Plug-in request

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

I'm looking for a simple plug-in - a real plug-in - not UXP or fake script as it won't work anyway - plug-in that will store current mouse location (x, y) and geometric bounds of the selection (t, l, b, r) - as an extra application / document property or as a label to be extracted? And It should be refreshed at least 50 times per second. 

Right now, mouse's current location - or object's top left corner when you move object or width / height when selected object is resized - is dynamically shown in the toolbar at the top - but it can't be read through scripting until mouse button is released. 

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

If you can't whomp this up, I would place a small bet that there's some huge technical hurdle keeping it from being simple. 🙂

The closest thing I have/seen is a function in the elgato Stream Deck software which allows you to read back and use the mouse position to automate things like setup and login dependent on mouse clicks. I have, for example, an automated login to an older online game that has no keyboard hooks for most of the login steps. Tedious to set up, but I can log in to any of my main player alts with one (Stream Deck) button.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@James Gifford—NitroPress

Reading mouse location in the system isn't a problem - I need it withing the InDesign's document - which would need to be done within InDesign - so C++ and knowledge to which events monitor.

But I've enough on my plate to go into plug-ins. 

[Dirk Becker]

Sounds simple, until you get to the details.

Still doable.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Sounds simple, until you get to the details.

Still doable.

By @Dirk Becker

Wouldn't it be just a case of monitoring some event(s)? 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Here is what I'm kind of looking for - "Magnetic Layout" as Liquid is already taken 😉 - unfortunately, because of the re-drawing issues - I won't be able to fully achieve my end goal - user needs to release the button and select object again for InDesign to fully refresh the screen:

It looks way better when keyboard is used to move the yellow circle - then InDesign has time to refresh everything.

I've already done non-interactive version - where position of objects relates to other objects - I'm using this when building catalogs and products get taller / smaller and elements - Title / Description / Table / Images / Icons / etc. - need to be moved around, in relation to each other (*)  - user resizes InLined PDF and INDD file is re-arranged in the background then new PDF is exported and updated - but doing it live on logical graphs/diagrams would be much cooler 😉

(*)

Title - 5mm from the top-left corner of the page

Table - 5mm from the bottom of the document - growing up

Description - bottom 5mm from the top of the Table - after it has been auto-fitted

Image - top - 5mm from the bottom of the Title - after it has been auto-fitted - bottom - 5mm above the top of the Table