InDesign layers to Photoshop JS Version

[rob day]

If anyone is interested in a Javascipt version of my InDesign to Photoshop Layers AppleScript, I’ve converted it to JS via BridgeTalk and the first version is here:

https://shared-assets.adobe.com/link/5aa6cfc2-d1bf-47e1-6b6b-70aec58f38b5

Click the Download link, save to your InDesign Scripts folder, where you can run it from the Scripts panel. I also included a layered test ID file.

I have tested on OSX High Sierra with CC2020, and it seems to work fine, but would welcome feedback if there are any problems.

Here is the current AppleScript version and the original forum thread from 2015:

https://shared-assets.adobe.com/link/728a217f-b0b1-49ae-4bf8-1dd6c98465b7

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign/how-to-export-indesign-layers-to-photoshop-layers-same-struc...

https://shared-assets.adobe.com/link/5aa6cfc2-d1bf-47e1-6b6b-70aec58f38b5

https://shared-assets.adobe.com/link/5aa6cfc2-d1bf-47e1-6b6b-70aec58f38b5

[Creamer Training]

Thanks, Rob!

[Laubender]

Thank you very much, Rob!

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[rob day · Accepted solution]

Hi Uwe, The JS vesion is storing the exported layers in the OS’s temp folder. I can see that it is working on OSX, but don’t have a Windows machine to test on. If you get a chance could you try it on Windows. Thanks.

[Laubender]

Hi Rob,

will test and debug your code the next days. A first try, just running your script on your provided INDD document, failed.

This is the core error message where I translated the German parts:

/*
JavaScript Error!
Error number: 2
Error message: rgbProf is undefined
Line: 189
*/

An "Adobe Illustrator" file, I know it's a PDF with ai suffix, was showing up in a temp folder in my user folder under:

Did not look much into the code, so I have no clue what exactly went wrong.Your test document was left in the following state after I answered the error message:

First hint:

var rgbProf = doc.rgbProfile; // returns "sRGB IEC61966-2.1"

So that should work. But obviously bt.body in line 189 does not work as expected. Hm. Maybe it's the target declaration two lines before? I cannot see that PhotoShop is starting up. Maybe the string "photoshop" is not enough. Have to run BridgeTalk Diagnostics to get a reliable string first.

Will be back tomorrow.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[rob day]

Hi Uwe, thanks for testing. I did discover a bug this morning that might be related. I was trying to store the dialog results in an object, which threw an error when I cancelled.

I posted an update in the same folder. The new code moves the rgbProf variable into the function with Bridgetalk, so it might help with the error you were getting.

https://shared-assets.adobe.com/link/5aa6cfc2-d1bf-47e1-6b6b-70aec58f38b5

Also, the .ai extension is intentional. When the PS layers are smart objects, double clicking to edit will open the layer in Illustrator.

[rob day]

Latest is ExportLayersToPSv3.jsx

[Laubender]

Hi Rob,

just did a quick test with your version 3 script, ExportLayersToPSv3.jsx, that I executed from the User folder of my Scripts panel in my German InDesign 2020 on Windows 10. Did not change the default values the script's UI offered.

All was working as expected:

PhotoShop started.

Four files were written to the temp folder with suffix ai.

Four named layers plus a background layer were created in a new PhotoShop file.

The suggested name of the not saved PhotoShop file is exactly the one from the InDesign document without suffix.

The names of the four layers are exactly the names of the layers of the InDesign document.

The stacking order of the layers is the same in both documents.

All the named layers in PhotoShop contain one smart object each.

The size of the PhotoShop file corresponds with the one of the InDesign page: 612 x 792 Pt.

Will test with my own stuff later…

Thanks,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[rob day]

Thanks Uwe, I think it was the way I had set up the dialog results—seems to be better now.

[HAZEL22603780l7m9]

Thank you so much for the script Rob!  I downloaded this version "ExportLayersToPSv4" and it works geat on my PC with InDesign 2022.  I tried few other scripts before I found yours, non of them work.

[rob day]

https://shared-assets.adobe.com/link/11873033-f682-4425-68bd-239afeda1e0f