Skip to main content
Luke Hodsdon
Luke Hodsdon
Participating Frequently
June 14, 2011
Question

[AS] Beast of a script needs help converting from Quark 8 to InDesign CS5

  • June 14, 2011
  • 1 reply
  • 668 views

First off, THANK YOU for even reading this post. Here's the dilema. I work in a publishing company that used an AppleScript from Quark 8 to automate our pagination from set text we pull from our sales reps worksheets. About 8 months ago we switched fully to InDesign CS5, but have had to hold onto Quark 8 to be able to keep running our pagination. I'd like to see if the geniuses (yes, I've been trolling these forums looking to solve this myself and seen some great problems fixed) on these forums can help me figure out the proper conversion I would need to be able to leave Quark 8 in the rearview.

Here's our current code... (I warned you it was a beast)

set Ad_Props to {¬


     {Ad_Label:"SPREAD – ", Ad_Width:2.495, Ad_Height:1.62, Ad_Text_Angle:0}, ¬


     {Ad_Label:"FULL – ", Ad_Width:1.225, Ad_Height:1.62, Ad_Text_Angle:0}, ¬


     {Ad_Label:"SPREAD – ", Ad_Width:2.495, Ad_Height:1.62, Ad_Text_Angle:0}, ¬


     {Ad_Label:"JUNIOR – ", Ad_Width:0.90625, Ad_Height:1.62, Ad_Text_Angle:0}, ¬


     {Ad_Label:"1/2H – ", Ad_Width:1.225, Ad_Height:0.785, Ad_Text_Angle:0}, ¬


     {Ad_Label:"1/2V – ", Ad_Width:0.5875, Ad_Height:1.62, Ad_Text_Angle:90}, ¬


     {Ad_Label:"1/3V – ", Ad_Width:0.5875, Ad_Height:1.2025, Ad_Text_Angle:90}, ¬


     {Ad_Label:"1/4 – ", Ad_Width:0.5875, Ad_Height:0.785, Ad_Text_Angle:0}, ¬


     {Ad_Label:"1/4 Strip – ", Ad_Width:0.26875, Ad_Height:1.62, Ad_Text_Angle:90}, ¬


     {Ad_Label:"1/8H – ", Ad_Width:0.5875, Ad_Height:0.3675, Ad_Text_Angle:0}, ¬


     {Ad_Label:"1/8V – ", Ad_Width:0.26875, Ad_Height:0.785, Ad_Text_Angle:90}, ¬


     {Ad_Label:"Junior (GOLF) – ", Ad_Width:0.8, Ad_Height:1.62, Ad_Text_Angle:0}, ¬


     {Ad_Label:"1/3V (GOLF) – ", Ad_Width:0.375, Ad_Height:1.62, Ad_Text_Angle:90}, ¬


     {Ad_Label:"1/3sq. (GOLF) – ", Ad_Width:0.8, Ad_Height:0.785, Ad_Text_Angle:0}, ¬


     {Ad_Label:"1/6V (GOLF) – ", Ad_Width:0.375, Ad_Height:0.785, Ad_Text_Angle:90}, ¬


     {Ad_Label:"Directory Listing Only – ", Ad_Width:0.3, Ad_Height:0.3, Ad_Text_Angle:0}, ¬


     {Ad_Label:"INSERT (# in notes) – ", Ad_Width:0.3, Ad_Height:0.3, Ad_Text_Angle:0}, ¬


     {Ad_Label:"Other (See Notes) – ", Ad_Width:0.3, Ad_Height:0.3, Ad_Text_Angle:0}, ¬


