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JNSaraiva
JNSaraiva
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Indesign CS5 | Create layers and Distribute automatically. [script]

Aug 18, 2011 9:17 AM

Hi guys,

 

Is there some script to Indesign CS5 that create layers automatically and distribute text, images and objects to them?

 

Ex: I have one layer with many images and i would like to distribute them to another layers automatically.

 

Best regards,

 

JNSaraiva

2483 Views   16 Replies   Latest reply: Michael Witherell, Sep 2, 2011 9:15 AM
 
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  • Mac_06
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    1. Mac_06,
    Aug 18, 2011 9:45 AM   in reply to JNSaraiva
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    Below code creates a new layer named "ImageLayer" and move all images to that layer and add "TextLayer" to move text frames.

     

    pictureLayer = app.activeDocument.layers.add ({name: "ImageLayer"});
textLayer= app.activeDocument.layers.add ({name: "TextLayer"});
app.activeDocument.rectangles.everyItem().itemLayer = pictureLayer;
app.activeDocument.textFrames.everyItem().itemLayer = textLayer;

     

    Mac

     
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  • JNSaraiva
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    2. JNSaraiva,
    Aug 18, 2011 9:58 AM   in reply to Mac_06
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    Thank you for your post, but my idea is: imagine that i have a page with only one layer with many things, like: images, and texts. I would like to mark all them objects and with one script create and distribute them to new layers. Is it possible?

     

    Best regards,

     

    JNSaraiva

     
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  • Mac_06
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    3. Mac_06,
    Aug 18, 2011 10:18 AM   in reply to JNSaraiva
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    Hope my perception would be wrong, I don’t think you run this script fragment otherwise I am not understanding what your requirement is sorry…

     

    Mac

     
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  • JNSaraiva
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    4. JNSaraiva,
    Aug 18, 2011 10:57 AM   in reply to Mac_06
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    I'll try to explain more clearly:

     

    1) I have one page with: a main layer with 3 objects in my page: 1 image, 1 text and one object.
    2) I would like do select all (command + A)
    3) Then go to the script and ask him to do: create more 2 layers (because i already have one), and distribute in each layer created one object.

     

    thank you again,

     

    JNSaraiva

     
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  • Larry G. Schneider
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    5. Larry G. Schneider,
    Aug 18, 2011 1:55 PM   in reply to JNSaraiva
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    That's what the script above will do. Try it.

     
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  • JNSaraiva
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    6. JNSaraiva,
    Aug 19, 2011 5:34 AM   in reply to Larry G. Schneider
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    Hi Guys, could someone help me build this script?
    It seems that the structure of the script is incomplete.
    I tried to run but gives AppleScriptEditor error.

    Thank you     Mac_06 and Larry


    JNSaraiva

     
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  • Muppet Mark
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    7. Muppet Mark,
    Aug 19, 2011 6:15 AM   in reply to JNSaraiva
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    Thats because the syntax is Adobe's ExtendScript and not AppleScript… C&P into ExtendScript Toolkit… This editing/debugging app can be found in your utilities folder…

     
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  • JNSaraiva
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    8. JNSaraiva,
    Aug 19, 2011 7:05 AM   in reply to Muppet Mark
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    Hi Muppet, i got it, thank you.

    But the script doesn't works like i imagine, unfortunately.

     

    The script just transport all objetcs to another layer, it does not create a layer for each object.

    I need to separate objects (images, text, objects) in layers, a layer for each of them.

     

    Like this:

     

    Main layer: object1, object2, object3, object4, object5

     

    (than select all and click on script an got this below)

     

    Main layer: object1

    Layer 2: object2

    Layer 3: object3

    Layer 4: object4

    Layer 5: object5

     

    Thank you,

     

    JNSaraiva

     
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  • Muppet Mark
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    9. Muppet Mark,
    Aug 19, 2011 8:51 AM   in reply to JNSaraiva
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    I didn't get so far as your script request… just noticed the problem… It does save some confusion/presumption if you state your OS and preferred scripting language if you have one…

     
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  • JNSaraiva
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    10. JNSaraiva,
    Aug 19, 2011 10:08 AM   in reply to Muppet Mark
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    Muppet, my operational system is: snow leopard 10.6.6  and i'm using Indesign CS5.5.

    And i have used: javascript

     

    Thank you so much.

     

    JNSaraiva

     
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  • Muppet Mark
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    11. Muppet Mark,
    Aug 19, 2011 11:03 AM   in reply to JNSaraiva
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    The fact that you had pasted into Apple Script Editor told me you were on a mac at least… It just helps other users help you, if they know these things. In ID versioning is pretty important too… I don't have 5.5 took a dammed eternity to get to 5… but if you are happy to use ExtendScript then there are many more helpers at hand… by far the most popular language in this forum… Might get the chance to read the thread now…

     
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  • Mac_06
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    12. Mac_06,
    Aug 19, 2011 11:03 AM   in reply to JNSaraiva
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    Hi JNSaraiva

     

    In at a glance of your first requirement looked like you have three specific objects (image, text, otherObjects) and you wanted to move all images on one specific layer and text frames on another specific layer and rest objects to another specific layer. If this what you wanted then my first code will definate full fill it but in your subsequent mail it sounds like you want move every object in your selection on different layer, if this is what you wanted then try my below code:

     

    var mySels = app.selection.length;
if (mySels == 0) {
    alert("Select the object and Run the script"); 
     exit(0)
  }
else{
while(mySels--){
          var objLayer=app.activeDocument.layers.add();
          app.selection[mySels].itemLayer = objLayer;
     }
}

     

    Mac

     
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  • JNSaraiva
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    13. JNSaraiva,
    Aug 20, 2011 5:59 AM   in reply to Mac_06
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    Dear Mac, thank you a lot.

     

    Works like a charm in Indesign CS5, you save my day.

     

    Obs: I also did a test in Illustrator CS5 with this script, it worked in part. It creates the layers, but does not send the objects for each one.
    It would be perfect if it worked for both programs the same script. ;-)

     

    God bless you.

     

    JNSaraiva

     
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  • Muppet Mark
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    14. Muppet Mark,
    Aug 20, 2011 7:27 AM   in reply to JNSaraiva
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    Illustrator does not have an 'itemLayer' property… In ID this property is r/w so objects can be relocated by changing this… In AI you would need to move to each new layer as the page items 'layer' property is r/o…

     
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  • JNSaraiva
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    15. JNSaraiva,
    Aug 21, 2011 4:45 AM   in reply to Muppet Mark
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    Muppet, thank you.

    I go it.

     

    Best regards,

     

    JNSaraiva

     
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  • Michael Witherell
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    16. Michael Witherell,
    Sep 2, 2011 9:15 AM   in reply to JNSaraiva
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    When I tried this script, it errors and complains that it cannot move locked objects. I have some layers locked. No

    objects are locked as far as I know. How can the script be adjusted to ignore locked layers?

     

    Best to you,

     

    Mike Witherell in Maryland

     
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