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studiovanzwet
studiovanzwet
Participating Frequently
August 31, 2022
Answered

Get array of colors in swatch Group

  • August 31, 2022
  • 1 reply
  • 835 views

Hi All,

I'm trying to get an array of swatchnames in a swatch group I created in a Indesign Template, so I can random pick a color of that array.

 

var template = app.open (File ('~/Desktop/test.indt'));
// Do stuff

var palette = app.swatchGroups.getByName("mypallete").swatches;
alert(palette[0].name);

 

How can I get the swatchGroup?

 

Cheers, Dennis

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer m1b

Hi, 

 

Can I store the colorGroupSwatches in 'myColorArray'? So I can pick a random color, delete it from the array (with splice), and repeat untill there are no more items in the array (array.length)

 

//example array
myColorArray = [
[100,0,0,0],[0,100,0,0],[0,0,100,0],[0,0,0,100]
];

for ( var i=0 ;  i<myColorArray.length; i++ ) {
            var randomFromArray = Math.floor(Math.random()*myColorArray.length); 
            var myRandomColor = myColorArray[randomFromArray];

            //do something, for example fill a square with that color

            // remove the color we selected so it can't be selected next time.
            myColorArray.splice(randomFromArray,1); 
 }

 


Hi @studiovanzwet, if you want the colors in an Array, you can put them in one:

var myColors = [];

for (var i = 0;i < doc.colorGroups[1].colorGroupSwatches.length; i++)
    myColors.push(doc.colorGroups[1].colorGroupSwatches[i].swatchItemRef);

// now we have the colors in an Array
// so we can use any Array method

var firstColor = myColors.shift();

- Mark

1 reply

m1b
Community Expert
m1bCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 31, 2022

Hi @studiovanzwet, they are best accessed through a Document, and are called "colorGroups", with swatches in "colorGroupSwatches" property, so

 

 

var palette = doc.colorGroups.itemByName("mypallete").colorGroupSwatches;

 

 

See documentation.

 - Mark

 

Edit: oops, itemByName, not getByName.

studiovanzwet
studiovanzwetAuthor
Participating Frequently
August 31, 2022

Hi Mark,

 

Thank you for your quick reply, that link is very usefull. Is it getByName or itemByName. Would this var be a array?

 

Cheers,

Dennis

m1b
Community Expert
m1bCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 31, 2022

No it isn't an Array, it is a ColorGroupSwatches object. It does work like an Array in some ways though, for example you can access its members by index.

// get ColorGroupSwatches of 3rd colorGroup of doc
var myColorGroupSwatches = doc.colorGroups[2].colorGroupSwatches;

// make an index to random element of myColorGroupSwatches
var index = Math.floor(Math.random() * myColorGroupSwatches.length);

// get the Color object at that index in myColorGroupSwatches
var myRandomColor = myColorGroupSwatches[index].swatchItemRef;

$.writeln('myRandomColor = ' + myRandomColor.name);

 - Mark

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