GRADIENT TEXT TO OUTLINES

just a quick update: recently I received response from the issuu team:

"...

We have two types of readers, flash reader and html5 reader. If you open the following publication: https://issuu.com/olehmelnyk/docs/gradient_text in browser where flash player is disabled, then you'll get the right result. I have fixed the problem for flash player by rending the publication as bitmap. So now it should look fine in out flash reader as well.

We are working on our new reader product which will replace the current ones. It'll be free of flash player and we'll fix the issue where the publication opens in another window/tab in a non-flash player. Read more about it here:

http://blog.issuu.com/post/145571374118/reader-3

..." - so basically life is getting better now (knowing that dropbox also working on fix, and joomag already have fixed that)

ok, it works, somehow... but it still has bugs, it works very slowly on real files, like a magazine - just because InDesign create and store new gradient color everytime you make any change to the gradient, especially if it's not saved in swatches... and I still need to add "go to selection" somehow, because I don't see what it has found and selected, but it still better than nothing

upd: auto zooming to selection added

#target:indesign;
#targetengine:GradientTextToOutlines;
var w = new Window ("palette", "Convert gradient text to outlines");
w.alignChildren = ['center', 'top'];
w.orientation = "row";
var prev = w.add ("button", [0,0,36,26], "<<", {name: "Prev"}); //  Previous
var outline = w.add ("button", [0,0,60,26], "Outline", {name: "Outline"});
var next = w.add ("button", [0,0,36,26], ">>", {name: "Next"}); // Next 
w.show ();
var gradients = app.activeDocument.gradients;
var i = 0;
var selection;
var mySearch;
var element = 0;
var flag;
function zoom(){
    app.activeWindow.zoomPercentage = 75;
    app.activeWindow.zoom(ZoomOptions.fitSpread);    
}
next.onClick = function(){
    app.findGrepPreferences = app.changeGrepPreferences = NothingEnum.nothing;
    app.findGrepPreferences.fillColor = gradients;
        
    mySearch = app.activeDocument.findGrep();
    while(mySearch<1 && i < gradients.length){
        i++;
        app.findGrepPreferences.fillColor = gradients;    
        mySearch = app.activeDocument.findGrep();
    };
    
    if(flag == "prev"){
        element = element+2; if(element > --mySearch.length) element = 0;
        selection = app.select(mySearch[element++]); 
        zoom();
        flag = "next";
    }    
    else if(element < mySearch.length && element >= 0){
        selection = app.select(mySearch[element++]); if(element > --mySearch.length) element = 0; 
        zoom();
    }else{
       element = 0;
       selection = app.select(mySearch[element++]); 
       zoom();
    }    
}
outline.onClick = function(){
    if(!flag){
        app.select(mySearch[element++].createOutlines());
        zoom();
    }
    else if(flag == "next"){ 
        app.select(mySearch[--element].createOutlines());
        zoom();
    }
    else if(flag == "prev"){
        app.select(mySearch[++element].createOutlines());
        zoom();
    }
    
    if(mySearch.length<2){
        i++;
    }    
}
prev.onClick = function(){    
    app.findGrepPreferences = app.changeGrepPreferences = NothingEnum.nothing;
    app.findGrepPreferences.fillColor = gradients;
       
    mySearch = app.activeDocument.findGrep();
    while(mySearch<1 && i < gradients.length){
        i--;
        app.findGrepPreferences.fillColor = gradients;    
        mySearch = app.activeDocument.findGrep();
    };
    if(flag == "next"){
        element = element-2; if(element < 0) element = --mySearch.length;
        selection = app.select(mySearch[element--]);
        zoom();
        flag = "prev";
    }    
    else if(element >= 0 && mySearch.length > element){
        selection = app.select(mySearch[element--]);
        zoom();
        if(element < 0) element = --mySearch.length;
    }else{
        element = --mySearch.length;
        selection = app.select(mySearch[element]);
        zoom();
    }    
}

by the way, dropbox confirmed that they were able to reproduce the problem and have filled a ticket for the team

ok, let me do the first step:

this script works (with an error) - it finds all text with gradient and converts them to outlines. Now need to figure out how to fix an error, and make it work with UI - 3 buttons - search prev, convert to outlines and search next

var gradients = app.activeDocument.gradients;
for(var i=0; i < gradients.length; i++){
    app.findGrepPreferences = app.changeGrepPreferences = NothingEnum.nothing;
    app.findGrepPreferences.fillColor = gradients;
    
    var mySearch = app.activeDocument.findGrep();    
    
    if(mySearch.length > 0){        
        for(var g=0; g < mySearch.length; g++){            
            app.select(mySearch.createOutlines()); // this line casue error, probably because of endless loop
        }
    }
}

upd: temporary UI

#targetengine:GradientTextToOutlines;
var w = new Window ("palette", "Convert gradient text to outlines");
w.alignChildren = ['center', 'top'];
w.orientation = "row";
w.add ("button", [0,0,36,26], "<<", {name: "Prev"}); //  Previous
w.add ("button", [0,0,60,26], "Outline", {name: "Outline"});
w.add ("button", [0,0,36,26], ">>", {name: "Next"}); // Next 
w.show ();

Hi Oleh,

the cause of the problem with Non-Adobe Reader based viewers should be more examined.

What could help is:

Use PDF version 1.2 or 1.3.

Use sRGB only. No spot colors allowed, no mixed inks.

That can be done either with:

InDesign at output with appropriate settings.

or with: Acrobat Pro's Preflight functions

Or:

Print to PostScript or export to EPS with the option "Simulate Overprint".

Distill to PDF.

Change all colors to sRGB with Acrobat Distiller and/or Acrobat Pro.

Converting text frames on the page to outlines with inDesign is never a good idea.

I think, you don't need a script.

Regards,
Uwe