Script to convert Word comments to InDesign notes?

[AnneMarie Concepcion]

I'm looking for a script to convert the contents of comments in a Word doc to InDesign notes. 

Any help?

AM

[Pickory]

Hi, 

The Word import plugin is not scriptable. I would like to write a new one, but it is a huge project.

P.

[Jongware]

Indeed. There is a ton of things I would like to improve in the current Word import filter. I wrote a Word-to-HTML converter from scratch (a tall task, and so it's nowhere near completion) just so I could copy the odd Color Highlight and Inline Math Formula out of the HTML preview into InDesign.

I imagine this might have been asked before on https://indesign.uservoice.com/ but alas, its Search Field is incredibly dumb basic and searching for "word comments" shows page after page about "word' or "comments", but not both. But you could try and ask there, as "comments" is now A Thing in an InDesign document and so they might be imported just like PDF comments.

[AnneMarie Concepcion]

Thanks Jongware ... getting them to import as PDF comments ... hmmm. Could be a workaround there.

[Roland Dreger]

Hi Anne Marie,

some time ago I wrote a script to import word documents via Word-XML-Document format. Some new features from InDesign CC are not implemented. But you can test the script with your Word document if you want.

https://vimeo.com/384479811

Roland

[AnneMarie Concepcion]

Okay, thanks. I would like to noodle with it. Is it downloadable anywhere?

[cooper150]

Hello Roland,

Is there someplace to get your script? I am in the same boat. I need to be able to covert Word Comments into InDesign notes and there doesn't seem to be an automated way to do so.

Thanks for any help

n

[Roland Dreger]

Hi,

unfortunately no. The script is already quite outdated. I would have to adapt it to the current InDesign versions and rework the Word transformation.

Roland

[Laubender]

Hi Anne Marie,

please note that InDesign does NOT support Notes in footnote texts.

A feature I am missing for years.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[mikem94023246]

Here is a workaround I've just tried and seems to work.

Used this macro in Word to convert the comments to inline comments with a green color...

Sub Comment2Text()
Dim i As Long

For i = ActiveDocument.Comments.Count To 1 Step -1

With ActiveDocument.Comments(i)

.Range.Font.ColorIndex = wdGreen

.Range.Copy

.Reference.Paste

End With

Next i

End Sub

Import this new Word doc as usual, then use the Find to locate the green text. At each find I have a keyboard shortcut to "Convert to Note". Repeat for each find. It would be great if the Find could somehow execute the shortcut (maybe a grep code) or maybe a script to do the same. This goes pretty quick though if you just hit the spacebar after each shortcut to go to the next find. Might have to check the spaces around the Note location. At times there are none and others an extra.

[Pickory]

That is a clever idea. You could probably have a script in ID to convert the coloured text into notes.