Script makes master parent pages

[Mike Witherell]

Hi gang,

 I am looking for a script that will make it possible to generate new master (parent) pages within the ID document along with margins and columns. In script code they are referred to as MasterSpreads, I believe.

Thanks for any guidance you might add!

--Mike Witherell

[brianp311]

Bit more context needed. 

app.activeDocument.masterSpreads.add() 

will add one. You can pass lots of different properties to it. 

[Manan Joshi]

Hi @Mike Witherell,

Try the following

var ms = app.documents[0].masterSpreads.add()
for(var i = 0; i < ms.pages.length; i++)
{
	var mp = ms.pages[i].marginPreferences
	mp.top = 20
	mp.bottom = 15
	mp.left = 10
	mp.right = 10
	mp.columnGutter = 5
	mp.columnCount = 2
}

Other properties that you can use can be referenced at the following link

https://www.indesignjs.de/extendscriptAPI/indesign-latest/index.html#MarginPreference.html

-Manan

[Laubender]

Hi Mike,

it's a bit unclear where the parameters for margins and columns should come from.

From the document setup?

From a parent spread that is already there?

From a document spread that is already there?

From a different document's parent spread?

Fixed values like Manan is doing this?

Do you need a UI to type in the margin and column values?

( Why do you need a script then? )

Something else?

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[Mike Witherell]

Many thanks to you all, Manan, Uwe, Brian.

So far, I have added a few lines to declare the measurement units as PICAS.

Further, I have wrapped it in a bit of code to undo in 1 undo.

I have realized I don't need to declare the margins, because it will inherit those.

I have successfully repeated the code to make 3 new masterSpreads.

What I need to figure out is how to name each new master as it is being made. Is it name = or baseName = , and how is that written? My various attempts are all incorrect. (I'm an under-experienced scripter, as you doubtless know).

[brianp311]

Away from my computer, but I think you can do it when you make the spread like so: app.activeDocument.masterSpreads.add({name: "myName"})

Edit: I'm wrong. See Uwe's response. 

[Laubender]

Hi Mike,

look into the list of available properties.

Here we have namePrefix and baseName. So you can do this like that:

app.documents[0].masterSpreads.add
(
	{
		namePrefix : "Z" ,
		baseName : "Hello Mike"
	}
);

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[Mike Witherell]

Uwe, thank you. I searched in the ExtendScript (16.) but didn't get uncover that info.

I will put this in my emerging script and report back to you later what my results are.

[Laubender]

Hi Mike,

here the document object model description compiled by Gregor Fellenz:

https://www.indesignjs.de/extendscriptAPI/indesign-latest/#MasterSpread.html

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[Mike Witherell]

Hi Uwe,

Thanks, yes, that is the reference I have been studying (a bit of a slow learner, I am afraid).

Hooray! I got this to work:

var ms = app.documents[0].masterSpreads.add({namePrefix : "2C" , baseName : "2-Column"})

[Mike Witherell]

var ms = app.documents[0].masterSpreads.add({namePrefix : "2C" , baseName : "2-Column"})
for(var i = 0; i < ms.pages.length; i++)
{
	var mp = ms.pages[i].marginPreferences
	mp.columnGutter = 1.5
	mp.columnCount = 2
}

I just repeated this 3 times changing the columnCount = to 2, 3, and 4 in order to get 3 new master page sets.

Many thanks for the education Uwe and Manan!