Add actions to buttons, Event types, Action types – Adobe InDesign CC 2015 User Manual
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Interactivity
Last updated 6/6/2015
Add actions to buttons
You can assign actions to different events. For example, in an exported PDF file, you can specify a sound to play when
the mouse pointer enters the button area, and a movie to play when the mouse button is clicked and released. You can
also assign multiple actions to the same event. For example, you can create an action that plays a movie and sets the
view zoom to Actual Size.
1
Use the Selection tool to select the button you created.
2
In the Buttons panel, choose an event, such as On Release, that determines how actions are activated.
3
Click the plus sign button
next to Actions, and choose the action to assign to the event.
4
Specify the settings of the action.
For example, if you choose Go To First Page, specify the zoom. If you choose Go To URL, specify the web page
address. Some actions, such as Go To Next View, do not have additional settings.
5
If necessary, continue to add as many actions as needed to any event.
To test the button, export the document to fixed layout EPUB, PDF or SWF, and view the exported file. If you’re
exporting to PDF, make sure that the Interactive Elements option is selected. If you’re exporting to SWF, make sure that
Include Buttons is selected.
Event types
Events determine how actions are activated in buttons when the document is exported to EPUB, PDF, or SWF. (In
Acrobat, events are called triggers.)
On Release
When the mouse button is released after a click. This is the most commonly used event, because it gives
the user one last chance to drag the cursor off the button and not activate the action.
On Click
When the mouse button is clicked (without being released). Unless you have a specific reason for using On
Click, it’s preferable to use On Release so that users have a chance to cancel the action.
On Roll Over
When the mouse pointer enters the button area defined by the button’s bounding box.
On Roll Off
When the mouse pointer exits the button area.
On Focus
When the button in a PDF file receives focus, either through a mouse action or pressing the Tab key.
On Blur
When the focus moves to a different button or form field in the PDF file.
Action types
When you create an action, you indicate what happens when the specified event occurs—usually when someone clicks
the button. You can assign the following actions to occur when the event type is activated:
Go To Destination
Jumps to the specified text anchor created using the Bookmarks or Hyperlinks panel. See
Go To First/Last/Next/Previous Page
Jumps to the first, last, previous, or next page in the fixed layout EPUB, PDF, or
SWF file. Select an option from the Zoom menu to determine how the page is displayed.
Go To URL
Opens the web page of the specified URL.
Show/Hide Buttons
Toggles between showing and hiding specified buttons in the exported fixed layout EPUB, PDF, or
SWF file. For example, if you want one button to appear when another button is moused over, you can hide the target
button until it’s triggered and create an action that displays the hidden button on rollover. See