     {Ad_Label:"------------ – ", Ad_Width:0.3, Ad_Height:0.3, Ad_Text_Angle:0}}


set Position_Width to number


set Position_Width to 11.375


set Position_Height to number


set Position_Height to 1.875


set Jump_Height to number


set Jump_Height to 0


set Variable_Count to number


set Variable_Count to 0


set Variable_Height to number


set Variable_Height to (1.875 + (1.62 * Variable_Count))


set Last_Ad to number


set Last_Ad to 0




tell application "QuarkXPress"


     activate


     try


          display dialog "WARNING: This version of 'Dummy Square Maker' runs much slower than the last version, a confirmation will tell you when you are finished. Please be patient." & return & return & "Make sure to have the text box selected" buttons {"Cancel", "Accept"} default button 2 with icon caution


          set ThisBox to object reference of current box


          


          tell story 1 of ThisBox


               set (every paragraph where it is return) to ""


               set style sheet of every text to null


               set style sheet of every text to "DUMMY TEXTS"


               repeat with i from 1 to (count of paragraphs)


                    try


                         tell paragraph i


                              set ThePage to my get_CurrentPage()


                              try


                                   if it contains " – " then


                                        set style sheet to "AD SIZE"


                                        set Ad_Size to contents


                                        set {This_Width, This_Height, this_angle} to {"", "", ""}


                                        repeat with This_Ad in Ad_Props


                                             if Ad_Size contains (Ad_Label of This_Ad) then


                                                  set This_Width to Ad_Width of This_Ad


                                                  set This_Height to Ad_Height of This_Ad


                                                  set this_angle to Ad_Text_Angle of This_Ad


                                                  exit repeat


                                             end if


                                        end repeat


                                        


                                        set Ad_Box to my Make_Box(ThePage, {1.875, 10.875, This_Height + 1.875, This_Width + 10.875}, this_angle)


                                        duplicate contents to (end of Ad_Box)


                                        


                                   else if it contains "—" then


                                        set style sheet to "AD REP/PLACEMENT"


                                        duplicate contents to (end of Ad_Box)


                                        


                                   else if it starts with "©" then


                                        set style sheet to "AD REP/PLACEMENT"


                                        delete (character 1)


                                        duplicate contents to end of Ad_Box


                                        


                                        if Position_Width ≤ 19.75 then


                                             set Jump_Height to Jump_Height + This_Height


                                             


                                             (*_________________This is where Ad Boxes Stack_________________*)


                                             if (Jump_Height ≤ 1.62) then


                                                  set origin of bounds of Ad_Box to {Position_Height, Position_Width}


                                                  set Position_Height to Position_Height + This_Height


                                                  


                                                  (*_________________This is where Ad Boxes more right_________________*)


                                             else


                                                  set Position_Height to Variable_Height


                                                  (*set Position_Width to Position_Width + This_Width + 0.05*)


                                                  set Position_Width to Position_Width + Last_Ad + 0.05


                                                  set origin of bounds of Ad_Box to {Position_Height, Position_Width}


                                                  set Jump_Height to This_Height


                                                  set Position_Height to Variable_Height + This_Height


                                             end if


                                             set Last_Ad to This_Width


                                             


                                             (*_________________This is where New Row appears_________________*)


                                        else


                                             set Position_Width to 11.375


                                             set Variable_Count to Variable_Count + 1


                                             set Variable_Height to (1.875 + (1.62 * Variable_Count))


                                             set Position_Height to Variable_Height


                                             set origin of bounds of Ad_Box to {Position_Height, Position_Width}


                                             set Position_Height to Position_Height + This_Height


                                             set Jump_Height to This_Height


                                             set Last_Ad to This_Width


                                        end if


                                        


                                   else


                                        duplicate contents to (end of Ad_Box)


