Seriously? Not one response!?

Have you tried posting on the Adobe forums?

No, I'm not a member of the Adobe Forums.
I know there's a nice little group of advanced ID users right here; I'm just surprised that I was able to stump them.

OK, I'll bite:

- To my knowledge, there's no way to import styles from AI to InD (or vice versa)

- It would be easy to set up a frame style to apply a rule, but InD doesn't support multiple-color rules, at least not like the ones you're showing. You can control the gap color between multi-line rules, but not set different colors for each line.

You can control the gap color between multi-line rules, but not set different colors for each line.

Well that's just crap. I thought ID was superior to AI, I guess that was all phooey.

Thanks Marc, it only took 115 reads to get an answer. That's like a new record.

I just read this thread for the first time, so I'm not contributing to the 124 reads too much.

I agree with Marc, can't be done, unless you put several frames on top of each other.

I was at the Adobe CS3 seminar yesterday, and it seems that the filters and effects are much advanced in the ID CS3. They showed us how to make a 3D frame, amongst other things. I suppose one must upgrade eventually.

They showed us how to make a 3D frame, amongst other things. I suppose one must upgrade eventually.

First off, who needs a 3D frame? Second, I just started using ID CS2 regularly and now I have to upgrade to do what I'm able to do in AI CS2, and finally... this stinks.

No, I don't think you'd need a 3D frame in your daily work , but there seems to be similar to PhotoShop effects pallette in the new InDesign with options to add effects to any part of the frame (text, fill, frame) unlike now, + other goodies like table styles, so it looked quite interesting.

I just played with the frames a bit, and I really don't think there's an easy way out. You need minimum two frames on top of each other. Hopefully someone will prove me wrong!

Uh Oh, sounds like ID CS3 is turning into Quark 7 with all of it's Photoshopesqueness. Does it support HTML or CSS? I could probably build a 100 page website without breaking a sweat.

I think Adobe has worked on the multi platform issues. One example was to publish a product catalogue on the net with pre-designed CSS to make it look nice with one click (it always looks so easy in the demos, doesn't it). I don't know enough of the web design to give you any reliable details about it.

I thought ID was superior to AI

ID and AI serve different purposes -- that is, Adobe InDesign is for one- or multiple-page layout, while Adobe Illustrator is for vector-based illustration --; how could one be superior to the other?

Well, in this context of page layout, I considered ID to be superior to AI, and the feature I'm trying to duplicate seems like a feature ID would naturally have. I was mistaken and thus, ID's superior page layout abilities are hindered by it's stroke style abilities. (well, I guess it's layout abilities aren't really hindered, but I'm feeling extra dramatic about the whole thing)

I think I'm just more upset that instead of sharing features, I have to use multiple programs to achieve what I want. And I've been spoiled because I've been able to achieve a lot just using Illustrator for the longest time.

I feel your pain. It does seem like a weird omission, but I don't have InDesign handy to check this out... At any rate, I'm sure that there's a workaround.

And I’ve been spoiled because I’ve been able to achieve a lot just using Illustrator for the longest time.

And vice versa. You can always create your own "line" style in InDesign -- look at the Help files -- and implement that. The worst case scenario is that you create your line style in Illustrator, import it into InD as a library item, and call it up when you need to.

Ain't no big thing.... ;-)

FWIW, if the only thing that is the sticking point is the line style, that, IMHO, is a small price to pay for all the things you can do with the text in InD that you can't in Illustrator.

I will agree, doing text in InDesign is definitely a lot easier and prettier than in AI. But most of the stuff I do, isn't very type heavy, so I haven't felt a need to use InDesign. I'm weening myself off AI for InDesign when I do have things that are text heavy even if it's a single page. I like the control I have over the text in ID. I guess I'm just having a struggle with the transition and I'm focusing all my energy on the limitations that I'm imposing.

I am interested in this Library thing. Could you explain this more?

I am interested in this Library thing. Could you explain this more?

Have a boo in the Help menu, under Importing and Managing Graphics, then Using Object Libraries: that will walk you through the whole process. ;-)

(edit: you may have to create your line in Illustrator and place it into an InD file first, and then you can drag it into an Object Library, to resize as necessary.)

You can always create your own “line” style in InDesign...

Just to add to that, if you choose a double or triple stroke from the Stroke palette, InDesign lets you assign a separate color to the gap(s) in between... But nope, it won't let you assign a different color to each line in the double or triple stroke. Sorry. You should write to Adobe about that; so far they have been very accomodating to longtime QuarkXPress users... I'm sure they'll accept suggestions from a longtime Illustrator user. :-)

Also, if you are familiar with QuarkXPress, I heartily recommend the book Moving to InDesign. Very helpful.