I thought it would be pretty cool to combine this above script with the built-in script named AddGuides.jsx which "sort of" does what you want it to do (although it requires you draw/select a shape first). Here is my rough take on a combined script based on AddGuides.jsx:
//MikesAddGuides2025.jsx
//An InDesign JavaScript
/*
Based on "AddGuides.jsx" 3.0.0.0 14 December 2009
*/
//This script draws guides around the selected object or objects.
//Added in July 2025: This script also can put center guides on a page.
//Choose Visible Bounds to consider the stroke weight of the paths when placing the guides,
//or choose Geometric Bounds to ignore the stroke weight when placing the guides
//Choose Each Item to position the guides around individual items in the selection,
//or Entire Selection to position the guides around the selection as a whole.
//
main();
function main(){
//Make certain that user interaction (display of dialogs, etc.) is turned on.
app.scriptPreferences.userInteractionLevel = UserInteractionLevels.interactWithAll;
var myObjectList = new Array;
var allowCurrentPageGuides = false;
var haveSelectionObjects = false;
if (app.documents.length == 0) {
alert ("Please open a document, select an object or choose current page guides, and try again.");
return;
}
// Check if there are selected objects of desired types
if (app.selection.length != 0){
for(var myCounter = 0;myCounter < app.selection.length; myCounter++){
switch (app.selection[myCounter].constructor.name){
case "Rectangle":
case "Oval":
case "Polygon":
case "TextFrame":
case "Group":
case "Button":
case "GraphicLine":
myObjectList.push(app.selection[myCounter]);
break;
}
}
if (myObjectList.length != 0){
haveSelectionObjects = true;
}
}
// Show the dialog and get user choice
var dialogResult = myDisplayDialog(myObjectList.length, haveSelectionObjects);
if(dialogResult === null){
// User cancelled dialog
return;
}
allowCurrentPageGuides = dialogResult.allowCurrentPageGuides;
if(allowCurrentPageGuides){
// Add guides on current page only
var doc = app.activeDocument;
var page = app.layoutWindows[0].activePage;
var bounds = page.bounds; // [y1, x1, y2, x2]
var x1 = bounds[1], y1 = bounds[0], x2 = bounds[3], y2 = bounds[2];
var myOldRulerOrigin = doc.viewPreferences.rulerOrigin;
doc.viewPreferences.rulerOrigin = RulerOrigin.spineOrigin;
// Create "Guides" layer or get it if exists
var myLayer;
try{
myLayer = doc.layers.item("Guides");
var myLayerName = myLayer.name; // Test if layer exists
}
catch(e){
myLayer = doc.layers.add({name:"Guides"});
}
// Add horizontal guide at vertical center
page.guides.add(myLayer, undefined, undefined).orientation = HorizontalOrVertical.horizontal;
page.guides[-1].location = y1 + (y2 - y1)/2;
// Add vertical guide at horizontal center
page.guides.add(myLayer, undefined, undefined).orientation = HorizontalOrVertical.vertical;
page.guides[-1].location = x1 + (x2 - x1)/2;
doc.viewPreferences.rulerOrigin = myOldRulerOrigin;
alert("Guides added on current page center.");
return;
}
else{
if(!haveSelectionObjects){
alert ("Please select a page item and try again.");
return;
}
}
// If here, proceed with original logic with selection
var myOldXUnits = app.documents.item(0).viewPreferences.horizontalMeasurementUnits;
var myOldYUnits = app.documents.item(0).viewPreferences.verticalMeasurementUnits;
app.documents.item(0).viewPreferences.horizontalMeasurementUnits = MeasurementUnits.points;
app.documents.item(0).viewPreferences.verticalMeasurementUnits = MeasurementUnits.points;
myDisplayDialog(null, myObjectList); // Call with object list to continue original flow
app.documents.item(0).viewPreferences.horizontalMeasurementUnits = myOldXUnits;
app.documents.item(0).viewPreferences.verticalMeasurementUnits = myOldYUnits;
}
function myDisplayDialog(emptySelectionLength, myObjectList){
// If myObjectList is null, show dialog with current page guides only.
