment options:
• Assignment Name. Enter a unique name for the assignment.
• Compatibility. Select to optimize for CS4 or make the file compatible with CS3.
• Assigned To. Enter a name to associate with the assignment.
• Color. Select a color to associate with the assignment.
• Change. Click to specify a new location for the assignment file.
• Include. Select an option to include placeholder frames, assigned spreads, or all spreads.
• Linked Image Files when Packaging. Select to include linked image files when packaging. This keeps all the content together, so you can send everything in one file.
Click OK.
Create an Assignment and Add Content at the Same Time
Select the text and graphics frames you want to include in a new assignment file.
Click the Edit menu, point to InCopy, and then point to one of the following commands:
• Add Selection to Assignment.
• Add Layer to Assignment.
• Add All Stories to Assignment.
• Add All Graphics to Assignment.
Click New on the submenu.
Specify the new assignment options; see the previous page for details.
Click OK.
Add to an Existing Assignment
Select the text and graphics frames you want to include in an existing assignment file.
Click the Edit menu, point to InCopy, and then point to one of the following commands:
• Add Selection to Assignment.
• Add Layer to Assignment.
• Add All Stories to Assignment.
• Add All Graphics to Assignment.
Select an assignment name on the submenu.
Click the Options menu, and then click Update All Assignments.
Checking Content Out and In
Anyone can open an assignment file for review. However, only one user at a time can open and edit the file. Before you can open and edit an assignment file, the content needs to be checked out. This prevents two users from accidentally editing the same file at the same time. When you check out a file, a hidden lock file (IDLK) is attached to the file on your computer. Once the file is locked, no one else can access it. The user who checked out the file has exclusive use of it until the file is checked in, even if you exit the program and come back later. You can make changes to an assignment file (INCA) in InCopy or in the InDesign document (INDD) that contains the assigned content. In this case, I’m focusing on InCopy. The same commands are available in InDesign on the InCopy submenu on the Edit menu.
Check Content Out and In
In InDesign, select the text or graphic frames that you want to check out.
Click the Check Out button on the Assignments panel.
• You can also click the Edit menu, point to InCopy, and then click Check Out.
A pencil icon appears on the InDesign frame indicating the content is checked out.
In InCopy, click the File menu, and then click Open.
Navigate to the location where the file is stored, and then select it.
Click Open.
Make the changes you want to the content. Story view provides a quick and easy way to write and edit text.
A pencil with line icon appears on the frame indicating the content is in use.
Click the File menu, and then click Save Content.
When you’re done, click the File menu, and then click Check In or Check In All.
Updating Content
When content is updated in InCopy or InDesign by the assigned user, an out-of-date icon appears in the Assignments and Links panel. In the Assignments panel, you can update the content in the original document by choosing update commands on the Options menu for selected, out-of-date, or all content (New!). If an assignment file was moved during the editing process, the original document is not going to know where the file is located. You can also use the same update commands to help you locate and relink the file.
Update or Relink Content
In InDesign, open the document with the content you want to update.
Select the Assignments panel.
• Click the Window menu, and then click Assignments.
Select the assignment you want to update.
Click the Options menu, and then select any of the following:
• Update Selected Assignments.
• Update Out-of-Date Assignments.
• Update All Assignments.
To update content from the document window, select the text or graphics frames, click the Edit menu, point to InCopy, and then click Update Content.
Did You Know?
You can override locked files. If you need access to a locked file, you can take back ownership. In InDesign, select the Assignments panel, select the assignment file you want back, click the Options menu, and then click Unlink Content.
Working with InCopy
When you start InCopy, the program window displays several windows of varying types you can use to work with documents.
A menu is a list of commands that you use to accomplish specific tasks. A command is a directive that accesses a feature of a program. InCopy has its own set of menus. The Application bar (New!) provides easy access to commonly used features, such as choosing zoom levels, view options, screen mode, document arrangement, workspaces, and InCopy’s community online Help.
The Tools panel contains a set of tools you can use to work with text, create notes, and change the display view. Additional options and tools are available on the Command Bar.
The Document window displays open InCopy documents. InCopy includes tabs to make it easier to switch back and forth between documents and a close button to quickly close a document (New!). In InCopy, a collection of panels are available to help you work with documents. A panel is a window you can collapse, expand, and group with other panels, known as a panel group, to improve accessibility and workflow. A panel group consists of either individual panels stacked one on top of the other or related panels organized together with tabs to navigate from one panel to another. InCopy displays the following panels by default: Command Bar, Tools, Copyfit Info, Gallery & Story Appearance, Character, and Paragraph.
