What’s New in eDesign
Check out the links below for quick videos showing some of the recent updates to eDesign.
December 1, 2023
In addition to a variety of tweaks, here are some of the more noticeable changes:
- Text wrap with multi-column text frames – text wrap now works with multi-column text frames. Simply bring a text-wrapped object near a multi-column text frame and observe the magic!
- Editors can break locks for other Staff – editors now have the option to break page locks for any staff member (other than the adviser).
- Replace in-use portrait – you now have the option to replace a portrait in the Library when the portrait is in-use. You will need to reflow the portrait section after making this change in the Library, but this prevents you from having to remove the portrait flow from the pages before fixing the portrait.
- “Not Defined” symbol for unsupported characters – Now if a user attempts to enter an unsupported character in Page Design, a “not defined” character will appear so it is clear to the user that the character they have tried to enter will not work.
- Change to cancel options in PSPI upload process – when a PSPI upload has reached step 3, the cancel confirmation modal now presents the user with the option to cancel and keep any imported portraits or to cancel and delete all portraits from the upload.
- Send and Sell updates to recipient list screen – when opening the recipient list screen in Send and Sell, the user will no longer be instructed to update from eBusiness before sending a message. There is also instructional text that appears on the screen to guide the user in creating a new recipient list.
- Changes to Spread History interface – In the Spread History panel, there is no longer the “Open last saved version” option at the top of the list. The most recent version is simply the latest version located at the top of the list. When the Spread History panel is open and a save occurs, the panel automatically updates. You no longer have to close and reopen the panel to see the latest.
October 13, 2023
In addition to a variety of tweaks, here are some of the more noticeable changes:
- Catalog Access for Staff Users – Staff users can now open the Catalog and review the templates, mods and art that are available. By default, only Adviser and Editor users can activate items for use. However, advisers can now permit Staff users to activate items from the Catalog. Just go to Settings > Design Styles > Page Design Preferences and check the box to allow Staff to activate Catalog assets.
- Filters for Managing Colors – In the Colors area of Settings, you now have the ability to filter by status so you can see just the colors that are activated, the colors that are activated and used, and the colors activated but not in use. You also have the option to deactivate unused colors with one click.
August 31, 2023
In addition to a variety of tweaks, here are some of the more noticeable changes:
- Text Wrap – automatically flow text around other objects on the page
- Gradient Fill Color – smoothly transition between two colors in the fill of shapes –
- Pin Open Arrange Panel – you can now pin the arrange panel to keep it open in just the right spot in Page Design –
- Filter for Candids Used More than Once – there is now a filter to show candid images that have been used on two or more pages –
June 30, 2023
In addition to a variety of tweaks, here are some of the more noticeable changes:
- INTRODUCING STYLE WIZARD –
- Style Wizard: Templates and Mods – Advisers and editors can use this powerful new feature to customize templates and mods in the Library by easily swapping out colors and fonts on a whole group of designs.
- Style Wizard: Spreads – Advisers can use this function to change colors and fonts on the actual pages of the book.
- Style Wizard: Backgrounds and Folios – Advisers can user this function to add color backgrounds and update folio settings for a whole group of pages.
- “Jump To” Changes – in the Book module, the Jump To feature now only shows results for topics that have been applied to pages.
- Special Character Panel – in Page Design, you can use the Special Character panel to insert symbols and accented characters from the fonts you have activated in eDesign. Watch a video
- Create Portrait Proofs for Selected Groups – the Portrait Proof function now lets you designate for which of the groups you want to generate proofs instead of having to generate proofs for all the groups.
- Keep Panel Open Behavior – we are experimenting with a new panel behavior in Page Design. This has been implemented for the Arrange panel only. After opening the panel, the panel will reappear in the same spot whenever it would be needed until the user chooses to close it.
- New fonts for 2024 are now available in Settings. Here’s a document showing the new options.