var myTopCheckbox, myLeftCheckbox, myBottomCheckbox, myRightCheckbox, myXCenterCheckbox, myYCenterCheckbox, myXPointCheckbox, myYPointCheckbox;
var myRangeButtons, myBasedOnButtons;
var myCurrentPageCheckbox;
var myXOffsetField, myYOffsetField;
var myLabelWidth = 100;
var myDialog = app.dialogs.add({name:"AddGuides"});
with(myDialog){
with(dialogColumns.add()){
with(borderPanels.add()){
staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Add Guides At:"});
with(dialogColumns.add()){
myTopCheckbox = checkboxControls.add({staticLabel:"&Top", checkedState:false});
myLeftCheckbox = checkboxControls.add({staticLabel:"&Left", checkedState:false});
myBottomCheckbox = checkboxControls.add({staticLabel:"&Bottom", checkedState:false});
myRightCheckbox = checkboxControls.add({staticLabel:"&Right", checkedState:false});
myXCenterCheckbox = checkboxControls.add({staticLabel:"&Horizontal Center", checkedState:false});
myYCenterCheckbox = checkboxControls.add({staticLabel:"&Vertical Center", checkedState:false});
myXPointCheckbox = checkboxControls.add({staticLabel:"Path Point Hori&zontal Anchor", checkedState:false});
myYPointCheckbox = checkboxControls.add({staticLabel:"Path Point Verti&cal Anchor", checkedState:false});
}
}
with(borderPanels.add()){
staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Add Guides Around:"});
with(myRangeButtons = radiobuttonGroups.add()){
radiobuttonControls.add({staticLabel:"Each &Object", checkedState:true, minWidth:156});
radiobuttonControls.add({staticLabel:"Entire &Selection"});
}
}
with(borderPanels.add()){
with(dialogColumns.add()){
with(dialogRows.add()){
with(dialogColumns.add()){
staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Guides Based On:"});
}
with(dialogColumns.add()){
with(myBasedOnButtons = radiobuttonGroups.add()){
radiobuttonControls.add({staticLabel:"&Geometric Bounds", checkedState:true, minWidth:160});
radiobuttonControls.add({staticLabel:"V&isible Bounds"});
}
}
}
with(dialogRows.add()){
with(dialogColumns.add()){
staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Horizontal Offset:", minWidth:myLabelWidth});
}
with(dialogColumns.add()){
myXOffsetField = measurementEditboxes.add({editValue:0, editUnits:MeasurementUnits.points});
}
}
with(dialogRows.add()){
with(dialogColumns.add()){
staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Vertical Offset:", minWidth:myLabelWidth});
}
with(dialogColumns.add()){
myYOffsetField = measurementEditboxes.add({editValue:0, editUnits:MeasurementUnits.points});
}
}
}
}
with(borderPanels.add()){
staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Option:"});
with(dialogColumns.add()){
myCurrentPageCheckbox = checkboxControls.add({staticLabel:"Add Centering Guides On Current Page", checkedState:false});
if(emptySelectionLength > 0){
myCurrentPageCheckbox.enabled = false;
myCurrentPageCheckbox.checkedState = false;
}
}
}
}
}
var myReturn = myDialog.show();
if(myReturn == true){
var myTop = myTopCheckbox.checkedState;
var myLeft = myLeftCheckbox.checkedState;
var myBottom = myBottomCheckbox.checkedState;
var myRight = myRightCheckbox.checkedState;
var myXCenter = myXCenterCheckbox.checkedState;
var myYCenter = myYCenterCheckbox.checkedState;
var myXPoint = myXPointCheckbox.checkedState;
var myYPoint = myYPointCheckbox.checkedState;
var myBasedOn = myBasedOnButtons.selectedButton;
var myRange = myRangeButtons.selectedButton;
var myXOffset = myXOffsetField.editValue;
var myYOffset = myYOffsetField.editValue;
var allowCurrentPageGuides = myCurrentPageCheckbox.checkedState;
myDialog.destroy();
if(allowCurrentPageGuides){
return {allowCurrentPageGuides:true};
}
else{
if(myTop+myLeft+myBottom+myRight+myXCenter+myYCenter+myXPoint+myYPoint !=0){
myAddGuides(myTop, myLeft, myBottom, myRight, myXCenter, myYCenter, myRange, myBasedOn, myXOffset, myYOffset, myXPoint, myYPoint, myObjectList);
return {allowCurrentPageGuides:false};
}
else{
alert("No guides were specified.");
return null;
}
}
}
else{
myDialog.destroy();
return null;
}
}
// The rest of the functions remain unchanged:
function myAddGuides(myTop, myLeft, myBottom, myRight, myXCenter, myYCenter, myRange, myBasedOn, myXOffset, myYOffset, myXPoint, myYPoint, myObjectList){
var myLayer, myCounter;
var myOldRulerOrigin = app.activeDocument.viewPreferences.rulerOrigin;
app.activeDocument.viewPreferences.rulerOrigin = RulerOrigin.spineOrigin;
//Create a layer to hold the printers marks (if it does not already exist).
