Upgrade to InDesign 16.3.2 Causes Script to Fail on Mac M1

[defaultn2z0t92g6whx]

After Adobe's latest upgrade to InDesign installed, a script that we use to place & resize multi-page PDFs is no longer working in the Silicon version of InDesign.  There is no error gernerated and the dialog box never pops up.  If we manually run the Intel version of InDesign, the script works fine and it has worked on Silicon chips fine up until 16.3.2.

Any help is appreciated.  Attaching a .rtf of the script in question.

[Bill Silbert]

Since this newest version of InDesign has been created to work on the M1 chip it doesn't seem surprising that it might have some issues working with the Intel chip. You can report this as a bug at: https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601180-adobe-indesign-bugs.

[Laubender · Accepted solution]

Hi defaultn2z0t92g6whx,

just tested the code with InDesign 16.3.0 on Windows 10.

It's working as far as I can see. Just launched the script's UI and placed a PDF.

The second launch of the script is showing the previously placed PDF, because the script writes this info to the pdf_importer.ini file:

Try the following:

Comment out the first line in the code like that or remove it:

// #target indesign

If this does not help do one additional thing.

Add this as the first line in the code:

alert( File($.fileName).exists );

If a script alert shows up with message false, we have a real problem.

If the message is true, we still do not have the culprit identified.

Important question:
Where is the script file installed?

Does the script show up in the User folder of your InDesign Scripts panel?

If not you should install it there.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[defaultn2z0t92g6whx]

Thanks so much.  I had attempted a number of things, including editing versions based on other posts in the opening line:

#target indesign

None of those worked, but commenting out the line has fixed the issue, so:

// #target indesign

Just in case anyone searching for a script like this comes across this post, we hired a developer to build this script based on a previous script that was available in support communities that performed this same function after a previous Apple upgrade broke that script.  As neither the developer or us have claimed copyright protection on the script, you are welcome to use this script  as needed.

[Laubender]

Hi defaultn2z0t92g6whx,

some explanations why I suggested to remove or comment out the #target statement:

I had the same issue with an older version of the MultiPageImporter script on my Windows 10 machine:

https://github.com/mike-edel/ID-MultiPageImporter/releases

Mike Edel, who now is curating that script, removed the #target statement in his 2.6.4 version of MultiPageImporter after we had a conversation of a possible problem. In my case the issue always came up when a different version of InDesign was running side by side with the version of InDesign where the script was executed.

I'm interested to hear if this is also the case on your machine. Two InDesigns running side by side.

And I hope for an answer where exactly the script is installed on your machine and how it is launched.

Thanks,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[defaultn2z0t92g6whx]

That interesting.  With 16.3.2, we started getting messages from Adobe that Silicon users could run the Intel version instead of the Silicon version by going through Installed Applications and selecting to open the Intel version.  I'm wondering if that is the cause as it sees two versions of InDesign from Adobe's new feature to allow you to run both the Silicon and Intel versions?

The script is installed in and is launched from the User panel. File is located in:

Version 16.0/en_US/Scripts/Script Panel/

[Laubender]

Hm. Interesting. I cannot verify this, because I have no M1 machine at hand.

FWIW: A #target indesign statement is not necessary if a script is launched from the Scripts panel and that script is meant for the version of InDesign where you start it.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[brian_p_dts]

Just as an FYI for others who may stumble upon this, I also am seeing this bug with the #target indesign statement on a Mac running Big Sur 11.4. I haven't yet confirmed if the client is on an M1 chip or not and what version of ID they are running; will update when I do. 

[Laubender]

Hi Brian,

also ask the client if they are running two versions of InDesign side-by-side.

Thanks,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )