Creating custom text variable or caption from xmp of a linked PDF to display dimensions

[ryany72767854]

Hi All, 

looking for some guidance, currently if I choose the metadata / dimensions from captions menu all I get is 

<No data from link> as the caption. (I want the trim size of the placed pdfs)

Opening the pdf in Acrobat,  I do see the pdf properties XMP / Advanced / http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/t/pg/ 

xmpTPg:MaxPageSize

stDim:w:   (This as the width)

and the stDim:h:   (This as the height)

if this is possible using the XMP data of the dimensions of the pdf to tag caption the linked pdf an indesign file layout? There might be several different linked pdfs of varying sizes would that be possible to tag 1 of each of different sizes?

Either running a custom script to scrape the linked pdf or custom text variable combo?

I'm on an iMac and barely understand some basic custom javascripts willing to learn more.

https://developer.adobe.com/xmp/docs/XMPNamespaces/XMPDataTypes/Dimensions/

[Loïc29485901ktl0 · Accepted solution]

I see the same behaviour. However, I wouldn't rely on those two xmp props that you mention. If I look at a pdf on my side, they just don't have those. So I won't presume they are here by default and may depend on the PDF creator application.

Here is a scripted approach. It doesn't use captions per se, but produces the expected outcome:

//Run main
function main(){

    //Check if document exists, exits otherwise
    var doc = app.documents.everyItem().getElements();
    if(doc.length==0){
        alert("You need a document to run this script");
        return;
    }
    doc = doc[0];
    var tempRect;
    
    //Get all graphics and loop through to process linked PDFs
    var gfx = doc.allGraphics;
    var n = gfx.length;
    var nGfx, lk, nParent, container,  
    placePDFOptions = app.pdfPlacePreferences.properties,
    placedBounds, trimWidth, trimHeight, caption, parentPage,
    containerBounds;

    //Setting crop options to trim to get "final size of PDF"
    app.pdfPlacePreferences.pdfCrop = PDFCrop.CROP_TRIM;

    //Create some layer and paragraph style to be used for "captions"
    var hmu = doc.viewPreferences.horizontalMeasurementUnits;
    var vmu = doc.viewPreferences.verticalMeasurementUnits;
    var captionStyle = doc.paragraphStyles.itemByName("caption");
    if(!captionStyle.isValid){
        captionStyle = doc.paragraphStyles.add({
            name:"caption",
            pointSize:"6pt"
        })
    }
    var captionLayer = doc.layers.itemByName("captions");
    if(captionLayer.isValid) captionLayer.remove();
    captionLayer = doc.layers.add({
        name:"captions",
    })

    //Setting unit as mm (not mandatory but convenient for knowing which unit is actually used.
    //Or in other words, let's decide the unit)
    doc.viewPreferences.horizontalMeasurementUnits = doc.viewPreferences.verticalMeasurementUnits = MeasurementUnits.MILLIMETERS;


    //Let's go through all graphics and search for PDF
    while(n--){
        nGfx = gfx[n];

        //Only process PDF links
        if(nGfx.constructor.name=="PDF"){
            lk = nGfx.itemLink;

            //that are in normal state
            //could be extended to embedded with some more work
            if(lk.status==LinkStatus.NORMAL){
                
                container = nGfx.parent;
                parentPage = container.parentPage;

                //only process pdf which is part of a page
                if(parentPage!=null){

                    //Lazy way, processing only pdf links contained in a regular shape
                    if(/Oval|Rectangle|Polygon/.test(container.constructor.name)){

                        //Creating a dummy rectangle to place PDF using trim
                        //get pdf size and add it to the initial PDF container as frame.
                        tempRect = parentPage.rectangles.add()
                        tempRect.place(lk.filePath);
                        placedBounds = tempRect.graphics[0].geometricBounds;
                        tempRect.visibleBounds = placedBounds;
                        trimWidth = Math.round(Math.abs(placedBounds[3]-placedBounds[1])*1000)/1000;
                        trimHeight = Math.round(Math.abs(placedBounds[2]-placedBounds[0])*1000)/1000; 
                        containerBounds = container.visibleBounds;

                        //Adding caption at the bottom of the PDF link
                        //On the specific layer
                        //using the specific paragraph style
                        caption = parentPage.textFrames.add({
                            geometricBounds:[
                                containerBounds[2],
                                containerBounds[1],
                                containerBounds[2]+5,
                                containerBounds[3],
                            ],
                            contents:trimWidth+"x"+trimHeight,
                            appliedParagraphStyle:captionStyle
                        });
                        caption.itemLayer = captionLayer;

                        //Now removing temporary rectangle
                        tempRect.remove();
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }

    //Restoring default values
    app.pdfPlacePreferences.properties = placePDFOptions;
    doc.viewPreferences.horizontalMeasurementUnits = hmu;
    doc.viewPreferences.verticalMeasurementUnits = vmu;

}

//u is a way to shorten the "undefined"
var u;
//Let's run the script in a cancelable way.
app.doScript("main();", u, u, UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, "add dimensions captions");

There you go…

Feel free to edit script to your liking.

[ryany72767854]

Beautiful Thanks that gets me 99.5% there, i'm adjusting for inches, and that is great thanks!