How to duplicate three rectangles at once without grouping?

[Elwissan]

How to duplicate three rectangles at once without grouping?

Each rectangle is on a different layer.

Duplicate a rectangle at a time I can, but not that way.

I will duplicate the rectangles in the second document.

At most I could like this: (But it can not be so because it has to be specific rectangles.)

        function ItemByRange(){
            var sourcepage = app.documents[0].pages[0];  
            var destpage = app.documents[1].pages[0];  
            sourcepage.pageItems.itemByRange(app.documents[0].pages[0].rectangles[1], app.documents[0].pages[0].rectangles[4]).duplicate(destpage);  
            }

I use InDesign CS6 and CC, JSX, .vbs. Mac and PC.

Thank you!

[Elwissan]

I'm working on this code, but also failed.

myAttempt_14();     
function myAttempt_14(){
    var sourceDoc = app.documents[0];
    var destpage = app.documents[1].pages[0];

    var myRectamgle1 =  sourceDoc.pages[0].pageItems[0];
    var myRectamgle2 =  sourceDoc.pages[0].pageItems[1];
    var myRectamgle7 =  sourceDoc.pages[0].pageItems[6];

    var myObjs  = new Array();

    myObjs.push (myRectamgle1);
    myObjs.push (myRectamgle2);
    myObjs.push (myRectamgle7);

    sourceDoc.select(myObjs, SelectionOptions.addTo);

//~ The following code is wrong.
    sourceDoc.selection.itemByRange(sourceDoc.selection[0],sourceDoc.selection.length-1).duplicate(destpage);
//~ It is in this line I'm working on now. I'm trying.
    }

[Jump_Over]

Hi,

Why to duplicate "at once" is so important for you?

Jarek

[Elwissan]

Hi Jarek,

It is not very important, but it would be interesting.

In fact what is important to me:

Duplicate a set of objects (Rectangles, TextFrames, lines, images, groups) to the second document without changing the position between them.

However, each item is different layer. And that I also have to preserve.

In the second document the set will have a new position (on top of page, eg [0,0]).

Summing up

When duplicate:

1. Maintaining the position of the objects between them.
2. Keep each item in your layer
3. Move the set of objects for a new position on the page of the second document.

Elvis

[Trevor:]

I second Jarek's comment.

But if you one stupid way of doing it would be app.copy() and app.paste();

But then all 3 would go onto the same layer in the target document which is probably not what you want.

[Mikie9]

Here I have the preference set,  "Paste Remembers Layers" to get around this. Some snippets I place have to go to specific layers, and this solves that too. I don't know what it would be in code but that may solve the layer issue. I don't recall if that was an option in CS6.

[Elwissan]

Hi Mikie9

Sorry I have not answered before.

Your answer helped me a lot.

Thank you.

[Elwissan]

Hi,

Until then I think the best way is:

1. List the layers of each selected item.
2. Group selected objects.
3. Move to the second document.
4. Ungroup them.
5. Move each item to its respective layer.

I not tried it yet because I was looking for a better way.

I just hope that the objects remain in the order. Because it may have the same label.

Of course, it will check if the "Paste Remembers Layers" can help.

I will trying other forms until exhausted.

Elvis

[Jump_Over]

Hi,

How it works on your side?

var
  cObj = app.selection[0],
  sourceIdx = cObj.parentPage.parent.index,
  targetDoc = app.documents[1],
  targetSpread = targetDoc.spreads[sourceIdx];

  cObj.duplicate(targetSpread);

Assumings:

• 2 doc opened
• both have the same page structure (not necessary the same layers)
• object to be duplicated - is selected

Is destination layer created and object duplicated correctly?

Jarek

[Elwissan]

Hi,

It is not just an object that will be duplicated but several.

I wrote this question with three sample rectangles to simplify the question.

Elvis

[Jump_Over]

...

It is not just an object that will be duplicated but several.

I wrote this question with three sample rectangles to simplify the question.

I wrote this sample of code to simplify the answer

Jarek

[Elwissan · Accepted solution]

Hi,

I tried other ways but always appears a problem.

This is the result

I wrote that way not to have problems positioning objects between them and their layers.

Example using three labels:

var findLabels = new Array("Name","Photo","Company");
var joinLb = findLabels.join();
var result = myAttempt_18 (joinLb);
alert("Duplicate objects: " + result);

function myAttempt_18(joinLabels){
    var resultLength = 0;

    var sourceDoc = app.documents[0];
    var sourceObj;

    var destDoc = app.documents[1];
    var destpage = destDoc.pages[0];
    var destSameLayer = new Array();
    var destArrayObjs = new Array();
    var duplicateObj;


    with (sourceDoc.pages[0]){
        for (var h = pageItems.length-1; h >= 0; h --){
            sourceObj = pageItems;
            if (sourceObj.label != ""){
                if (joinLabels.indexOf(sourceObj.label) > -1 ){
                  duplicateObj =  sourceObj.duplicate(destpage);
                  destArrayObjs.push(duplicateObj);
                  destSameLayer.push(sourceObj.itemLayer.name);
                    }
                }
            }
        }

    if (destArrayObjs.length > 0 ){
        resultLength = destArrayObjs.length;
        destDoc.select(destArrayObjs, SelectionOptions.replaceWith);
        destGroup = destDoc.groups.add(destDoc.selection);
        destGroup.move ([0,0]);
        destDoc.select (destDoc.selection, SelectionOptions.removeFrom);
        destGroup.ungroup();


        for (var L = 0; L < destArrayObjs.length; L ++){
            destArrayObjs.move (destDoc.layers.item(destSameLayer));
            }
        }
      return resultLength;
    }

This script will be part of another larger script.

The code is not beautiful, but you can use.

Link of the document that I tested. (www.wetransfer.com)

http://we.tl/6gpfa3zC2W

Elvis

[Elwissan]

I'll leave as a correct answer.

I do not know if there's another way better.

Elvis