Missing SMD Channel Model.sdk.InDesign Plugin

[Lievenso]

Hello everybody!

I got an InDesign file from a print office today. When I try to open it, I get a message that advises me to not open the file because the SMD Channel.sdk.InDesign Plugin isn't available on my system.

Like a good girl I googled the problem and yes there are already some posts about that problem. Also in this forum there's already an existing discussion about it: Link InDesign Discussion

But for the solutions they offer I should open the document but I simply can't. Because when I press "OK" only

another warning appears that says that I can't open the document and that I should update my modules or  update to the current verison

of InDesign. When I press "OK" again nothing further happens. (Pictures below)

Operating System: Windows Vista

InDesign Version: CS 5

Sorry that the screenshots are in german. I hope you can use them anyway.

Thanks for your help! -- Jannie

[Manan Joshi]

Hi Jannie,

This is not a big issue, it seems that the document you are using was created from a later version of InDesign than the one you are using to open it. Since you are using CS5 the document is probably created using CS5.5 or CS6, and you cannot open a doc of later version in a previous version of InDesign for obvious reasons.

And for the reason this problem(your first screenshot) occurs is that every plugin in InDesign can save some persistent data on the document and if it does so then whenver you open such a document and the plugin is not loaded then this prompt occurs. However if the developer coding the plugin has some foresight he can avoid such alerts to the user by using Ignoretags resource in the plugin code.

Hope my explanation cleared out the confusions you had on this behavior of InDesign

Thanks

-Manan

[Lievenso]

Thanks a lot for your help Manan!  I understand it way better now. I'll call the print office for a document I can open an tell them to use Ignoretags 😉

[hans-ludwigw27332149]

Kann ich die mir übersendete Datei mit dem Hinweis, dass das Plugin "Channels Model" fehlt trotzdem öffnen?

[hans-ludwigw27332149]

Can I over my file ended by pointing out that the plugin open " channels Model " missing anyway ?

[Manan Joshi]

I don't really know what you are trying to ask here, after the great explanation Dirk gave in another thread. I guess you are asking if you can still open the document with the missing plugin? The answer for it is yes, just click ok and if all is fine apart from the missing plugin thing, then the document will open. After this if you want that you should not be bothered by this warning sign again, follow the steps illustrated by Dirk on converting your document to IDML.

Hope this helps you out

-Manan

[Dirk Becker]

The CS2 technote below as of 2007 is the newest trace of that SMD / YTD / Indigo plugin, so I would assume it hasn't been maintained. http://h20564.www2.hp.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docId=emr_na-c01038117​

Generally, when InDesign offers you the choice dialog from the first screen shot you can at least try to open. If you succeed, next step should be an IDML roundtrip (export, then import the result), in order to remove the plugin specific information. It is anyway a good idea to rebuild the document if it comes from such an old version.

From that TN, the plugin is for imposition (reordering pages) and personalization (mail merge), so I would at least watch for missing mail merge variable slots, and check the order of the pages. You can also alert whoever gave you the document that they have given you a version modified for a specific printing machine.

Beyond that speculation I suggest you contact the vendor of the plugin - that would be the Indigo department of HP. It could be worth the effort if you inherited a ton of complex documents and the plugin functionality is relevant or conversion failed. The technote even mentions a responsible engineer who according to LinkedIn is still with them, so they have a chance to ask.