Reverse the layer order of a stack of images?

[thebobwolf]

Hello 🙂

When you place all of the pages of a multipage PDF at the same time (holding option as you click the loaded graphics icon) the all appear overlapping one another, which is great, especially with a big 100pg+ doc.

However as the first page is placed first, the second is stacked on top of it, and so on, pg 100 will now be at the top of the stack. 

Is there a quick way to reverse the order of these in Indesign? 

Thanks for your help.

[Laubender · Accepted solution]

Hi thebobwolf,

for this special case only, select all frames that were placed one after another and run this ExtendScript (JavaScript) code:

var sel = app.selection;
for( var n=0; n<sel.length; n++ ){ sel[n].sendToBack() };

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[thebobwolf]

Amazing! Thanks so much Uwe, it works a treat. 🙂

[BobLevine]

I know you got this solved, but I'm curious why you'd stack 100 pages on top of one another. I'm going to assume it's for some kind of interactive document.

[thebobwolf]

Hey Bob,

Yes, you're right, it's to create a MSO for an epub. (actually loads of them!) Re-ordering them first gives me the correct page number when I create the MSO.

[BobLevine]

Kinda what I figured. Without knowing exactly how this going to work, there could be ways to present this without reversing the order. 

[thebobwolf]

Hmmmm, so a script where you bring in your images, then run the script and it reverses the order and auto makes the MSO? perhaps even adding an empty hide frame at the end? (and possibly next and back buttons)

[BobLevine]

I'm sure that could be scripted but if the idea here is to use next and back buttons, just reverse the arrows. Use the next state command for the left arrow and the previous state command for the right arrow.

[thebobwolf]

Yeah, that Object State Assistant plugin is invaluable for making those! Thanks again for your help with that btw.

[frankh2166026]

Uwe Thanks very much for this script. Will save me many hours over the long term!