How to generate static captions and switch the operation object to the captions?

  Hi ​@m1b ​@rob day 

Long time no see, I miss you very much.

The original post cannot be replied to

(I seem to have been restricted from posting new posts again.)

Today I came across several strange pictures, some of which had their captions changed to 'Default' after using this script.
Some of them are errors below the prompt. I guess they are not recognizing the image, or the image is outside the layout, or there are locked or hidden images?
Also, can we avoid grouping images and captions together? Because this feature is actually not practical.

Here is the code (unchanged)

/**
 * @discussion https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/is-there-a-way-to-apply-generic-static-caption-to-all-graphic-containers/m-p/13367937#M503941
 */
function main() {
    var doc = app.activeDocument,
        graphics = doc.allGraphics;
    // add caption to each graphic in document
    for (var i = 0; i < graphics.length; i++) {
        var contents = (
            // try to get the graphic's xmp "description"
            getXMPProperty(graphics[i], 'description')
            // or fall back to the link filename
            || graphics[i].itemLink.name
        );
        addCaptionToGraphic(
            {
                doc: doc,
                graphic: graphics[i],
                contents: contents,
                objectStyleName: 'Caption',
                captionBoxHeight: 40, // pts
                groupCaptionWithGraphic: true,
            }
        );
    }
    /**
     * Adds a caption text frame
     * to the graphic.
     * @author m1b
     * @version 2022-11-24
     * Note: will use "No contents" if contents is empty.
     * @param {Object} options
     * @param {Graphic} options.graphic - an Indesign Graphic.
     * @param {String} options.contents - the text of the caption.
     * @param {String} [options.objectStyleName] - name of the object style to apply.
     * @param {Number|String} [options.captionBoxHeight] - height of the caption box (default: to fit).
     * @param {Boolean} [options.groupCaptionWithGraphic] - whether to group the caption with the graphic's frame.
     * @returns {TextFrame|Group} - the caption's text frame or, if grouped, the group.
     */
    function addCaptionToGraphic(options) {
        app.scriptPreferences.measurementUnit = MeasurementUnits.POINTS;
        options = options || {};
        var doc = options.doc || app.activeDocument,
            graphic = options.graphic,
            contents = options.contents || 'No contents',
            objectStyle = getByName(doc.allObjectStyles, options.objectStyleName),
            captionBoxHeight = options.captionBoxHeight || 10,
            captionBox,
            frame = graphic.parent,
            b = frame.geometricBounds;
        if (graphic.parentPage == null)
            // don't process graphics on pasteboard
            return;
        // add a frame for the caption text
        captionBox = graphic.parentPage.textFrames.add();
        // set position and size of the caption
        captionBox.geometricBounds = [b[2], b[1], b[2] + captionBoxHeight, b[3]];
        //add caption text
        captionBox.contents = String(contents);
        // expand to handle overflow
        var counter = 0;
        while (
            captionBox.overflows == true
            && counter++ < 1000
        )
            // add 5 pts height
            captionBox.resize(CoordinateSpaces.PARENT_COORDINATES, AnchorPoint.TOP_LEFT_ANCHOR, ResizeMethods.ADDING_CURRENT_DIMENSIONS_TO, [0, 5])
        if (
            objectStyle != undefined
            && objectStyle.isValid
        )
            // set captionBox's object style
            captionBox.applyObjectStyle(objectStyle);
        if (options.groupCaptionWithGraphic !== false)
            // group
            try {
                doc.groups.add([frame, captionBox]);
            } catch (error) { }
    };
    /**
     * Returns a graphic's XMP property contents.
     * Example XMP property names:
     *   author, copyrightInfoURL, copyrightNotice,
     *   copyrightStatus, creationDate, creator,
     *   description, documentTitle, format, jobName,
     *   keywords, modificationDate, serverURL
     * @author m1b
     * @version 2022-11-24
     * @param {Graphic} graphic - an Indesign Graphic.
     * @param {String} property - the desired XMP property name.
     * @returns {String}
     */
    function getXMPProperty(graphic, property) {
        if (!graphic.isValid)
            return;
        try {
            return graphic.itemLink.linkXmp[property];
        } catch (error) {
            /* metadata not available */
        }
    };
    /**
     * Returns a style matching name.
     * @author m1b
     * @version 2022-08-14
     * @param {Array<style>} styles - an array or collection of styles.
     * @param {String} name - the name to match.
     * @returns {style}
     */
    function getByName(styles, name) {
        for (var i = 0; i < styles.length; i++)
            if (styles[i].name == name)
                return styles[i];
    };
} // end main
main();

Is this it?

var d = app.activeDocument;
d.CaptionMetadataVariablePreference.properties = {
    YOffset:0,
}

Apparently I can’t help, but the captionMetadataVarialePreference does not have an YOffset property.

https://www.indesignjs.de/extendscriptAPI/indesign-latest/#CaptionMetadataVariablePreference.html

You would have to get at the caption’s text frame and change its bounds, which is what I do in my catalog script. When a caption is created via a menuAction, its new text frame is textFrames[0].

I'm dizzy, have I been banned again?

That sounds like a useful workflow improvement. It would be especially helpful if the script could automatically switch the selection from the images to the newly created captions, making it easier to apply additional formatting or positioning changes right away. Saving those extra clicks can make a big difference when working with large batches of images.

Hi ​@dublove , I think you will have to select the image’s parent frame and invoke the Generate Live Caption menu item

var img = app.activeDocument.allGraphics
//select the document’s first image frame
app.select(img[0].parent)
//invoke generate live caption
var makeCap =  app.menuActions.itemByName("Generate Live Caption")
makeCap.invoke();
//caption is the active page’s top textframe
app.activeDocument.select([app.activeWindow.activePage.textFrames[0]])