How to Convert Word Equations to MathML in InDesign

[paulroos]

I 'd like to use the new Indesign option to insert MathML for equations. I have a Word document with a lot of equations that I need to convert to MathML on a Mac.

Anybody who has done this before and knows how to do this?

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[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Word can "export" equations in MathML notation - when you do copy&paste. 

[paulroos]

Too bad: that is the wrong 'flavour' of MathML.

It looks like:
<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:m="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/math"><mml:mi mathvariant="bold">u</mml:mi><mml:mo>=</mml:mo><mml:mi mathvariant="bold">A</mml:mi><mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mi mathvariant="bold">sin</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mo>⁡</mml:mo><mml:mrow><mml:mi mathvariant="bold"> </mml:mi><mml:mfenced separators="|"><mml:mrow><mml:mfrac><mml:mrow><mml:mi mathvariant="bold">t</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mi mathvariant="bold">T</mml:mi></mml:mrow></mml:mfrac><mml:mo>.</mml:mo><mml:mn>360</mml:mn><mml:mo>°</mml:mo></mml:mrow></mml:mfenced></mml:mrow></mml:mrow></mml:math>

I am not a specialist, but I know I need another flavour.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

It works with MathMagic. 

What "flavour" do you need? 

[paulroos]

It looks like this. I wouldn't prefer to use a third party editor. The code is available in Word and just needs to be converted to the right MathML for use in Indesign.

[Maftuhati35471353947q]

maybe you can read this web.

https://colecandoo.com/2024/11/15/using-indesigns-mathml-real-world-situation/

[lajosm65529331]

colecandoo's solution – in simple terms:

1. Change "Equation Options" in the Word: "Copy MathML to the clipboard as plain text";

2. Select the equation and copy;

3. Open a new Word document and paste into;

4. Find and Replace All „mml:” to nothing (leave the Replace window blank)

5. Copy the remaining text of the equation and paste it into the InDesign "Math Expressions/Insert MathML" window.

And yes, the color is RGB, not CMYK, change it if it doesn't look good enough online…

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

I have fully automated it yesterday - WORD->InDesign - but the process requires a few more steps than just replacing "mml:" to nothing:

(still available in free version)

[lajosm65529331]

🙂

Wow, super, Thank You!

Personally I don't work with equations every day, but when I do, it slows down my work – especially if the current text is full of equation characters... Of course, my dream is to get them automatically from the Word document with a simple "Place..." command – even as images, but not in RGB... They should be 100% black.
On behalf of the others, thanks for your efforts!

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

🙂

Wow, super, Thank You!

Personally I don't work with equations every day, but when I do, it slows down my work – especially if the current text is full of equation characters... Of course, my dream is to get them automatically from the Word document with a simple "Place..." command – even as images, but not in RGB... They should be 100% black.
On behalf of the others, thanks for your efforts!

By @lajosm65529331

Thanks 🙂 doing my best.

As I've posted in another recent reply - the best way to handle Equations is to export them from MathType as EPS files.

Or maybe using MathMagic - but it's very expensive tool and makes sense only if you need to do a lot of changes / editing of the equations directly in InDesign.

[Aziz@2011]

Hello friends This solution is currently very time-consuming. Of course, math type is an easier way, especially when you use this script.
But the problem is that the formulas in math type are very ugly and disproportionate. While Word formulas are very beautiful and well-composed. I personally prefer to spend more time and do the work using the method: word --> pdf --> illustrator --> EPS --> indesign.
The Math magic program is also a good option. It directly converts Word formulas to EPS, but it is very expensive. (Especially for me who lives in Iran) http://www.mathmagic.com/support/faqs.html
Of course, this is the beginning of a new way and I hope it will soon end in an easy and cheap way to transfer formulas to InDesign. Something that many are looking for.

[emma_1973]

I'm experiencing the exact same problem at the moment and have a really long document with thousands of equations in it to try and drop into InDesign. Did you manage to solve your issue @paulroos ?

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@emma_1973 

The BEST option for you would be to buy MathType add-on for WORD - 51.95 € per user/year - then export Equations as EPS files in bulk - then it's plaing sailing - they can be imported and aligned to baseline with ease.

https://store.wiris.com/en/

(no, I don't have any affiliation with Wiris)

[lajosm65529331]

Hi, emma1973!

It certainly hasn't worked out yet, the development of MathML in indesign is not there yet. But if you read our posts above, you can see for yourself. Slowly but surely they are making progress! 🙂

In the meantime I'll describe how I did a similar job last year without MathML:

1. I saved a PDF of a word document;

2. Acrobat: File/Export as PDF/Postscript

Optionally, in the pop-up window, bottom right: Settings/Output/Composite Gray (so RGB black becomes CMYK 100% black)

3. From the resulting ps file, I opened the page in Illustrator containing the equation that is currently in progress

4. I copied the given equation (to Clipboard)

5. In InDesign, black arrow should be selected!

6. Paste from clipboard

7. Copy again what you have copied

8. Paste equation into the text where you need it. (Last year it didn't work to copy the equation from Illustrator to the appropriate text in InDesign right away.)

Yes, slow, lengthy - but it works and it prints! 🙂

I have copied and pasted the separate characters and parts of the equation (e.g. rho, lambda, pi, different values, etc.) from the equation already copied into InDesign and pasted them into the right place, if the font was too different from the Cambria Math type.

Important:

Before you save the whole document from word to pdf, save only one page first, so that you can set the correct font size in word, so that you don't have to reduce or enlarge the equation in InDesign!

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@lajosm65529331 

Wow, a lot of manual work 😞 You should've asked here for a solution first.

[lajosm65529331]

I was looking for a solution even then, but there is still no solution. And I didn't intend to place 500-600 equation labels and paste them into the main text... It was much easier this way, treated as a shape! 🙂

[lajosm65529331]

As I wrote above, I would like the simple Place... (formerly Get Text...) command to display this normally along with the text. I wouldn't even mind if it couldn't be edited afterwards – other than the colour, of course. Dream, sweet dream... 🙂

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

As I wrote above, I would like the simple Place... (formerly Get Text...) command to display this normally along with the text. I wouldn't even mind if it couldn't be edited afterwards – other than the colour, of course. Dream, sweet dream... 🙂

By @lajosm65529331

Now there are two solutions:

- my IDT,

- or export from MathType + some free script or my IDT - to reposition equations in text. 

[lajosm65529331]

Sorry... What is IDT? And free scipt? Where?

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

And I didn't intend to place 500-600 equation labels and paste them into the main text...

By @lajosm65529331

Not sure what do you mean by "labels"?

[lajosm65529331]

Labels = EPS pictures 🙂

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Labels = EPS pictures 🙂

By @lajosm65529331

But all that is done automatically. 

Export in WORD - you get your WORD file with "labels" - names of the exported equations + extra folder with corresponding EPS files.

Then you import this document in InDesign - and use free script to replace "labels" with linked EPS files. 

As they'll be aligned to the baseline of the surrounding text - you'll need to use script that will analyse each EPS file, read baseline shift info - shift linked EPS file accordingly. 

[lajosm65529331]

Oh, how stupid of me, I missed a step:
2.1 First convert the postscript file to pdf (with Distiller)
3. Open the corresponding page of the pdf in Illustrator.

Sorry!

[lajosm65529331]

Got it: ID-Tasker! 🙂

And I work on mac. But thanks!

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Got it: ID-Tasker! 🙂

And I work on mac. But thanks!

By @lajosm65529331

What a pity 😉 

But the above process - WORD + MathType -> InDesign -> place EPS files -> baseline shift - should work on a Mac too.