Adobe Community: InDesign Actions

Currently Being Moderated

1. Peter Spier,

Jan 29, 2009 4:30 AM in reply to dtpartner

Report

This is something I've wished for from time to time.

InDesign allows for scripts, which are far more powerful that simple actions, and you can use the transform again commands to repeat what you just did, but there is no way to record a sequence of operations and save them for later re-use, which would be a real bonus for the non-scripters among us.

Peter

|

Mark as:

Currently Being Moderated

2. (Ron_M_Anderson),

Mar 4, 2009 2:21 PM in reply to dtpartner

Report

You are so right "there is no way to record a sequence of operations and save them for later re-use, which would be a real bonus for the non-scripters among us." I'm constantly running into cases where I want to create an action, like I used to be able to, where I can save a series of keystrokes to reuse.

Why in the world would Adobe discontinue this useful capability??

Ron

|

Mark as:

Currently Being Moderated

3. Scott Falkner,

Mar 4, 2009 2:53 PM in reply to dtpartner

Report

> Why in the world would Adobe discontinue this useful capability?

I don't believe they did. Actions have never been a feature of InDesign.

|

Mark as:

Currently Being Moderated

4. Bob Levine,

Mar 4, 2009 3:03 PM in reply to (Ron_M_Anderson)

Report

> Why in the world would Adobe discontinue this useful capability??

You can't discontinue something that never existed. You must be thinking
about something else.

Bob

|

Mark as:

Currently Being Moderated

5. ascript_guy,

May 20, 2009 6:51 AM in reply to dtpartner

Report

If you are working on a Mac, Applescript isn't that hard. I'm not the brightest bulb in the pack and I can do it. Start by opening up some of the supplied scripts in Script Editor. There are Applescripts that are very complex, but an "action" script is usually limited in scope and simple. Do you have an example Action that you'd like to have?

|

Mark as:

Currently Being Moderated

6. dtpartner,

May 25, 2009 9:59 AM in reply to ascript_guy

Report

Placed a Word document with mathamatic formulas which origanally came from Scientific Workplace (This program is based on Latex).

All formulas are inline graphics AND imbedded .eps files.

The .eps files need to bee unembed in the link panel menu

In the folowing Popup shows the text "Unembed file ... Do you want to link to the original files"

Answer: Yes

The dialog Choose a Folder follows. Then you need to choose or create a folder.

Answer: Choose

Followed by selecting the inline graphic in InDesign

Palet menu Links choose Edit Original

The .eps file will be opened in Illustrator

In Illustrator i allready made some Actions

After editing the eps file in Illustrator i go back to InDesign

Relink the files in het Links panel

With a few hundred formulas (imbedded inline graphics) you can understand that it whould be great to have Actions in InDesign. But if you think it is possible to make a script... Just let me know...

|

Mark as:

Currently Being Moderated

7. Hipzone,

Mar 27, 2010 3:01 PM in reply to dtpartner

Report

Does the upcoming CS5 have actions? Is there a automated way of

exporting to ePub?

|

Mark as:

Currently Being Moderated

8. Peter Spier,

Mar 27, 2010 5:27 PM in reply to Hipzone

Report

Nobody participating in thei s forum is in a position ot be able to answer questions about what might or might not be included in any future release. We'll all have to wait for the public announcements.

|

Mark as:

Currently Being Moderated

9. lightal65,

Apr 25, 2010 7:29 PM in reply to Peter Spier

Report

I totally agree. We need actions in InDesign - scripting is way too complex (and I'm a web designer who writes JS!). Photoshop has had them for years, and they are absolutely wonderful.

|

Mark as:

Currently Being Moderated

10. Jo_si_ah,

May 5, 2010 9:31 AM in reply to dtpartner

Report

+1 for Actions in InDesign. Or perhaps a "script recorder" that let you see how to accomplish actions via javascript or whatever language you choose.

I need to import an XML file, export pdf, import a different XML, export pdf, etc etc 150 times.

|

Mark as:

Currently Being Moderated

11. nope0000,

Jun 11, 2010 9:10 AM in reply to Jo_si_ah

Report

There is a server version for Indesign. Maybee the reason for this.

|

Mark as:

Currently Being Moderated

12. MAmanogabriel1,

Dec 8, 2010 8:03 AM in reply to dtpartner

Report

Actions are a time saver in Photoshop. Don´t know why they doesn´t exist in InDesign. I need to place 235 tables from illustrator: Place, scale 65%, rotate 90° and center on page... 235 times!

|

Mark as:

Currently Being Moderated

13. nope0000,

Dec 8, 2010 8:20 AM in reply to MAmanogabriel1

Report

if you need to do this more than one time you will be faster if you write a script that does it instead of doing it manually each time.

|

Mark as:

Currently Being Moderated

14. Peter Spier,

Dec 8, 2010 8:26 AM in reply to MAmanogabriel1

Report

If you are doing the same transformations repeatedly, you can do one frame, then select as many more as possible (i.e, the rest that are on the spread or all that are on another spread), then Object > Transform > Transform Again > Transform Sequence Again Individually. This is not quite as nice as an action, but comes fairly close, and you can edit the keyboard shortcuts to assigne a shortcut to the command if yo need to use it a lot.

|

Mark as:

InDesign Feature Requests

InDesign Actions

Jan 29, 2009 1:37 AM

More Like This

Bookmarked By (0)