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Can the “Inset Spacing” setting in the object style be written in the `properties` object?

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Right now, I can only write it like this:

var objPath = app.documents[0].objectStyleGroups.itemByName(ObjStyleGroup).objectStyles.itemByName(myObjStyle);
objPath.textFramePreferences.insetSpacing = [2.5 * 2.834645, 0, 0, 0]

But I want to write it in the `properties` section, like this:

objPath.properties = {
textFramePreferences.insetSpacing:[2.5 * 2.834645, 0, 0, 0]

}

But that seems to be wrong.
What should I do?

rob dayCorrect answer

Community Expert

But I want to write it in the `properties` section, like this:

Also, you can’t use dot syntax inside the properties object. If I run your code with VSCode it throws an error and highlights the problems:

@Eugene Tyson ’s code should work—this works for me where I’m setting properties, and nesting the textFramePreferences properties—VSCode doesn’t throw any errors on this line:

objPath.properties = {strokeWeight:1, textFramePreferences: {insetSpacing: [2.5 * 2.834645, 0, 0, 0]}};

When a property references an object with its own methods and properties (i.e., textFramePreferences) then this might be easier to read:

//sets multiple properties of the object style object
objPath.properties = {strokeWeight:1, strokeTint:50}
//textFramePreferences is a separate object, so set its properties via objPath.textFramePreferences.properties
objPath.textFramePreferences.properties = {insetSpacing:[2.5 * 2.834645, 0, 0, 0], columnRuleBottomInset:1, columnRuleOverprintOverride: true}

rob day

Correct answer

Community Expert

But I want to write it in the `properties` section, like this:

Also, you can’t use dot syntax inside the properties object. If I run your code with VSCode it throws an error and highlights the problems:

@Eugene Tyson ’s code should work—this works for me where I’m setting properties, and nesting the textFramePreferences properties—VSCode doesn’t throw any errors on this line:

objPath.properties = {strokeWeight:1, textFramePreferences: {insetSpacing: [2.5 * 2.834645, 0, 0, 0]}};

When a property references an object with its own methods and properties (i.e., textFramePreferences) then this might be easier to read:

//sets multiple properties of the object style object
objPath.properties = {strokeWeight:1, strokeTint:50}
//textFramePreferences is a separate object, so set its properties via objPath.textFramePreferences.properties
objPath.textFramePreferences.properties = {insetSpacing:[2.5 * 2.834645, 0, 0, 0], columnRuleBottomInset:1, columnRuleOverprintOverride: true}

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dubloveAuthor

Legend

Hi @rob day

objPath.properties = {strokeWeight:1, textFramePreferences: {insetSpacing: [2.5 * 2.834645, 0, 0, 0]}};

 textFramePreferences: { insetSpacing: [2.5 * 2.834645, 0, 0, 0] },

insetSpacing: [2.5 * 2.834645, 0, 0, 0],

This is also incorrect.
Not reporting an error does not necessarily mean it is working.

It seems necessary to write it outside.
Only this is correct

objPath.textFramePreferences.properties = { insetSpacing: [2.5 * 2.834645, 0, 0, 0] };

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M

Manan Joshi

Community Expert

app.documents[0].objectStyles.itemByName("obj").textFramePreferences.properties = {insetSpacing:[10,5,10,5]}

worked for me. Even if the chain is on executing this code unchecked it and set the correct values

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-Manan

dubloveAuthor

Legend

@Manan Joshi

I've used this before.
That works.
Now I want to write it inside objPath.properties{}

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M

Manan Joshi

Community Expert

properties is well a property so it has to be assigned which would need a = operator

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-Manan

E

Eugene Tyson

Community Expert

Yes, you can do it through properties, but textFramePreferences.insetSpacing cannot be written like that.

Here I’d use a nested object:

objPath.properties = {
    textFramePreferences: {
        insetSpacing: [2.5 * 2.834645, 0, 0, 0]
    }
};

This is probably better

Set the properties of textFramePreferences directly:

objPath.textFramePreferences.properties = {
    insetSpacing: [2.5 * 2.834645, 0, 0, 0]
};

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dubloveAuthor

Legend

The first one doesn't work.
I was using the second one before, and it works.

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E

Eugene Tyson

Community Expert

Told you that the 2nd one was probably better.

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M

Manan Joshi

Community Expert

textFramePreferences is an object itself. So probably you can write something like

objPath.textFramePreferences.properties = {
insetSpacing:[2.5 * 2.834645, 0, 0, 0]

}

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-Manan

dubloveAuthor

Legend

@Manan Joshi

I tried that, but it didn't work.

Do I need to unlock the “chain” in the middle?

All the other settings worked. Like this one:
enableTextFrameGeneralOptions: true,

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E

Eugene Tyson

Community Expert

Try enabling the object-style category first, and then set the preference separately:

objPath.properties = {
    enableTextFrameGeneralOptions: true
};

objPath.textFramePreferences.properties = {
    insetSpacing: ["2.5 mm", 0, 0, 0]
};

You should not need to unlock the chain separately. The scripting DOM does not expose that chain button as a separate property. Passing four different values should set independent insets in this order:

[top, left, bottom, right]

If the four inset fields remain linked or unavailable, check whether the object style applies rounded-corner settings, as InDesign can restrict individual inset values on rounded frames.

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