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mp4 exported as SWF don't play in indd 2018

Explorer ,
Nov 17, 2017 Nov 17, 2017

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why don't MP4s play in indesign 2018? they don't play either in SWF preview or exported SWFs. they work in epub preview tho'

the test: i made identical indesign files, one in 2017 and the other in 2018 and placed there a MP4 made last year in PS2018 and one made this yr in ps2018  i also grabbed a random mp4 off the internet it too worked in 2017 but not 2018

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

Adobe Employee , May 29, 2018 May 29, 2018

Please update to InDesign’s latest update, Id 13.1 for the fix of the problem.

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Adobe Employee ,
Nov 17, 2017 Nov 17, 2017

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Hi ehojo3,

MP4 is a supported file format. Please follow this workflow to import video.

Window > Media > Place new video > press ALT and click preview for SWF preview.

place video through media panel.pngswf preview mp4.png

Also, you may check Flash Player video doesn't display in Firefox, Safari, or Chrome

Regards

Srishti

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Explorer ,
Nov 17, 2017 Nov 17, 2017

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thanks for the quick reply. but that doesn't work any better than placing MP4s from the file menu as i have done for years, however this does: make a 2017 indesign file  place an MP4 there and then open the indd in 2018 converting in in the process.  there has gotta to be something wrong here besides my incompetence. I'd say it was a corrupt upgrade and a re-install would be the fix. but it was happening as well  for the several students using their own (PC and Mac) laptops with the 2018 updates in class yesterday all the while it was working OK on my instructor mac which still has 2017 on it.

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Community Expert ,
Nov 17, 2017 Nov 17, 2017

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If the installs of CC 2018 were done on your machines with the Advanced Option "Import previous settings and preferences" chosen then mixed up preference files may be the source of your problem. Please see the link on the InDesign FAQ: CC 2018 InDesign—Don't Import previous settings and preferences .

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Explorer ,
Nov 17, 2017 Nov 17, 2017

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I tried all the things at your link...

Indesign won’t open at all w/ Ctrl-Alt-Shft held down.

I deleted the prefs and no change.

I deleted the cache and no change. yes i rebooted too.

There are files for versions 8, 10, 11, 12 and 13 in both prefs and cache should they be deleted as well?

Also my machine isn't the only one so afflicted. Is the troublesome "Import previous settings and preferences" checked by default?

Does the fact that a file created in v2017 and opened in v2018 works mean anything?

Do I need to de-install re-install v2018?

Is running v2017, too, a problem? I need it until the school techies up grade to v2018 in jan18.

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Community Expert ,
Nov 18, 2017 Nov 18, 2017

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Yes, the problem has been that "Import previous settings and preferences" has been checked by default and consequently CC 2018 does not create a complete preference file of its own causing performance problems. That is why it is suggested to delete preferences and caches from previous versions and then launch CC 2018 on its own to create its own set of preferences and caches. Now this may or may not be the source of the problem that you're having but at least it should put CC 2018 back to default settings and provide a more accurate picture as to whether this is a possible bug or not. To be completely thorough you might want to uninstall InDesign using the Creative Cloud desktop app, delete all Indesign preference files on the machine and reinstall it from the desktop app making sure that the "Import previous settings and preferences" is unchecked this time. You should still be able to keep previous versions on your computer. I would suggest making a copy of their preference folders before you delete them as part of this cleanup and reuse them once CC 2018 has one completely of its own.

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Explorer ,
Nov 20, 2017 Nov 20, 2017

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I deleted all prefs and caches from all versions that have at any time been on this machine. I de-installed and reinstalled v2018 with the "Import previous settings and preferences" not checked. I rebooted.

Nothing has changed, mp4s still disappear when they are played either in SWF preview or exported and played with flash player. Epub preview works fine tho’

What still works is to place an mp4 in a v2017 file, then convert/open that in v2018.

Any other suggestions?

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Explorer ,
Nov 27, 2017 Nov 27, 2017

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The memo I'm sending to my class...

THE MP4 IN INDESIGN 18 PROBLEM

What doesn't work:
– Placing an MP4 in 18 and exporting it as an SWF.
– Or opening that file in 17, the IDML “service” is temporarily not available (this might not be part of "this" problem, we’ll see.)

What does work:
– Make a file in 17, place an MP4 there, then open/convert/save it in 18.
– Make a file in 18, place an MP4 there, save it as a IDML, open/convert it in 17, finally re-opening it in 18 and saving/converting it back to 18 there.

