As in5 is an InDesign plugin, it uses InDesign's features to create interactive content. For example, the Menu Builder (in5 > Build Wizards > Menu Builder) generates a Compact (hamburger) menu* using buttons and multi-state objects (MSOs) based on either your bookmarks or paragraph styles.


Because the resulting menu is made from InDesign objects, you can modify a menu created with the Menu Builder to have a submenu so that the MSO that the Menu Builder creates has additional object states for your submenus and buttons to go to those object states.


Here's one way to set it up:

Create the initial menu:

  1. Use the Menu Builder (in5 > Build Wizards > Menu Builder) to create the main menu.
  2. Select the menu MSO and open the Object States panel (Window > Interactive > Object States).

Create the submenu object state(s):

  1. Select the open object state and drag it to the + button at the bottom of the Object States panel to duplicate it.
  2. Rename this object state for its submenu name and repeat steps 2.1 & 2.2 for each submenu needed.

Modify the submenus:

  1. With the submenu object state selected, go to the Layers panel, and select the <group> layer that contains the group with the main menu content.
  2. Drag the <group> layer to the + button at the bottom of the Layers panel to duplicate it, and move the duplicated <group> so that it is below the original <group> and indented at the same level so that it will also be inside the submenu object state.
  3. Position the duplicated <group> where it aligns with its corresponding main menu item.
  4. Change the text of the menu buttons as needed for the submenu, delete or add buttons, and resize the background rectangle to fit.
  5. Repeat steps 3.1-3.4 for any additional submenus.

Set the buttons to go to the submenu object states:

  1. In the Object States panel, select the open object state.
  2. For a main menu item that has a corresponding submenu, double-click on the menu item and open the Buttons and Forms panel (Window > Interactive > Buttons and Forms).
  3. Remove the current actions on the button.
  4. Add an action to Go To State and select the menu MSO as the Object and set the State to the corresponding submenu object state.
  5. Repeat steps 4.1-4.4 for any additional menu items in this object state with submenus.
  6. Repeat all of step 4 for the rest of the object states other than the closed object state.

Set the buttons for the submenu items:

  1. Select the first submenu object state in the Object States panel.
  2. Double-click on the submenu item to access its button.
  3. In the Buttons and Forms panel, keep the Go To State action that goes to the menu's closed object state and replace the other action with an action to go to the submenu's page or destination.
  4. Repeat steps 5.1-5.3 for any additional submenu buttons.
  5. Repeat all of step 5 for any other submenu object states.


You can further customize your interactive menus with colors, fonts, and styling options with InDesign and in5.


Check out the following video that shows how to create a compact hamburger menu using the Menu Builder:



If you're interested in how to create more user interface items with InDesign and in5, check out the InDesign UX Patterns Guide:


*The in5 Menu Builder can also generate a Sliding Door menu and a Top Bar menu.