- Capitalization styling works with Portrait flow. You can add a capitalization formatting to a character style used in Portrait Flow and have that capitalization applied in the portrait flow.
- Changes to teacher names and custom text triggers reflow alert for portraits.
May 19, 2023
In addition to a variety of tweaks, here are some of the more noticeable changes:
- Capitalization Styling – You can now apply capitalization as a text formatting setting (just like font, color, size, etc.). Text styled for a certain capitalization type will always have this style when typing.
- Capitalization in Character Styles – You can now add capitalization formatting to your character styles so that when a style is applied, the desired capitalization type will also be applied.
- Font Filtering in Settings – In the Fonts area of Settings, you now have the ability to filter by font status so you can see just the fonts that are activated, activated and used, and activated but not in use. You also have the option to deactivate unused fonts with one click.
- Default Font Limitation – Having an excessive amount of activated fonts can cause eDesign to run more slowly (depending on your Internet bandwidth and computer memory). There is now a limitation of 100 fonts that can be activated. However, if you need to activate more than 100 fonts, you can contact Tech Support to have this limitation removed.
May 4, 2023
In addition to a variety of tweaks, here are some of the more noticeable changes:
- Fill with Placeholder Text – fill text frames after they are created with the standard Lorem Ipsum placeholder text –
- Option to replace or add content when placing a template –
- Set a default Character Style for your book to control the formatting of all new text frames –
- Preview mode in Page Design –
- Option to save pasteboard items with a template –
- Option to force folio page numbers to have two or three digits –
February 24, 2023
In addition to a variety of tweaks, here are some of the more noticeable changes:
- Batch Delete in Library – available to advisers – Library > Edit > Batch Delete.
February 3, 2023
In addition to a variety of tweaks, here are some of the more noticeable changes:
- Advanced filtering for portraits in Library and Page Design (in the Library, go to Filter > Advanced Filters)
- Filename search field in portrait section of Library
- Missing portrait report improvements (access report from Portrait Library — Import/Export > Missing Portraits):
- job number included in the file name
- change to column order in report – First Name then Last Name
- Tab characters are removed when pasting text in Page Design from outside sources (great when copying from an outside source like a spreadsheet).
- Staff users can download the final Customer Approved PDF when it is high resolution
- Portrait Flow: flowing an “unspecified” group no longer triggers the reflow alert
- Can see character style settings without opening the style in the edit window
December 2, 2022
In addition to a variety of tweaks, here are some of the more noticeable changes:
- View Only Covers and Endsheets – for Core books who submit the cover and/or endsheets outside of eDesign, the plant can now activate a “view-only” version of the cover and endsheets where the final artwork can be placed for viewing. Request this from your CSA.
- Missing Portraits report – you can now generate a missing portraits report that shows names from the Name List for which a matching portrait record cannot be found.
- Default settings for new text frames – new text frames created with the default settings now have a line spacing of 1 instead of the previous default setting of 1.2.
- Align folio elements across the spread – you can now select items from both sides of the folio master for easier alignment
- Copy Character Styles – you can now make a copy of an existing characters style so you can easily modify an existing style without having to start from scratch.
- Editors can flow portraits on all pages – editors can now flow portraits on all pages–even those to which they have not been assigned. This will prevent situations where the editor is blocked from completing a portrait flow because the editor does not have editing rights to one or more of the affected pages.
November 2, 2022
In addition to a variety of tweaks, here are some of the more noticeable changes:
- Implemented a “Customer Approved PDF” function for pages in Pre-Submit and Submitted states. Watch a quick video.
- Updates to the way Staff Activity reports tracks time in eDesign and the number of pages edited
- The Portraits Preview panel inside page design now has drop-downs for grade and teacher as well as the “Do Not Include” checkbox so edits can be made to portrait data more easily in Page Design (remember, if you change portrait data, you still need to reflow the section).
- Custom ruler guides can now be deleted individually by dragging a guide off the page and drop it in the pasteboard area.