1 Correct answer
Hi @Zaphod, those demo docs were perfect, thanks. I've written a script for this and it works pretty well in my simple testing. It might need some tweaks for your particular use though, but see how you go.
The script tries to apply an Object Style to each item to be anchored. I think this is wise (see attached demo.indd which has an example Object Style that only applies anchored object settings and nothing else). You can turn this off by changing `settings.applyObjectStyleToEachItem` to false
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Replies
Of course, I understand.
But you've copy&pasted part of the data - that is otherwise somehow / somewhere located on the page(s) - in order to automate it - we need to know "surroundings".
In my tool, I can easily locate objects - but I need to see their real location - in order to "group" them together logically.
Then, you can do pretty much anything. Pure scripting would require a lot of extra work to locate and organise objects.
So you would be interested only in those:
But it would still be helpful to see an example with more sample data.
No need for graphics - those Magenta Rectangles are perfectly fine - just few more rows + other objects on the page - preferably part of the original file, without any other modifications.
Piece of cake.
I've duplicated your "rows" and added an extra page.
In RED - sorting order - Page Index, Pos Y (so same row), Pos X
Then, grouped by "rows":
Now it's just a case of selecting all objects in the "group" and do extra steps so they'll land as InLine group in the destination story.
But as you don't have all your "ducks in a row" - it would have to wait.
A bit different process - extracting tables - but the same principle:
Hi @Zaphod, those demo docs were perfect, thanks. I've written a script for this and it works pretty well in my simple testing. It might need some tweaks for your particular use though, but see how you go.
The script tries to apply an Object Style to each item to be anchored. I think this is wise (see attached demo.indd which has an example Object Style that only applies anchored object settings and nothing else). You can turn this off by changing `settings.applyObjectStyleToEachItem` to false.
The script also sorts the items (prefering left-right and then top-bottom order). If you don't want this, just comment out the `items.sort` line.
Here's how it looks in the demo file:
/**
* Anchor selected items.
* @author m1b
* @discussion https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/automatically-placing-multiple-groups-into-a-text-frame-inline/m-p/14335102
*/
function main() {
var settings = {
applyObjectStyleToEachItem: true,
anchoredObjectStyleName: 'Anchored Column'
};
app.scriptPreferences.measurementUnit = MeasurementUnits.POINTS;
var doc = app.activeDocument,
items = doc.selection;
if (0 === items.length)
return alert('Please select some page items and try again.');
// sort so that objects are anchored in correct order
items.sort(sortByLeftThenTop);
var anchoredObjectStyle = doc.objectStyles.itemByName(settings.anchoredObjectStyleName);
if (
!anchoredObjectStyle.isValid
&& settings.applyObjectStyleToEachItem
)
return alert('Could not find "' + settings.anchoredObjectStyleName + '" object style.');
// create a text frame to put the items in
var exampleTextFrame = items[0].parent.textFrames.add({
geometricBounds: boundingRectangle(items),
});
// add the items to the new text frame
anchorSelectedPageItems(items, exampleTextFrame.insertionPoints[0], settings.applyObjectStyleToEachItem && anchoredObjectStyle);
// for convenience(?) leave the selection as the anchored text
exampleTextFrame.parentStory.texts[0].select();
};
app.doScript(main, ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT, undefined, UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, 'Anchor Selection');
/**
* Anchors supplied `items`, one at a time,
* to the supplied `insertionPoint`. Can apply
* an optional Object Style to each item.
* Note the insertionPoint will move along
* so that each anchored item will be added
* after the previous one.
* @author m1b
* @version 2024-01-05
* @param {Array<PageItem>} items - indesign page items.
* @param {InsertionPoint} insertionPoint - the place to add the items.
* @param {ObjectStyle} [anchoredObjectStyle] - the object style to apply to each item (default: none).
*/
function anchorSelectedPageItems(items, insertionPoint, anchoredObjectStyle) {
if (undefined == items)
throw error('anchorSelectedPageItems failed: no `items` supplied.');
if (undefined == insertionPoint)
throw error('anchorSelectedPageItems failed: no `insertionPoint` supplied.');
for (var i = 0; i < items.length; i++) {
// do the insertion
items[i].anchoredObjectSettings.insertAnchoredObject(insertionPoint);
if (
undefined != anchoredObjectStyle
&& anchoredObjectStyle.isValid
)
items[i].appliedObjectStyle = anchoredObjectStyle;
}
};
/**
* Sort Indesign page items by horizontal
* position, then vertical position.
* @author m1b
* @version 2024-01-05
* @param {PageItem} a
* @param {PageItem} b
* @returns {Number} - the sort direction.
*/
function sortByLeftThenTop(a, b) {
if (a.geometricBounds[1] < b.geometricBounds[1]) return -1;
if (a.geometricBounds[1] > b.geometricBounds[1]) return 1;
if (a.geometricBounds[0] < b.geometricBounds[0]) return -1;
if (a.geometricBounds[0] > b.geometricBounds[0]) return 1;
return 0;
}
/**
* Returns a bounding rectangle that
* encompasses the geometric bounds
* of all items supplied, with optional
* padding added all around.
* @author m1b
* @version 2024-01-05
* @param {Array<PageItem>} items - the items to bound.
* @param {Number} [padding] - the padding all around, in points (default: 0)
* @returns {Array<Number>} - the bounding rectangle.
*/
function boundingRectangle(items, padding) {
padding = padding || 0;
var b = [Infinity, Infinity, -Infinity, -Infinity];
for (var i = 0; i < items.length; i++) {
if (b[0] > items[i].geometricBounds[0])
b[0] = items[i].geometricBounds[0];
if (b[1] > items[i].geometricBounds[1])
b[1] = items[i].geometricBounds[1];
if (b[2] < items[i].geometricBounds[2])
b[2] = items[i].geometricBounds[2];
if (b[3] < items[i].geometricBounds[3])
b[3] = items[i].geometricBounds[3];
}
return [b[0] - padding, b[1] - padding, b[2] + padding, b[3] + padding];
};
Edit 2024-01-05: added some missing documentation.
Let me know how it works for you.
- Mark
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