setting margins

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Ive only rather recently started using Scripts (almost) seriously and with the documentation and the helpful forum-contributors for Illustrator and Photoshop gotten some results.
But the Indesign-documentation seems a bit less accommodating and Ive found less sample Scripts online, so I hope You forgive if I raise a terribly basic question here:
How does one set the margins for a new document with JavaScript?

Any suggestions appreciated
pfaffenbichler

[Peter Kahrel]

app.activeDocument.marginPreferences.top = "25mm";
...bottom, left, right

Peter

[Jongware]

Both Document and Page objects have a property MarginPreferences. There you can find what you need: top, bottom, left, & right, and some column stuff.

Odd -- I tried

doc = app.documents.add();

doc.marginPreferences.top = "1cm";

but that didn't change the new page on screen OR the document margin settings. However,

doc = app.documents.add();

doc.pages[0].marginPreferences.top = "1cm";

doc.pages[0].marginPreferences.left = "1pt";

doc.pages[0].marginPreferences.bottom = "1in";

doc.pages[0].marginPreferences.left = "1ag";

works fine for a single page.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

First of all thanks for the replies!
Peter, I didnt get quite the result I wanted with those lines as they seem to affect only the non-template pages  but I guess my question was imprecise.
Jongware, Your thing works great for my purposes as I only want to customize the Image Catalogue-Script and that seems to use the margins of the first page as basis for all pages.

Thanks a lot
pfaffenbichler

[Peter Kahrel]

>Odd

True, forgot about that one. When you retrieve margins you have to do the same. doc.marginPreferences.top gives you the top margin of the application, doc.pages[0].marginPreferences.top that of the document.

Peter

[c.pfaffenbichler]

So can one edit the Margins of the Master Pages via a JavaSript at all?
Because when I try

myDocument.masterSpreads[0].marginPreferences.top = "0mm";
etc.

I get the reply that the Object doesnt support »marginPreferences«.
I hope Im not using wrong terms, but Im using a non-english version of Indesign.

[_Dave_Saunders_]

Spreads don't have margin preferences -- the pages on the spread do.

Dave

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Thanks a lot, I still dont get the Object Model obviously.

Have a nice weekend
pfaffenbichler

[liedzeit]

To go back to your original post. There are plenty of scripts to download. In the script examples that are shipped with InDesign CS3 there is one called PageMargins.jsx.

Try to get them. They will help you in many cases.

Ralf

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Ralf, I hope my original post didnt come of as reproachful or something!
I just havent found as many Scripts for Indesign as for Photoshop or Illustrator, of course that doesnt mean there arent sources just as good as for these other programmes.
(The documentation-pdfs that ship with AI and PSD I do find more elucidating though than whats provided with INDD.)

Anyway I am grateful for the generousness with which the contributors in these fora help the less knowledgeable.
pfaffenbichler

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Ralf, some belated humble pie for me ... I had simply missed the documentation on the DVD because it wasnt installed with the program.
So Ive done the Indesign-people an injustice, my bad.