... this doesn't seem like the way it should be. Any more thought, anybody?

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Community Expert ,
Nov 27, 2017 Nov 27, 2017

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Let me get this straight…you’re teaching a class and using SWF?

Unless you can give me some reasonable explanation for that such as some really crazy use case, you’re wasting everyone’s time teaching a dead technology.

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Explorer ,
Nov 27, 2017 Nov 27, 2017

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I will explain: this course, interactive indesign, was begun with CS6 when indesign did PDF and SWF and apps for ipad. I could use all the exports to teach the general aesthetic and psychology of interactive design as well as the mechanics of the current programs. Then Adobe took the ipad part out of indesign making it as far as I can tell an extra cost option to the cloud, but I never could get a straight answer about this and there was no way the school was not going to pay adobe more, so I adapted the course using what indesign still worked with, PDF SWF and EPUB. SWF still offers the widest range of effects of the three to teach general aesthetic and psychology so I emphasize it.

I’m sure there are other programs that Adobe has that are more forward looking and that soon enough indesign will give up on SWF and whomever is to teach such a course as this will have research and learn which programs will work best.

So thanks for the insult, Bob, you’ve just given me another reason to stop teaching, give up on Adobe and find another program to draw with, where there may really be some customer support.

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Community Expert ,
Nov 27, 2017 Nov 27, 2017

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The world has given up on SWF! Steve Jobs fired the first shot, but at this point, I have to say he was right.

If all you’re teaching is CS6 then the entire class, if it’s for interactive design is indeed a complete waste of time. You are missing all the tools needed for fixed layout epub as well as Publish Online. This school is doing its students and teachers no favors.

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Explorer ,
Nov 27, 2017 Nov 27, 2017

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If you will note the question that started this thread i’m teaching in cc2018 and the question still stands: can you play an mp4 in an indesign2018 SWF?

I do teach publish online and epub, but only after SWF because there are limits design-wise there; mp4 play on top of everything and no transparency

You are right, 21st century design is a fast moving target and courses need to be rebuilt more often than they are, however 21st education doesn’t get this. To rebuild a course ever other yr is not something they budget for and we adjuncts won’t do it for free

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Community Expert ,
Nov 27, 2017 Nov 27, 2017

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I don’t blame you, but it’s time to dump SWF and spend that time on current technology. The only thing you should be telling students about SWF is not to use it.

It won’t play on any mobile device and desktops need flash player installed…something that is not done by default. Browsers are dropping support for it as well and Adobe has already announced EOL for it.

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Community Expert ,
Nov 27, 2017 Nov 27, 2017

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I’m sure there are other programs that Adobe has that are more forward looking and that soon enough indesign will give up on SWF

InDesign's SWF export was never a very useful feature. At Flash's peak in the mid-2000s all of the great interactive sites were being done in FlashBuilder using MXML and ActionScript coding and not via a SWF export or even the FlashPro timeline based application.

The world has moved on to HTML/CSS/JavaScript and while Adobe hasn't removed the SWF export feature, they have effectively replaced it with Publish Online, which uses the HTML/javascript combo that can play on any device. And, as with the SWF export feature, Publish Online has limited capabilities relative to what can be done via skilled JavaScript coding.

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Explorer ,
Nov 27, 2017 Nov 27, 2017

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The mp4 doesn’t work even with the flash player installed. Is that a feature of v18?

And is WYSIWYG dead too? skilled JavaScript coding” sounds like something you do with numbers on black screen. I’m a drawer not a coder so its good that soon I will teach this course no more forever.

But I will try to teach my last go at it more to fixed epub and publish online.

But there may be a problem with publish online... do students need to logged into the personal CC accnts to proof what they are doing? I’m not sure if the school allows this on the in class machines.


 

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Community Expert ,
Nov 27, 2017 Nov 27, 2017

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Yes, the Publish Online docs are tied to the personal accounts.

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LEGEND ,
Nov 27, 2017 Nov 27, 2017

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I only just saw this topic. It seems to have a number of angry posts, and some misunderstanding.

What is the current state of the topic? Do you want to play an MP4 in InDesign, or do you want to play Flash-like animations in InDesign?

Both of those should work, but you might want to use more recent features to get it going.

On the question of MP4 (oh, by the way, I don't know InDesign at all, I may be doing naive things!), doing a Place of an MP4, then an Export to HTML, gives me a web page that plays the video just fine.

