How to create macro in Indesign for pasting symmetrically in a spread?

[Jongware]​

Your concern is valid but sometimes a mirrored image is ok, sometimes not. Of course, you could introduce a dialog to let the user choose. But even then you an have mixed scenarii. So eventually, the time saved by getting all mirriored items may balance the one you will spend by manually fixing those peculiarities.

food for thought.

Hi dsev1,

It seems an ideal case for using the Spread coordinate space. (The below snippet should work whatever the ruler units, origin, or spread view orientation.)

function mirrorSelection(  a,t)
// -------------------------------------
// Duplicate the selected objects across the spread symmetrically.
// (This snippet only performs TRANSLATIONS. Rotation and/or shear
// attributes are not mirrored.)
{
    if( !(a=app.properties.selection) || (!a.length) || !('transform' in a[0] ) )
    {
        alert( "Please select at least a page item." );
        return;
    }
    
    const CS_SPREAD = +CoordinateSpaces.spreadCoordinates,
          AP_CENTER = +AnchorPoint.centerAnchor,
          MX = [1,0,0,1,0,0];
    
    while( t=a.pop() )
    {
        MX[4] = -2*t.resolve(AP_CENTER, CS_SPREAD)[0][0];
        t.duplicate().transform(CS_SPREAD, AP_CENTER, MX);
    }
};
app.doScript(
    mirrorSelection, ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT, undefined,
    UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, "Mirror Selection"
    );

@+

Marc

If you intend to use this for page numbers on the outside, as per your example, then the simplest way is to create a text box as wide as the text frame. Alt+Shift+drag it to the other spread; either use manual guidelines or Smart Guides to position it into the same place. Set the text justification to "Away from spine", and you can use the same paragraph style for both without overrides.

(And of course it can be scripted(*) as well. You might not even need the calculation; page coordinates can be temporarily set to "Page", rather than "Spread", so all positions only need negating -- or so I believe, off the top of my head & rather late at nite.)

(*) InDesign does not have "macros" or otherwise recordable "actions".

Hi dsev1,

This could be possible through scripts only, hence moving this thread to InDesign Scripting

Also, please refer to the similar discussion mentioned below:

Indesign Macros (when a script is a sledge hammer)

Regards

Srishti