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Digital Publishing Suite

TheNetMouse Calculating status...

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Single source publishing

Jul 23, 2012 1:56 AM

Tags: #publishing #indesign_cs5 #digital_publishing_suite

We're hoping to produce some eLearning materials as eBooks or interactive PDFs, based on some PDF course material that we already have. We need to add audio files, and some video.

I'm a bit of a beginner with InDesign, but have just been reading about DPS, and wonder if anyone could help with some of the initial questions that spring to mind...

1. Would InDesign be a suitable application to make (and maintain) materials for web browser, mobile, iPad and tablet from a single source? How realistic would this be?

2. What would be the best format to export in? Do you have to create native apps, or can you package supporting files with an interactive PDF (or something else, such as eBooks)?

3. Would the final file be a very large download, or would they stream?

Very very grateful for any tips!!

602 Views 4 Replies Latest reply: TheNetMouse, Jul 23, 2012 5:34 AM

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1. Bob Levine,

Jul 23, 2012 4:45 AM in reply to TheNetMouse

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Moved to DPS forum.

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2. TheNetMouse,

Jul 23, 2012 4:49 AM in reply to Bob Levine

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Thank you. I'm still not sure whether DPS it what I need to use though, or if I can use InDesign in other ways to acheive this? What is best practice for this kind of thing - or is it still developing?

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3. Bob Levine,

Jul 23, 2012 5:02 AM in reply to TheNetMouse

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The idea of one source file for multiple uses is still, IMO, a pipe dream. While you could use alternate layouts in ID to keep things a bit more organized, until everything is HTML based it’s not going to happen.

What’s the best answer for you? There’s no way anyone here can really answer that without a full explanation of the target market and your budget.

Bob

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4. TheNetMouse,

Jul 23, 2012 5:34 AM in reply to Bob Levine

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Thanks, Bob. I thought as much, but I guess things are developing very fast.

Currently we have two comlementary verisons of our elearning modules. Each module has a Flash synopsis with a voice over and some animation, and a PDF document for printing, with more detail but no interactivity. We are looking to phase out the Flash versions in the next update of the course, and the courses director has asked if we could produce the module material as interactive eBooks, which would combine the two versions. (There are 30 modules in all, in an online dermatology course).

I wonder when and how we will be able to do this kind of thing in an efficient way...

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