                                   end if


                              end try


                         end tell


                    on error errmsg number errnum


                         display dialog "There has been an error " & "[" & i & "] (" & errmsg & " [" & errnum & "])" buttons {"Okay"} default button 1 with icon stop


                    end try


               end repeat


               delete contents


               set style sheet of every text to null


          end tell


          beep 2


          display dialog "Automation Finished" & return & return & "IMPORTANT NOTE: Color your Ad Squares according to Sales Rep, and select them all and 'BRING TO FRONT [F5]', this is VITAL." buttons {"Okay"} default button 1 with icon stop


     on error errmsg number errnum


          beep 3


          if errnum ≠ -128 then


               beep


               display dialog errmsg & " [" & errnum & "]" buttons {"OK"} default button 1 with icon stop


          end if


     end try


end tell




on Make_Box(ThePage, TheBounds, this_angle)


     local ThePage, TheBounds, this_angle


     tell application "QuarkXPress"


          tell page ThePage of document 1


               set Ad_Box to make new text box at end with properties {bounds:TheBounds, vertical justification:centered, color:"Rep_Other", shade:100, opacity:10, text angle:this_angle, frame:{style:solid line, color:"Black", shade:60, width:0.1}}


          end tell


     end tell


     (*end tell*)


     return Ad_Box


end Make_Box




on get_CurrentPage()


     tell application "QuarkXPress"


          tell document 1


               return page number of current page


          end tell


     end tell


end get_CurrentPage
This topic has been closed for replies.
1 reply
A
Anonymous
June 16, 2011
Hi Luke,
Do you know AS language?
At first glance, this script shouldn’t be difficult to transcode to InDesign ...
How to address the paragraph style is a little different.Otherwise, it's almost the same as for QXP.
I don’t think anyone here will do all the transcoding for you, but if you are worried about a particular topic, can you tell us the problem.
Regards.
Oli.
Luke Hodsdon
Luke HodsdonAuthor
Participating Frequently
June 16, 2011
Thank Oli.
I did write that script for Quark, but it was from a lot of forum surfing and trial and error. I know some AS coding, but hearing that the transition could be fairly simple I'm willing to give anything a try. My poking and prodding will have to be on hold for a while as our next magazine production cycle is rolling in.
I'm sure i'll have some questions when i start to get my hands dirty.
Thanks!
A
Anonymous
June 17, 2011
Hi,
I think with this, you can already make good progress in your work.
Good luck!
--
global mydocument
tell application "Adobe InDesign CS5.5"
 
      set mydocument to active document
 
      tell mydocument
 
           set myParaStyle to paragraph style "DUMMY TEXTS"
 
           tell page 1
                set TheBounds to {0, 0, 20, 50}
                set Ad_Box to make text frame
                tell Ad_Box
                     set geometric bounds to TheBounds
                     set vertical justification of text frame preferences to center align
                     set contents to "This is the contents"
                end tell
 
                set myStory to parent story of Ad_Box
                set applied paragraph style of every paragraph of myStory to myParaStyle
           end tell
      end tell
end tell
--
Your two handlers then look like this:
--
on Make_Box(ThePage, TheBounds, this_angle)
      local ThePage, TheBounds, this_angle
      tell application "Adobe InDesign CS5.5"
           tell page ThePage of mydocument
                set Ad_Box to make text frame
                tell Ad_Box
                     set geometric bounds to TheBounds
                     set vertical justification of text frame preferences to center align
                end tell
           end tell
      end tell
      return Ad_Box
end Make_Box
on get_CurrentPage(CurrentTextFrame)
     tell application "Adobe InDesign CS5.5"
          tell mydocument
               return name of parent page of parent page of CurrentTextFrame
          end tell
     end tell
end get_CurrentPage
--
Shorter version:
--
on get_CurrentPage(CurrentTextFrame)
      tell mydocument of application "Adobe InDesign CS5.5"
           return name of parent page of parent page of CurrentTextFrame
      end tell
end get_CurrentPage
--
Ce message a été modifié par: OlivierBerquin

        
                                                

        

    


            

                                        

            
                        

                                                                                                            
            







        

                    

    
    





    


                                        

                                                        

            
        
    






                                    
Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement

            
        



        
            
    
        
    
        



        
        
        


        


        
        
        
        
                                                        

                            
    

                    

  

    

      
        
      
    

    

      
        Using the community
      
      
        Terms of use
      
      
        Privacy
      
      
        Cookie preferences
      
      
        Do not sell or share my personal information
      
      
        ad choicesAdChoices