Knowing How Plug-Ins Work within InDesign

To use a new plug-in, the first thing you need to do is install it. Many plug-ins include their own installers that search out your copy of InDesign and plant themselves in the Plug-Ins folder. If a plug-in doesn't include an installer or installation instructions, try dragging it into the Plug-Ins folder. Once a plug-in is in the correct location, you need to restart InDesign so the plug-in is recognized and its code is loaded. You cannot use a new plug-in installed while InDesign is running ‚ you should always quit the application before changing anything in the Plug-Ins folder and then restarting.

If a plug-in cannot load with InDesign, an alert will display while the application is starting up. Usually, loading errors result from incompatible versions of InDesign and the plug-in. Check the plug-in's ReadMe file or contact the developer for assistance. To remove a plug-in, simply drag it out of the subfolder of the Plug-Ins folder and store it someplace else. (You might create a folder called Disabled Plug-Ins, in which to store plug-ins that you're not using ‚ just be sure it's not stored in the Plug-Ins folder!)

When a plug-in is loaded with InDesign, new controls appear in the interface. You might see entire menus , menu commands, dialog boxes, panes, palettes, and tools added to the application by a plug-in. No matter the combination of interface elements, when you're using the features of a plug-in, it should look and feel as if you're using InDesign. Some plug-ins will meet this criteria, and others will not.

For example, the PMPack set of plug-ins from Adobe adds its own toolbar plus the Template Browser and Data Merge panes, to bring in PageMaker features not otherwise available in InDesign. Figure 36-2 shows the added interface elements.

Figure 36-2: The two panes and one toolbar added by the PMPack set of plug-ins.

Caution ‚  

In some cases, plug-ins may add objects or information to documents that can be recognized only when the plug-in is loaded. If the plug-in is missing, you may not be able to open the document, or the document may look differently. If it turns out that a plug-in is required to open a document or preserve information, you'll need to ensure that each member of a workgroup and your service bureau owns the same plug-in.