Show details for Configuring text inputs | IV_007

Configuring text inputs | IV_007

In this tutorial, we will learn how to set up and configure text frames, where the contents are driven from one of our form fields.

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In this tutorial, we're going to learn
how to set up and.

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Configure text variables and.

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Text frames where the contents of a text
frame are driven from one of our form.

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Fields via a variable.

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We'll start off by creating our variable.

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So within the Invent plugin window
in Adobe InDesign, go to the variables.

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Tab and click on add variable.

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That brings up a few.

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Different variable options
you. Can choose from.

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And in this case, we're going to.

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Go for a text variable.

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Will begin by typing.

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A variable name.

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And then we need to select the variable.

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Mode.

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So we'll save this three options in there.

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So for the text variable,
I also get the option.

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To select if we should have a single.

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Line multi-line or a rich.

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Text mode input.

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Depending on what you select

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here, it will change the form control
that it is going to be.

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Using on the form.

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So a single line will. Show
you a single text.

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Box multi-line will show.

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You a text area input.

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And then a rich.

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Text will show you a. Text area input.

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But with some font.

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Editing controls like.

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Color, font and size that.

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Can be applied to the text
that you input into

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that form element.

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In this case, I'm going to leave it
as a simple single line input.

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And next we see we have.

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The ability to populate some of the data.

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So text.

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Variables allow. A.

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Repopulation of. Data based on.

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The logged in account.

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Of the user that's looking at the product.

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And if you go in that. Dropdown,
you'll see it includes.

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Data.
Such as names, addresses and. Emails.

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So leave the text

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variable blank, so nothing.

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However, you do also have.

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The ability
to put a default value in there.

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So that will be.

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The value shown in that field.

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When the product first floats.

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So let's say, for example,
we're going to do a name field.

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I might say something
like for name surname.

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So over on the right hand side
we have some UI information.

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So user. Interface.

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So first we've got the label.

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That's the label
for this particular variable.

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So I could have. That as.

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The name of the.

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Variable,
I could have it as an. Instruction.

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So let's say enter.

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Name, for example.

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I have the ability.
To put in some help information.

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If you need to provide some additional.

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Information to the user
and some placeholder information.

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Moving a bit further down the screen,
we have some validation.

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Options.

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So for single line and multi line,
we also.

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Provide some.

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Validation so that you can control
to a degree what type of.

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Text you are expecting. The.

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User to input within this variable.

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A good example of this is if you create
a variable to accept an email address,

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you can select our preset email Regex

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down here

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that will ensure that the user inputs
a valid.

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Email address format.

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You were also able to enter validation
for minimum a.

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Maximum character count.

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So for example,
if this is a name, I might say there's.

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A minimum.

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Character count of four characters
just to give it some validation

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and to make sure that it can't be.

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Blank.

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We can see that
for any of those validation.

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Steps, we have the ability to. Customize.

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The message that's shown to our end users.

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With all of those things
configured, we can. Click save.

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Next.

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We need to make
sure that one of our text frames on the.

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Artwork itself, so on the canvas.

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Itself is linked to.

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That variable so that it shows.

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The contents. Of that variable.

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Now the example we've.

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Set up here is to do with the. Name.

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So if I go to this option here, which is
showing me the name on our business.

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Card example.

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And then go over to the. Properties tab.

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You can see that's a text frame.

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And if I click enable.

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That enables that field to be controlled

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dynamically using Invent.

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There's a lot of different things
we can control on here.

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So if I scroll down,
you can. See this things like.

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Text, color.

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Font size and font options.

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In this case
we're going to keep it nice and simple.

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Just with the text options.

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Setting.

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Currently it's unlinked.

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So it's not linked to any of our resources
or. Variables.

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But if I want to link it to the.

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Variable that we just created,

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I say. Variable.

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It will show me
a list of relevant variables

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and that is now linked.

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With another option that we have.

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Here, which is worth.

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Considering is the fit. To box option.

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So this will ensure that the size
of the box itself does not change.

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But whatever
the contents of that box. Are,

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it will try its best to fill that box.

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So it will change the size of the.

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Font to fill the box.

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So if you've got something
like this scenario, so a business card

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you might want it.

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So the name covers as. Much of that area.

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As possible.

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Fit to box.

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Will allow you to do. That
and if needed, you.

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Can also enter some.
Some additional validation.

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In the.

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Forms of a minimum, a.

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Maximum font size that is available.

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From here.

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We're just going to go ahead and.

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Export that Mex file
that we can import into MegaEdit

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So if we look over on the right hand

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side there,
the variable will be shown in the form.

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Within mega.

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Edit one text is entered into the text box

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in the form
the text frame on the product itself.

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If I change the page will be populated.

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With those contents.

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We can also see, for example, that we.

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Have our help. Text available.

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Our UI name has been changed as we.

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Specified and we should.

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Have some.

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Validation on here as well.

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You can couple this functionality with the
application of additional restrictions.

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On the text frame.

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So for example,
we could do this in Invent itself.

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We can.

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Also do it
once the template has been. Imported.

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I could limit the customer's.

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Ability to actually select
this field at all.

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And this ensures that the data
can only be entered via the form.

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Not on the template self.

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So for
example, if I couple that with the do not.

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Select setting.

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Which is already.

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Active in this case,

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if I emulate user mode to.

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See how the actual.

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End users would interact with this,
that is not.

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Selectable.

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So I can only enter data via

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this form.

 

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