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nrod2012
Known Participant
May 21, 2020
Answered

inDesign Import layers via Applescript

  • May 21, 2020
  • 1 reply
  • 771 views

Is it possible via Applescript to import specific layers from an Indesign into another?  I don't need to create the layers in InDesign. Basically, if the ID template contains 5 layers & I need only layers 3 & 4 to be imported into my document.
tell application "Adobe InDesign CC 2017"

   tell document 1
       -- I'm not sure if can be done or not
   end tell
end tell

The other idea I have will be to hide the layers I don't need from the template & leave the ones I need, select all & then copy into my document.  Any thoughts?
I found a javascript in another site that kind does I what I need but I would like to use Applescript since I know a little bit about it
Thank you

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer BarlaeDC

Hi,

 

You should be able to do something like this:

 

tell application "Adobe InDesign 2020"
	set doc1 to document 1 -- document to copy from 
	set doc2 to document 2 -- document to copy to
	
	set allItems to every page item of doc1 whose name of item layer is "Layer 1" -- layer name to copy from
	
-- if you are wanting to keep them to specific pages you will need to sort the pages before you call the duplicate command
	set pageOne to page 1 of doc2 -- page to copy to
	duplicate allItems to pageOne
	
end tell

 

Hope this helps

Malcolm

1 reply

BarlaeDC
Community Expert
BarlaeDCCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
May 21, 2020

Hi,

 

You should be able to do something like this:

 

tell application "Adobe InDesign 2020"
	set doc1 to document 1 -- document to copy from 
	set doc2 to document 2 -- document to copy to
	
	set allItems to every page item of doc1 whose name of item layer is "Layer 1" -- layer name to copy from
	
-- if you are wanting to keep them to specific pages you will need to sort the pages before you call the duplicate command
	set pageOne to page 1 of doc2 -- page to copy to
	duplicate allItems to pageOne
	
end tell

 

Hope this helps

Malcolm

    N
    nrod2012Author
    Known Participant
    May 22, 2020

    Thank you Malcolm for your help.  This is great but then I realized that in some documents I have more than 2 pages. If I  copy the 2 layers from the source document Master pages duplicate those into the master pages of the destination document then info that I need will be available in all the pages of the destination documents. Is that even possible? 

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