myLayer = app.activeDocument.layers.item("Guides");
try{
myLayerName = myLayer.name;
}
catch (myError){
myLayer = app.activeDocument.layers.add({name:"Guides"});
}
//Process the objects in the selection.
for(myCounter = 0; myCounter < myObjectList.length; myCounter ++){
var myObject = myObjectList[myCounter];
if (myBasedOn == 0){
myBounds = myObject.geometricBounds;
}
else{
myBounds = myObject.visibleBounds;
}
//Draw guides at path point locations, if necessary.
if ((myXPoint == true)||(myYPoint == true)){
myDrawGuidesAtPathPoints(myObject, myXPoint, myYPoint);
}
//Set up some initial bounding box values.
if ((myRange != 0)&&(myCounter==0)){
myX1 = myBounds[1];
myY1 = myBounds[0];
myX2 = myBounds[3];
myY2 = myBounds[2];
}
if(myRange == 0){
myDrawGuides (myBounds[1], myBounds[0], myBounds[3], myBounds[2], myTop, myLeft, myBottom, myRight, myXCenter, myYCenter, myLayer, myXOffset, myYOffset);
}
else{
//Compare the bounds values to the stored bounds.
//If a given bounds value is less than (for x1 and y1) or
//greater than (for x2 and y2) the stored value,
//then replace the stored value with the bounds value.
if (myBounds[0] < myY1){
myY1 = myBounds[0];
}
if (myBounds[1] < myX1){
myX1 = myBounds[1];
}
if (myBounds[2] > myY2){
myY2 = myBounds[2];
}
if (myBounds[3] > myX2){
myX2 = myBounds[3];
}
}
}
if(myRange != 0){
myDrawGuides (myX1, myY1, myX2, myY2, myTop, myLeft, myBottom, myRight, myXCenter, myYCenter, myLayer, myXOffset, myYOffset);
}
app.activeDocument.viewPreferences.rulerOrigin = myOldRulerOrigin;
}
function myDrawGuidesAtPathPoints(myObject, myXPoint, myYPoint){
for(var myPathCounter = 0; myPathCounter < myObject.paths.length; myPathCounter++){
for(var myPointCounter = 0; myPointCounter < myObject.paths.item(myPathCounter).pathPoints.length; myPointCounter ++){
if(myXPoint==true){
myDrawGuide(myObject.paths.item(myPathCounter).pathPoints.item(myPointCounter).anchor[0], 1);
}
if(myYPoint==true){
myDrawGuide(myObject.paths.item(myPathCounter).pathPoints.item(myPointCounter).anchor[1], 0);
}
}
}
}
function myDrawGuides(myX1, myY1, myX2, myY2, myTop, myLeft, myBottom, myRight, myXCenter, myYCenter, myLayer, myXOffset, myYOffset){
if (myTop == true){
myDrawGuide(myY1 - myYOffset, 0);
}
if (myLeft == true){
myDrawGuide(myX1 - myXOffset, 1);
}
if (myBottom == true){
myDrawGuide(myY2 + myYOffset, 0);
}
if (myRight == true){
myDrawGuide(myX2 + myXOffset, 1);
}
if (myXCenter == true){
myDrawGuide(myX1+((myX2-myX1)/2), 1);
}
if (myYCenter == true){
myDrawGuide(myY1+((myY2-myY1)/2), 0);
}
}
function myDrawGuide(myGuideLocation, myGuideOrientation){
var myLayer = app.activeDocument.layers.item("Guides");
with(app.activeWindow.activeSpread){
if(myGuideOrientation == 0){
with (guides.add(myLayer, undefined, undefined)){
orientation=HorizontalOrVertical.horizontal;
location=myGuideLocation;
}
}
else{
with (guides.add(myLayer, undefined, undefined)){
orientation=HorizontalOrVertical.vertical;
location=myGuideLocation;
}
}
}
}
function myValidateNumber(myString){
var myRegExp = /(^-?\d\d*\.\d*$)|(^-?\d\d*$)|(^-?\.\d\d*$)/;
return myRegExp.test(myString);
}
Mike Witherell
3 Correct answers
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