As per Bob, using HTML5 instead of SWF may be a good idea, and Adobe Animate can export OAM files. I was able to drag an OAM straight into InDesign, and have a web page that is playing MP4 video, and Flash animation, at the same time, all without not knowing what I'm doing.

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Explorer ,
Nov 27, 2017 Nov 27, 2017

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Yup, I was hoping for a quick answer about mp4s not playing in indesign 2018 exports like they did in v2017 and it turned in to a discussion about SWF in general.

I teach a course in interactive indesign that has be incrementally updated from CS6 to CC2018—we do PDF, and epub as well as SWF—but apparently not enough, as the technology has gone way beyond SWF and the fact that indesign has kept it running has hidden this from me, an old print guy only vicariously in interactive.

Yes, I could be keeping up better, but this work is still a jobmy bosses will only get what they pay for here. Let it be known I still do photoshop for fun. Now, what I want to do keep this course still moderately useful for students one more time before I retire without having to learn new and alien programs on my own time and then rebuild the course completely for free.

Yes, I'm bitter and selfish, but 40 yrs in the art and design business will do that.

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Guru ,
Nov 27, 2017 Nov 27, 2017

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If you are interested. there is a really nice video course in lynda.com called "Creating HTML layouts with Indesign

I think you will be surprise as to how much indesign can do with the tools and experience you already have behind the wheel.

There is a product called IN5 that is super cost effective. It allows you to take you print layout made in indesign and output and html5 document.

here:https://ajarproductions.com/pages/products/in5/

Export HTML5 from InDesing with in5 - Home

Its free to plug into indesign an play with it. I think you will find this an excellent tool to bridge the gap between the print design and the demand of todays technology

I hope you will find that your 40 years of experience are still of use to many people. Just takes a little sitting down and watching a couple of videos and asking questions ( and we are happy to do that here). 

I see no reason why you could not teach students how indesign can help them create documents for the web which meet todays technology standards.

i highly recommend siting down and looking at these items i share. feel free to reach out with questions.

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Community Expert ,
Nov 27, 2017 Nov 27, 2017

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In5 is a terrific extension but it’s not cheap and there’s no way you’re going to be able to convince everyone in a class to buy it. I think sticking with Publish Online / Fixed Layout EPUB is about the best way to deal with modern interactivity in InDesign.

Even PDF is a lousy idea beyond forms and simple navigation.

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Explorer ,
Nov 27, 2017 Nov 27, 2017

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Jonathan, thanks for the suggestions. But while School will pay lynda.com, they will not pay for me to rebuild the course, let alone a $30/month/seat extension. So my plan is--as Bob suggests--to give them a few more hours for free--while I'm teacher the trouble free photoshop and typography courses--re-jigging the indesign course to emphasize what fixed epub does and not talk about what it doesn’t.

Note: you can embed a SWF in a PDF to make it less lousy

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LEGEND ,
Nov 27, 2017 Nov 27, 2017

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It isn't just a question of Flash passing out of flavour. Really, it's already dead. It doesn't run on the iPhones, iPads and Android devices most of your students and their friends will use. But crucially on this page Flash & The Future of Interactive Content | Latest company news & updates | Adobe Conversations Blog Adobe indicate that Flash will be phased out in 2020. You may feel it will keep running after that but security issues mean we might expect it will pretty much shut down in days. That's 3 years away, which is an eternity in computing terms, but I suspect we will see - now we have that announcement - that vendors give up on it much sooner. It currently lives on because of the good will (and business sense) of the major browser makers. When one jumps ship, the others will.

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LEGEND ,
Nov 27, 2017 Nov 27, 2017

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For fun, I placed a SWF into the page too, and it's running along with the MP4 and OAM animation.

The Flash Player browser plugin is due to go away in just over 3 years from now. I think you could just revise your existing course, and maybe by then your bosses will have updated the software.

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Community Expert ,
Nov 27, 2017 Nov 27, 2017

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The mp4 doesn’t work even with the flash player installed. Is that a feature of v18?

Are you uploading the SWF and resources to a server and playing from a plugin enabled browser or are you trying to run locally?

If you are trying to run locally the problem might be a security setting—many browsers will stop SWFs from loading local resources.

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Explorer ,
Nov 27, 2017 Nov 27, 2017

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I’m running the exported files in flash player 11.4. the one built in 17 works, the one in 18 does not. Both show posters but when you click 18’s controller the image disappears. Both posters appear in firefox but neither play.

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