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Participant
July 20, 2016
Answered

How to: Unlinking or Unthread Text Boxes in InDesign

  • July 20, 2016
  • 1 reply
  • 14107 views

Hello,

I'm working on 300 pages report, how can I break the thread between chapters? please see the figure blow:

Note: I'm using InDesign CC 2015 on Mac

Thank you,

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Obi-wan Kenobi

    /*

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------

    StorySplitter

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------

    An InDesign CS/CS2/CS3 JavaScript by FourAces

    © The Final Touch 2006

    Version 3.0.0

    Splits the selected Story to separate Text Frames, while maintaining their contents.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------

    */

    var myScriptVer = "3.0";

    if(app.documents.length != 0){

              var mySelection = app.activeDocument.selection;

              if(mySelection.length != 0){

                        myObjectType = mySelection[0].constructor.name;

                        if(myObjectType == "TextFrame"){

                                  //The Interface Dialog

                                  var myDialog = app.dialogs.add({name:"Story Splitter v"+ myScriptVer});

                                  with(myDialog){

                                            with(dialogColumns.add()){

                                                      with (dialogRows.add()){

                                                                with(borderPanels.add()){

                                                                          var mySplitOptions = radiobuttonGroups.add();

                                                                          with(mySplitOptions){

                                                                                    radiobuttonControls.add({staticLabel:"Split All Frames", checkedState:true});

                                                                                    radiobuttonControls.add({staticLabel:"Split Before Selected Frame"});

                                                                                    radiobuttonControls.add({staticLabel:"Split After Selected Frame"});

                                                                          }

                                                                }

                                                      }

                                                      with (dialogRows.add()){

                                                                staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"© The Final Touch"});

                                                      }

                                            }

                                  }

                                  var myResult = myDialog.show({name:"SplitOptions"});

                                  if(myResult == true){

                                            var myStory = mySelection[0].parentStory;

                                            if(app.version.split(".")[0] >= 5){

                                                      var myTextFrames = myStory.textContainers;

                                            }

                                            else{

                                                      var myTextFrames = myStory.textFrames;

                                            }

                                            var myStoryFramesCount = myTextFrames.length;

                                            if(myStoryFramesCount > 1){

                                                      for(f = 0; f < myStoryFramesCount; f++){

                                                                if (mySelection[0] == myStory.textFrames){

                                                                          var myTextFrame = f;

                                                                }

                                                      }

                                                      switch(mySplitOptions.selectedButton){

                                                                case 0:

                                                                          mySplitAll();

                                                                          break;

                                                                case 1:

                                                                          mySplitBefore();

                                                                          break;

                                                                case 2:

                                                                          mySplitAfter();

                                                                          break;

                                                      }

                                            }

                                            else{

                                                      alert("Are You Kidding Me?!\nThe Story you selected has only ONE text frame.");

                                            }

                                  }

                        }

                        else{

                                  alert("Wrong Selection\nYou selected the wrong type of object. Please select a Text Frame.");

                        }

              }

              else{

                        alert("No Selection Made.\nPlease select a Story to split.");

              }

    }

    else{

              alert("No Active Document Found.\nPlease open an InDesign document and select a Story to split.");

    }

    //----------------------------------------------------------------------------

    function mySplitAll(){

              for(i = 0; i < myStoryFramesCount; i++){

                        myTextFrames.duplicate();

              }

              for(i = 0; i < myStoryFramesCount; i++){

                        if(app.version.split(".")[0] >= 5){

                                  myTextFrames.remove();

                        }

                        else{

                                  myTextFrames[0].remove();

                        }

              }

    }

    function mySplitBefore(){

              if(mySelection[0].previousTextFrame == null){

                        alert("Unable Break Thread.\nThe selected Text Frame is the FIRST text frame of the thread.");

              }

              else{

                        var myBfBreakFrame = mySelection[0].previousTextFrame;

                        var myAfBreakFrame = mySelection[0];

                        var myBreakStory = myBfBreakFrame.parentStory;

                        mySelection[0].previousTextFrame = null;

                        if(myBfBreakFrame.overflows == true){

                                  var myOversetText = myBreakStory.texts.itemByRange(myBfBreakFrame.insertionPoints[-1],myBreakStory.insertionPoints[-1]);

                                  myOversetText.select();

                                  app.cut();

                                  app.select(myAfBreakFrame.insertionPoints[0]);

                                  app.paste();

                        }

              }

    }

    function mySplitAfter(){

              if(mySelection[0].nextTextFrame == null){

                        alert("Unable Break Thread.\nThe selected Text Frame is the LAST text frame of the thread.");

              }

              else{

                        var myBfBreakFrame = mySelection[0];

                        var myAfBreakFrame = mySelection[0].nextTextFrame;

                        var myBreakStory = myBfBreakFrame.parentStory;

                        mySelection[0]          .nextTextFrame = null;

                        if(myBfBreakFrame.overflows == true){

                                            var myOversetText = myBreakStory.texts.itemByRange(myBfBreakFrame.insertionPoints[-1],myBreakStory.insertionPoints[-1]);

                                  myOversetText.select();

                                  app.cut();

                                  app.select(myAfBreakFrame.insertionPoints[0]);

                                  app.paste();

                        }

              }

    }

    When a script is greatly written, it's for eternity! It works perfectly with ID CC!

    Thanks a lot Adi! 

    1 reply

    Geоrge
    Legend
    July 20, 2016

    What the problem with to unthread and cut-paste overset to next chapter frame?

    You can also use splitstory.jsx (default script in indesign), but than will need to recreate needed threads.

    Remember, never say you can't do something in InDesign, it's always just a question of finding the right workaround to get the job done. © David Blatner
    Participant
    July 20, 2016

    Thank you GeorgeS,
    Is there another way to do that.. the document I'm working on is huge, "unthread" and "cut-paste" will take a lot of time.

    Daniel Flavin
    Inspiring
    July 20, 2016

    Do you actually need to split the threads or is your goal to force a chapter start on a new page?

    (Insert Break Character - Page Break - Odd Page Break - Even Page Break)