*** From the Archives ***
This article is from February 1, 2007, and is no longer current.
Stockholm Day 1
Well, yesterday was our first day of the conference.
Although our group is small, (around 50 people), they are very savvy InDesign users. At least 10 of them started with InDesign version 1. The others started mostly with version 2.
I did my opening session on tips and tricks and had one woman screaming with joy over most of my tips.
Amazingly, these were easy tips such as how to select through objects or move something using the center point.
I learned something very useful about Keyboard Shortcuts.
You know how keyboards are different based on which country you are in? For instance, the command for send backward/forward on an USA keyboard uses the keys Cmd/Ctrl- and then the brackets [ or ].
Well, those brackets are located somewhere else on a Swedish keyboard. So the keyboard shortcut is different.
When you buy a copy of InDesign USA, you get the basic keyboard shortcut list for the American version of the software.
But if you purchase the International version of InDesign, you get the keyboard shortcut files for the shortcuts for all sorts of European country keyboards. For instance, here in Sweden, those shortcuts are in a “Standard” keyboard set for Swedish keyboards.
It’s a good investment for anyone working with European keyboards.
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Ok, but where are the photos ! ;-)
The French don’t have a Qwerty keybord. Really strange if you have to type on one of those French keyboards ;-) Not even the numbers are the same…
This is why InDesign has the French keyboard set available in Edit > Keyboard shortcuts.
Great story Sandee, am looking forward to reading Day 2 :-)
Installing the International English (for those of us utilising the “u” in colour – gr), also installs the additional defaults.
Have had it happen that someone changed to French by accident and indeed found the wierdest things to happen when shortcuts were used… took some serious thinking to figure out what was going on at the time :-) :-)
Glad you liked the story, Cari. Here’s my question.
I bought the US version of InDesign and installed it as US version.
Is the “International” version the same thing, but you just choose a different language when you first install?
Or is “International” a separate product?
And if it’s the same product, but just a different installation setting, how could I get a set of the international keyboard shortcuts. They have them for Danish, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, French, German, and others I may have forgotten.
The reason I ask is that some people here in Sweden install the American version, but have Swedish keyboards that they would like to have the Swedish keyboar set for.
One of the attendees gave me the file for the Swedish version, but I then realized that I might be breaking the software license if I used it or spread it around.
Does anyone have any thoughts on this?
Sandee, as far as I know that is the case. :-)
E.g. when installing CS2 with defaults (e.g. not changing any settings upon installation) will install USA install.
This also results in default page size being Letter (not A4), units of measurements being picas (not mms), default dictionary being English USA (not English UK). Installing ?International? English, changes those defaults.
From what I understand from your message (I?ve never installed USA install), you don?t get the additional keyboard shortcut sets either?
They are installed when changing the English language setting to International upon installation.
The other issue we (metrics system users) encounter is that if by accident the USA install is used, every time you reset your InDesign preferences, the units of measurement, default page size, dictionary are also reset. (which is a pain in the royal ? ;-))
p.s. As far as licensing goes, I am not sure.
My guess would be that the English version that ships for InDesign contains a single installer. That means you could install International instead of default USA, and would have had the additional keyboard shortcuts sets installed.
But if you install CE, ME or different language version such as ?Swedish? the installer would be different.
I always used ID with International English installation because US English causes some problems. Not all dictionaries are available, A# page formats are default and some keyboard shortcuts conflict with my Brazilian Portuguese keyboard.
Although nowadays Adobe ships Brazilian Portuguese versions of PS and ID, I still prefer to use English ones. Localized versions have strange translations and use some incorrect expressions instead of the technical terms we’re used to.
Interesting to note that this nice feature InDesign offers is not available in Illustrator. US English is the only option and the Order shortcuts simply don?t work with my keyboard. I had to change them to Ctrl+, and Ctrl+. because Ctrl+[ and Ctrl+] are not recognized. Illustrator also has a historical bug in OS which uses the metrical measurement system instead of traditional English way: stroke sizes with decimals had to be typed with commas (0,5; 1,5 and so on). The drop down menu shows values like 1,5, but they does not work except for integers.
Sandee, I just checked the CS2 boxes I have sitting on the shelf that I purchased in Australia: the sticker on the back of the box actually indicates that I have the IE version, where as I?m guessing boxes purchased in the US, will have a ?US? listed? This makes me think the products DO ship with a different installer in contrast to what I assumed in an earlier comment.
Although the issue definitely existed in the past (default install jumping to English USA etc. for IE English version), I?m thinking Adobe changed the installers at some point or in the box products it shipped? Again, I?m just guessing here.
The IE software installer today defaults to International English install with metric settings and English UK dictionary default as well as installation of the various default keyboard shortcuts.
It will probably benefit European users who want to run an English version of InDesign to purchase the IE version, not the US version.
Someone from Adobe might be able to answer the licensing issue regarding US installers and adding foreign Keyboard Shortcut Sets. It remains an interesting topic. :-)
Hi there, where is pictures
Great thing to find your site but where are all photos