Script to create static caption

Question

There are other manners to automate captions (checkbox on import, variable text + object and p-styles), but I thought I could get this to work and now at a loss. If someone has a moment to look at this, target the line myCaption.contents = <Metadata:Description></Metadata:Description>;

For if I was to use myCaption.contents = "caption text goes here"; you would be served placeholder text. I thought I would be closer to snagging the description, but no cigar as yet. 🙂

capset ();

function capset()

{

var

mDoc = app.activeDocument,

//anchored or grouped items excluded

myGraphics = mDoc.splineItems.everyItem().getElements(),

picContainer, gb, myCaption;

while(picContainer = myGraphics.pop() )

{

//exclude empty frames

if (!picContainer.graphics.length) continue;

gb= picContainer.geometricBounds;

//add a frame to to picture’s parent, which is a Page

myCaption = picContainer.parentPage.textFrames.add ();

//set position and size of the caption

myCaption.geometricBounds = [gb[2], gb[1], gb[2]+3, gb[3]];

//add placeholder contents

myCaption.contents = <Metadata:Description></Metadata:Description>;

mDoc.groups.add ([picContainer, myCaption]);

}

m1b · Accepted Answer

Hi @MadMac55, just for learning purposes, here's a version of your script with a bit of error handling added. For example, the other script will throw an error if there isn't metadata for the linked image.

function main() {

    addCaptionToImages('My Object Style', 30);

    function addCaptionToImages(objStyleName, captionBoxHeight) {

        // setting this explicitly so we can
        // be sure what captionBoxHeight means!
        app.scriptPreferences.measurementUnit = MeasurementUnits.POINTS;
        captionBoxHeight = captionBoxHeight || 20;

        var doc = app.activeDocument,
            imgs = doc.allGraphics,
            img,
            captionBox;

        while (img = imgs.pop()) {
            try {
                var frame = img.parent,
                    b = frame.geometricBounds,
                    // get metadata
                    lnk = img.itemLink,
                    filename = lnk.name,
                    imgTitle = lnk.linkXmp.documentTitle,
                    imgAuthor = lnk.linkXmp.author,
                    imgDescription = lnk.linkXmp.description;
            } catch (error) {
                /* metadata not available */
            }
            // exclude images that aren't at the root level of a page or spread
            if (!(frame.parent.constructor.name == 'Page' || frame.parent.constructor.name == 'Spread')) continue;
            // add a frame for the caption text
            captionBox = img.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 = imgDescription || filename + ': no metadata found.';
            // object style
            try {
                if (objStyleName != undefined)
                    captionBox.applyObjectStyle(doc.objectStyles.itemByName(objStyleName));
            } catch (error) {
                /* object style not found in document */
            }
            // group
            try {
                doc.groups.add([frame, captionBox]);
            } catch (error) {
                /* can't group objects */
            }
        }
    }


} // end main

app.doScript(main, ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT, undefined, UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, 'Add Caption To Images');

m1b · Answer

Something like this?capset();function capset() {    var mDoc = app.activeDocument,        //anchored or grouped items excluded        myGraphics = mDoc.splineItems.everyItem().getElements(),        picContainer,        gb,        myCaption;    while (picContainer = myGraphics.pop()) {        //exclude empty frames        if (!picContainer.graphics.length) continue;        gb = picContainer.geometricBounds;        //add a frame to to picture’s parent, which is a Page        myCaption = picContainer.parentPage.textFrames.add();        //set position and size of the caption        myCaption.geometricBounds = [gb[2], gb[1], gb[2] + 3, gb[3]];        // get xmp data        var img = picContainer.images[0],            lnk = img.itemLink,            imgTitle = lnk.linkXmp.documentTitle,            imgAuthor = lnk.linkXmp.author,            imgDescription = lnk.linkXmp.description;        //add placeholder contents        myCaption.contents = imgDescription;        mDoc.groups.add([picContainer, myCaption]);    }} Using the linkXmp property of the link.- Mark

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