Find/Delete All Unused Empty Graphic Frames?

[lindsayg96046100]

I've seen some scripts for deleting unused text frames and tried haphazardly to modify it to find and delete empty graphic frames instead with no success. Does anyone have any idea how this might be possible? I have very little knowledge in scripts, thank you in advance for your help!  Also, apologies if this is posted in the wrong place!

[FRIdNGE · Accepted solution]

Hi,

// by FRIdNGE [September 2018]
var myDoc = app.activeDocument,
myRectangles = myDoc.rectangles.everyItem().getElements(),
myOvals = myDoc.ovals.everyItem().getElements(),
myPolygons = myDoc.polygons.everyItem().getElements(),
myGraphicFrames = myRectangles.concat(myOvals.concat(myPolygons)),
G = myGraphicFrames.length;
while ( G-- ) if ( myGraphicFrames.graphics.length == 0 ) myGraphicFrames.remove();

Best,

Michel, for FRIdNGE

[lindsayg96046100]

Thanks so much! It works like a charm, my only issue is that it works TOO much. It's deleting all my empty unused frames super swiftly which is great but it's also deleting boxes and circles that are filled with color. For instance I have some colored page tabs (rectangles) that are deleted as well. Is there any way to set up a parameter about not deleting color-filled frames? It's not a huge deal but I wanted to ask. I've found a slight work around by making these objects assigned as "Text" instead of "Graphic" which again, isn't a big issue. For some reason it also deletes the frames if they are left "Unassigned". Anyway, thanks for the help, this will work wonders for me.

[FRIdNGE]

Replace the last line by this one! …

while ( G-- ) if ( myGraphicFrames.graphics.length == 0 && myGraphicFrames.contentType == ContentType.GRAPHIC_TYPE && myGraphicFrames.fillColor.name == "None") myGraphicFrames.remove();

Best,

Michel

[lindsayg96046100]

WONDERFUL!! Works perfect. Thank you so much!!!!

[umutt35083068]

Hello, thanks for script. I am trying this script, but it doesn't work. I am getting this error;

Thank you for your help.

[Nicholas_Avallone]

Same here. I get the "undefined is not an object" error as well.

[Wayne CTO]

i'm getting undefined error also. anyone solve this?

[rob day]

Try this (gets page items but not masterpage items that have not been overridden):

var api = app.activeDocument.allPageItems;
    
for (var i = 0; i < api.length; i++){
    var c = api[i].constructor.name
    if (c != "TextFrame") {
        var pi = api[i].allPageItems.length;
        if (api[i].fillColor.name == "None" && api[i].strokeColor.name == "None" && pi == 0) {
            api[i].remove();
        } 
    }else if (api[i].contents=="") {
        if (api[i].fillColor.name == "None" && api[i].strokeColor.name == "None") {
            api[i].remove();
        } 
    }
};   
  

[Laubender]

Hi together,

I think some of the original code of Michel has changed while this thread was moved to this new Adobe InDesign Forum last year. Hope, that Michel will come back soon to edit his posts.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[Laubender]

Hi Lindsay,

the main question is: How would you define an empty graphic frame?

My answer would be: That's a frame without a purpose.

If you agree to that, then the frame could be identified like that:

1. A frame with no fill color.

2. A frame with no stroke applied.

3. A frame where no transparency effect is applied.

4. I think we could agree, that an empty graphic frame must not contain any other object.

Be it an image or a graphic or some other stuff that was pasted inside.

But: Is a frame without a purpose, if it contains other frames without a purpose?

( Then run a possible script that removes "empty frames" several times on the same document. )

Hm. But how about empty anchored frames?

Sometimes they fulfill a purpose like parting text from other text if they are anchored inline or above line.

Should we include or exclude them?

And finally:

How about text wrap?

Would you like to remove an empty graphic frame that has text wrap applied?

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[ChrisPBeets]

I was thrilled to find the solution that worked for me at https://www.eehelp.com/question/indesign-remove-all-the-empty-frames-online-script/   as an answer to this: I need to delete all images empty inline in a document. These empty frames inline appear once a data merge is done.

var doc = app.documents[0]
var inlines = doc.stories.everyItem().pageItems.everyItem().getElements();
while(fr=inlines.pop()){
  if(fr instanceof Group){continue}
  if(fr instanceof TextFrame){
    if(fr.contents == ""){fr.remove()}
    continue;
  }
  if(fr.graphics.length==0){fr.remove()}
}

[Zachary0526]

❤️