Pages to Layers Script

[ixladxi]

Hello,

Background: The job I'm working on was created using datamerge. Its a postcard that has a common master page background. I merged in an address and map.

As expected I now have over 200 pages of postcards with the merged background, address, and map. I need to export them into separate files that have individual names. So what I would like to do is somehow move the pages into layers on a single page and name the layers the file names I need, then export them using the script, "PageExporterUtility". For those not familiar PageExporter lets you choose a base layer and variable data layers on top and creates and individual file for each using the name of that layer.

The problem I'm running into is that I can't find a way to move all of the pages into layers on one page.  I found was able to make each page it's own layer but it stays on that page. Here's my script so far below.

Thanks for your help.

Jeff

for(var p=0; p<document.pages.length; p++) 

{ 

    var myPageItems = document.pages

.pageItems.everyItem().getElements(); 

    var myLayerPage = (p+1); 

    for(var i=0;i<myPageItems.length;i++) 

    { 

        try{var myLayer = app.activeDocument.layers.add ({name: "Page " + myLayerPage});}catch(e){}         

        myPageItems.itemLayer = "Page " + myLayerPage; 

    } 

}

[ixladxi]

I guess I should mention that this is for 2018 CC.

[Benreyn · Accepted solution]

Hi ixladxi,

You were very close... I used your script above and edited as such, notice the last part (added var doc for my script execution purposes):

var doc = app.activeDocument;

for(var p=0; p<document.pages.length; p++)  {

    var myPageItems = document.pages

.pageItems.everyItem().getElements();

    var myLayerPage = (p+1);

    for(var i=0; i < myPageItems.length; i++) {

        try {

            var myLayer = app.activeDocument.layers.add ({name: "Page " + myLayerPage});          

        } catch(e) {}        

        myPageItems.itemLayer = "Page " + myLayerPage;

    }

}

var myPage = doc.pages.add();

for(var x = 0; x < doc.layers.length; x++) {

    doc.layers.pageItems.everyItem().duplicate(myPage);

}

It will add a page at the end of the document and duplicate all the created layers to it.

Hope that helps.

[ixladxi]

Thank you so much! This worked. It combines it all on the last page.

[RichardChenoweth]

Benreyn This works very well! I have some before and after steps that I would like to add in order to automate a portion of my workflow. I'm more familiar with AppleScript than .jsx and believe I will need to jump from Excel to BBedit to InDesign to accomplish what I'm envisioning.

My process will be extracting 2 columns of tabbed data, cleaning spaces & line endings, InDesign Data Merge, this script, and moving the resulting layers to the working document.

I want to take a shot at doing it myself but would greatly appreciate your thoughts and or warnings if any.

Thanks!

[Colin Flashman]

If you still had access to the original un-merged INDD file, would my Data Merge to Unique Names script be of use? Here's a video of it in action: Episode 1: Data Merge to Unique Names - InDesign Javascript by Colecandoo - YouTube