Scrolling in two documents at the same time?

[MathPoli]

Very often, I need to compare two documents. I therefore open them and put the windows next to each other, so that I can see them both.

I wonder whether there is a way to scroll in both documents simultaneously?

So, instead of…

clicking on window 1,

then scrolling in doc 1,

then clicking on window 2

and finally scrolling in window 2

…there would be…

just ONE keyboard action to turn pages in BOTH documents at once.

That would come in SO handy! Is there something like this?

[Doc Maik]

You have two windows? Why? I always work in tabs, which can be put side by side in one Indesign window.

But scrolling both at once is not possible, because no matter if window or tab, only one has focus.

[Eugene Tyson]

As said - you need to be focused on one Window/Tab to allow the scrolling.

What you could do is a make a PDF of both.

Then in Acrobat Professional you can run a "Comparison" and you can select to have them side by side on screen.

Then you can scroll the PDFs at the same time.

Hope that Helps.

[MathPoli]

Well, by saying "window" I meant the document itself. I just do it like you say: two documents next to each other and compare.

And yes, it's true, only one document can have the focus. But with "Application Frame" enabled, you are able to see e.g. two documents, who are in the front within each split screen, at the same time.

Like this:

The FRONT RIGHT doc has the focus, the FRONT LEFT does not, but it is visible as it is in the front layer of the left split screen.

So, (theoretically, from a programmer's point of view) it would be possible to let InDesign scroll in both documents: all documents that are in the first tab layer (= visible) would then scroll a page, regardless if one has the focus or not. I can understand that this is not yet part of the software, but for people who need to compare and alter documents with copy and paste a lot, it would be a great help.

@ Eugene:

Thank you for the PDF idea. I know that already and use it as well. But it's not only comparing two docs, it's more altering one (older) doc according to one (newer) doc in various languages, e.g. manuals etc.

[Laubender · Accepted solution]

@MathPoli – for this purpose you can use a set of scripts in ExtendScript (JavaScript):

Gerald Singelmann

Dokumente vergleichen (visuell) | InDesign FAQ

This post is in German. Use a translation tool to read about it.

You could use keyboard shortcuts assigned for the scripts to scroll simultaniously all windows from different documents. Should work in InDesign CS4 and also above.

Direct download link for the scripts:

http://indesign-faq.de/files/2009/01/split.zip

Uwe

[MathPoli]

@ Laubender:

WOW! This is really cool! Thank you VERY much! Vielen Dank, Uwe!

The only (minor) flaw is, that this works with double page spread only. So no single page scrolling. But anyway: This Is Great! (…did I say that already?)

[Captain Sacha]

Is there any new method to this in 2018 as the mentioned scripts don't seem to be available anymore.

Thanks in advance.

[Steve Werner]

Why don't you post this in the InDesign Scripting forum here:

InDesign Scripting

[FRIdNGE]

Hi,

I've recently written for a client, a 6-scripts set! Very cool to play with 2 docs open side-by-side! …

Associating with shortcuts:

Left doc:

Ctrl-4: scrolling to the top

Ctrl-1: scrolling down

Left doc/Right doc:

Ctrl-5: scrolling to the top

Ctrl-2: scrolling down

Right doc:

Ctrl-6: scrolling to the top

Ctrl-3: scrolling down

With a little practice, you could become the new Mozart of InDesign! …

Best,

Michel, for FRIdNGE

[Captain Sacha]

Sounds great, where would I be able to download our scripts?

[FRIdNGE]

As said, written for a client! Non-exclusive but not for free. If interested, PM me!

Best,

Michel

[FRIdNGE]

InDesign Navigation Palette:

Trial version:

Dropbox - _FRIdNGE-0410_2docsScrollingPalette-Trial.zip

Best,

Michel

[Juan St. Sumampouw]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Captain+Sacha  wrote

Is there any new method to this in 2018 as the mentioned scripts don't seem to be available anymore.

Thanks in advance.

Thanks to the Wayback Machine, the file is still available:

http://web.archive.org/web/20140713221419/http://indesign-faq.de/files/2009/01/split.zip

[Laubender]

And here is the corresponding article in German through the same Wayback Machine:

Dokumente vergleichen (visuell) | InDesign FAQ

Regards,
Uwe

[Tanel Kagan]

Old thread, I know, but I believe I have a solution.

As you probably (maybe?) know, synchronous scrolling is a built-in feature of Microsoft Word, often used to do exactly what you want to do which is compare and move through two documents side-by-side.

My solution therefore is to simply export both PDFs as Word files, and open and review them there.  Of course, you won't be able to edit them but you wouldn't have been able to do that anyway in Acrobat.