InDesign CS6 - Update multiple displayed artboard/pages of linked files without relinking
Question
InDesign CS6.
I'd like to know if there is a way of updating a linked file's displayed artboard (.ai) or page (.pdf) without having to go through the process of relinking the file.
Currently upon adding a new artboard to a linked .AI I need to go through every instance of that link and:
- Browse for the file
- Select the import options
- Confirm Relink
This gets tiresome when for example I have a file that is linked in several objects and for which different artboards are used at the same time inside the IND document.
Just to clarify: I keep different versions of an icon inside one .AI so that modifying colors and symbols can be done in a single operation (as opposed to a workflow where you have one .AI for every icon version)
The links panel seems to show the currently selected artboard in this format
filename.extension:artboardnumber
Is there a way to quickly change that artboard number?
Thanks
Popular Answer
As Scott points out in his comment, what you are doing is updating the import options, not really changing the link, and the functionality isn't exposed in the UI. It could be scripted.
Here is a workaround: When you create your new artboard, swap its content with the artboard that is currently linked, then save the file. All of your existing links can then be refreshed, rather than relinked.
Another possibility that I haven't tested would be to rename the out-of-date artboard, then name the new one with the original's name. I don't know that Id is smart enough to recognize that, rather than simply going by the sequence in which they were created. Might be worth a test, though.