Drag imaged automatically

[arturod36921115]

hello I have a file with several simple pages, for example 20 pages of size 15x20. I need to know if I can drag X images at once from a folder and have one image automatically placed in order on each page. thank you

[Steve Werner]

If I'm understanding you, you have 20 images and you want to place one of the images placed on each of the 15x20 pages, right?

On the Parent page for the document (assuming all pages share the same parent), create a graphic placeholder frame.  With the parent placeholder selected, choose Object > Fitting > Frame Fitting Options to choose the way you want the images to be fit on your document pages)

Select the 20 files in the order you want them in page sequence (the order you select determines the order place). Click the placement cursor on the placeholder frame of each page to place the 20 images

[Steve Werner]

PS: Dragging the images won't work. It won't properly create or size the graphic frames you'll need.

[arturod36921115]

That's what I do now, what I need is for it to do it automatically. Some works are 20 images but others are 50, 100 or more. And I do many in a row of those a day. Thanks

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@arturod36921115

There is a free Image Catalog script included with InDesign. 

[Barb Binder]

That's a cool script, Robert. I just played with it for the first time. But can you control the order? That's the part I couldn't figure out. 

~Barb

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

That's a cool script, Robert. I just played with it for the first time. But can you control the order? That's the part I couldn't figure out. 

~Barb

By @Barb Binder

No idea how to do it on a Mac - but on PC - it's very easy - you can use DIR command and direct result to a text file. 

On a Mac / Linux it should work the same - LS command in the terminal? 

By default, it should be sorted alphabetically, but if you would prefer by date / size - you would need to include this info in the "report" then use Excel or something similar to sort. 

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The above is to prepare CSV file for DataMerge - not that it will affect the script, sorry. 

[Eugene Tyson]

What's the order? By name? By date modified? By date added? 

You can do it as a data merge.

There's a nifty script that will make the CSV file for you with the correct path names

https://creativepro.com/import-folder-full-pictures-page/

Then setup the data merge - and you can import the images in the order as per the CSV file

or arrange your images another way.

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@Steve Werner  use of Parent Pages is absolutely correct way to proceed.

You can drag the images in from the folder - and drag them all at once

The placeholder cursor will turn to the icon

In the Links Panel (I think maybe it's somewhere else) you can see what image is loaded

And you can cylce through the images using the arrow keys

But you need to click per page it won't be automatic. 

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If you search the internet for scripts to do with Placing Folder of Images Indesign

There's lots out there already

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/script-to-place-folder-of-images-100-one-image-p...

How to install and use scripts

https://creativepro.com/how-to-install-scripts-in-indesign/

Hope that helps.

[arturod36921115 · Accepted solution]

The order is alphabetical. The images are numbered as 001, 002, etc.
With data merge I use it when I need to do something specific with many images: 800, 1000, etc. but for intermediate things of 30, 50, or 100 images (which I do many a day) doing it like this would delay me.
I'm going to look for some scripts to see if I find something that works for me. thank you

[Robert at ID-Tasker · Accepted solution]

[...] 
I'm going to look for some scripts to see if I find something that works for me. thank you

By @arturod36921115

With this script - you just need to put IMPORTABLE files into a separate folder - it can be mix of PDFs, JPEGs, EPSs, INDDs, etc. 

It works like Contact Sheet in Photoshop.