Is it possible to capture the previous mouse action (the direction in which the object was moved)?

Hi ​@dublove, Rob has already given you a fantastic approach, which I think is better than mine, but for the sake of showing different ideas, here is my attempt (I hadn't seen Rob’s). My approach is simple: I use an invocation of the “Transform Again” menu.

To test it, just select some items and arrow nudge them in the direction you want, then run script.

This script may also help you with your other question about aligning objects to guides, but the main point was getting the direction of the last move.

— Mark

/**
 * @file Move To Margin.js
 *
 * Demonstration showing my technique for
 * getting the direction of the last translation.
 *
 * The script will move selected objects in the
 * direction of the last translation until they
 * hit the nearest margin.
 *
 * The idea is to first use a "nudge" arrow key
 * before running the script.
 *
 * @author m1b
 * @version 2026-05-17
 * @discussion https://community.adobe.com/questions-671/is-it-possible-to-capture-the-previous-mouse-action-the-direction-in-which-the-object-was-moved-1561822?tid=1561822
 */
function main() {

    if (
        0 === app.documents.length
        || 0 === app.activeDocument.selection.length
    )
        return alert('Please select one or more page items and try again.');

    var doc = app.activeDocument;
    var items = doc.selection;
    var vector = getVectorOfLastTranslation(doc);

    if (!vector)
        return;

    for (var i = items.length - 1; i >= 0; i--)
        translateToMargin(items[i], vector);

};
app.doScript(main, ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT, undefined, UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, 'Align To Margin');

/**
 * Translates `item` so that it touched the nearest
 * page margin in the direction `vector`.
 * @author m1b
 * @version 2026-05-17
 * @param {PageItem} item - an Indesign page item.
 * @param {Array<Number>} vector - the direction of translation [vx, vy].
 */
function translateToMargin(item, vector) {

    var page = item.parentPage;

    if (!page)
        // not on a page
    return;

    var pb = page.bounds;
    var mp = page.marginPreferences;

    var marginBox = {
        top: pb[0] + mp.top,
        left: pb[1] + mp.left,
        bottom: pb[2] - mp.bottom,
        right: pb[3] - mp.right,
    };

    // compute distance to bring leading edge flush with the nearest margin
    var t = distanceToBoxEdge(item.geometricBounds, marginBox, vector);

    if (null === t)
        // already past the margin in this direction
        return;

    // move it
    item.move(undefined, [vector[0] * t, vector[1] * t]);

};

/**
 * Returns a vector showing the direction of the last translation, if any.
 * @author m1b
 * @version 2026-05-17
 * @param {Document} doc - an Indesign document.
 * @returns {Array<Number>?} - [vx, vy]
 */
function getVectorOfLastTranslation(doc) {

    var selection = doc.selection;

    // use Transform Again as a trick to get the translation
    var action = app.menuActions.itemByName('Transform Again');

    if (!action.enabled)
        // no previous transform
        return;

    var temp = app.activeDocument.rectangles.add();

    // detect direction of last translation
    var b = temp.geometricBounds;
    var p0 = [b[1], b[0]]; // [x, y]

    // perform the last transform
    doc.selection = [temp];
    action.invoke();

    // read the new position
    b = temp.geometricBounds;

    // cleanup
    temp.remove();
    doc.selection = selection;

    var p1 = [b[1], b[0]];
    var vx = p1[0] - p0[0];
    var vy = p1[1] - p0[1];

    if (0 === vx && 0 === vy)
        // no movement
        return;

    return [vx, vy];

};

/**
 * Returns number `t` such that translating the item by t * a vector
 * brings its leading edge flush with the closest edge of `marginBox`.
 * @author claude code
 * @version 2026-05-17
 * @param {Array} bounds - geometricBounds [top, left, bottom, right].
 * @param {Object} marginBox - { top, left, bottom, right }.
 * @param {Array<Number>} vector - the direction vector [vx, vy].
 * @returns {Number|null} - the scalar t, or null if no valid margin is found.
 */
function distanceToBoxEdge(bounds, marginBox, vector) {

    var candidates = [];
    var vx = vector[0];
    var vy = vector[1];

    if (vx > 0)
        candidates.push((marginBox.right - bounds[3]) / vx);
    else if (vx < 0)
        candidates.push((marginBox.left - bounds[1]) / vx);

    if (vy > 0)
        candidates.push((marginBox.bottom - bounds[2]) / vy);
    else if (vy < 0)
        candidates.push((marginBox.top - bounds[0]) / vy);

    var minT = null;

    for (var i = 0; i < candidates.length; i++) {

        if (
            candidates[i] >= 0
            && (minT === null || candidates[i] < minT)
        )
            minT = candidates[i];

    }

    return minT;

};

The application can listen for events. There is AFTER_SELECTION_ATTRIBUTE_CHANGED and AFTER_SELECTION_CHANGED. Not sure what you are trying to do, but an AFTER_SELECTION_CHANGED should let you get the before and after positions

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

I don’t see a way , not from the History, the scripting DOM I can’t find any expose to mouse actions. You would need to know the position before moving, then compare it with the new position. Then comopare with geometric.bounds. If horizontal is larger then left/right, if vertical then up/down. 

You’d have to somehow store the values before moving, possible maybe to write to the script label before moving, but you’d have to run a script before moving it so the label populates. 

I’m not really sure of what you want to do here. Or why? 

Typically if I need to move something the exact same distance I just use the Object>Transform Again options 

Hard to know where to go with this.

There are apps that can write the mouse events and track mouse movement. 

I just don’t even know where to start. 

Maybe tell us a bit more of what you’re trying to do?