InDesign CS4 outputs to Flash, interactive PDF

As a part of its Creative Suite 4 announcements, Adobe has revealed details on the next version of InDesign. The publishing tool will add a variety of new features, such as the ability to export to XFL files, and open them up in Flash CS4 Professional for inserting animation and interactions. Simpler interactive documents can be exported directly to SWF or interactive PDF files.

Another major feature is Live Preflight, which identifies possible production issues in real-time and highlights them. A new Links panel, meanwhile, manages files in a document, and provides thumbnails to identify them. A Conditional Text option lets users create multiple editions of a document, such as for foreign languages, and a Cross-References feature updates referenced text dynamically.

Adobe has lastly introduced the IDML format, an XML interpretation of InDesign documents which allows third-party developers to create, alter and deconstruct them without relying on InDesign itself.

InDesign CS4, along with InCopy CS4, is expected to go on sale in October. Separate from the full Creative Suite, the former will cost $700, while InCopy is being priced at $250. InDesign CS4 Server is expected to become available for "qualified Adobe developer partners" sometime in the fourth quarter of the year.