How make one overview-page of 12 pages (with script)

[jan99x]

Hi,

I have a calendar containing 12 pages (months).

Each calendar page -month- has multiple images + multiple text.

At the end of the calendar (when months are made), I want an overview page with thumbnails of everey month-page (like image-sample below).

One button-press-script should do this for me at the end of the calendar (so: page 13).

Plain javascript.

I read something about "duplicating content tool" (if that's the right tool to work with?) but that's not clear for me.

Please a suggestion.

Regards Jan

[jan99x]

Sample of overwiew page

[hammer0909]

What I would do is create a new InDesign document for that page. Now choose File > Place and select the InDesign document of the calendar. Place each page of the calendar as a thumbnail in this document. Now place that single page document as a graphic on the last page of your calendar project. Done!

[Laubender · Accepted solution]

Hi Jan,

if you want to have the 12 pages for the months and the overview page in one single document you cannot place InDesign pages. Why? You cannot place pages of an InDesign document in the very same document.

Instead I would suggest, that you export the 12 pages to PDF/X-4 with no downsampling of images and place the 12 pages of the exported PDF on your overview page. Repeat that if you are doing changes on the 12 pages for the individual months.

FWIW: Writing a script doing this is possible, but it might be easier and more cost-effective to do it the "manual" way.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[Luke Jennings3]

The Content Collector Tool should work well for this task. Collect each month and place as a link on the overview page, you can resize the placed links. Any changes made to the original pages will update the placed links, although you will need to re-size the placed links again upon link update.

[jan99x]

@Luke Jennings3,

Thanks for reply.

That tool I mentioned in my first question. With use of a "link" that would be great.

However... there are several things that does not work well.

1) the text disappears (maybe to big for "container-rectangle".

2) rounded corners of "container-rectangle" are not "resized" (made smaller for thumbnail).

My conclusion: this is not right way for me (although ... auto updae with links would be a great thing).

I take a look at the proposal of Uwe Laubender.

Thanks,

regards,

Jan

[Luke Jennings3]

It's working for me here. The text should not be disappearing, although it's possible the font size is too small to see at full size?

The scaled rounded corners also works, check your InDesign Preferences> General> Object Editing> When Scaling> Include Effects.

[jan99x]

@Luke Jennings3,

Again thanks for reply.

I will study that. I have adust the Preferences. Roundings works... OK.

Further >> I will study this option later. it has possibilities

Regards

[Warren Heaton]

There's a calendar wizard on the Adobe Exchange by Scott Selberg:

InDesign Calendar Wizard

https://exchange.adobe.com/creativecloud.details.12400.indesign-calendar-wizard.html

[jan99x]

@Warren_Heaton

Thanks for reply.

I know that Wizard and studied that ealier >> it does not work for me.

[rob day]

I have an AppleScript that I recently translated into JavaScript that you can try.

There are two versions here:

https://shared-assets.adobe.com/link/588c3640-0b0d-47fc-68f2-f56e5d4dd188

ThumbMatrixtoScale.jsx lets you set columns, rows, and the thumbnail scale—the page size is determined by the scale.

ThumbMatrixtoPageDimensions.jsx lets you chose a page dimension, and the thumbnails are scaled to fit the chosen page dimensions.

The frontmost document has to be saved before you run the script. I‘ve only done limited testing:

[jan99x]

@rob day 

Thanks, I will study the script on a moment later.

Regards,

Jan