I can't get bridgetalk to pass result back

Report · May 11, 2020

Hi, I'm trying to make a script to take the currently selected link in indesign, open it up in photoshop, scale it up & save it out in two different formats in the parent folder, then relink the file back in indesign.

my script can do all that except for relinking the file, because I can't figure out how to pass a result back to indesign (to use for the filename). I read the relevant bridgetalk documentation but must not be understanding it fully.
here is my script so far:

#target indesign

var doc = app.activeDocument;
var myImage = app.selection[0].images[0];
var myLink = app.selection[0].graphics[0].itemLink;
var myLinkfp = myLink.filePath;



docName = app.selection[0].graphics[0].itemLink.name.match(/(.*)(\.[^\.]+)/)[1];
$.writeln(docName.toSource());


var effectivePPI = String(myImage.effectivePpi)
effectivePPI.match(/(\d+),(\d+)/);
var ppiH = effectivePPI.replace(/(\d+),(\d+)/, '$1');
var ppiV = effectivePPI.replace(/(\d+),(\d+)/, '$2');

if (ppiH == ppiV) {
//	alert("effective ppi " + effectivePPI + "\n" + "ppiH" + ppiH + "\n" + "ppiV" + ppiV)
	if (ppiH < 300) {
	var scalePercentage = ((300 - ppiH) / ppiH) * 100 + 100;
	$.writeln(scalePercentage.toSource());
	CreateBridgeTalkMessage(myLinkfp, docName, scalePercentage);
	}
} else {
	alert("Horizontal and vertical resolutions are not the same.");
}





$.writeln(effectivePPI.toSource());

//---------------------FUNCTIONS-----------------
function CreateBridgeTalkMessage(imagePath, docName, scalePct) {
	var bt = new BridgeTalk();
	bt.target = "photoshop";
	bt.body = ResaveInPS.toSource()+"("+imagePath.toSource()+ "," + docName.toSource()+ "," + scalePct.toSource()+");";
	bt.onError = function(errObj) {
		$.writeln("Error: " + errObj.body);
		}
	bt.onResult = function(resObj) {
		$.writeln("Result: " + resObj.body);
		}
	bt.send(30);



}

//-----------------------------------------------
function ResaveInPS(imagePath, docName, scalePct) {
	var psDoc;
	app.displayDialogs = DialogModes.NO;
	var startRulerUnits = app.preferences.rulerUnits;
	app.preferences.rulerUnits = Units.PERCENT;
	psDoc = app.open(new File(imagePath));
	var currentPath = psDoc.path;
	psdSaveOptions = new PhotoshopSaveOptions();
		psdSaveOptions.layers = true;
	jpgSaveOptions = new JPEGSaveOptions();
		jpgSaveOptions.embedColorProfile = true;
		jpgSaveOptions.formatOptions = FormatOptions.STANDARDBASELINE;
		jpgSaveOptions.matte = MatteType.NONE;
		jpgSaveOptions.quality = 12;
	var outputFolder = decodeURI(currentPath.parent);
	var saveFilePSD = File( outputFolder + "/" + docName + "_upscaled.psd");
	var saveFileJPG = File( outputFolder + "/" + docName + "_upscaled.jpg");
	psDoc.resizeImage(Number(scalePct), null, 300, ResampleMethod.BICUBICAUTOMATIC);
	psDoc.saveAs(saveFileJPG, jpgSaveOptions, true, Extension.LOWERCASE);
	psDoc.saveAs(saveFilePSD, psdSaveOptions, true, Extension.LOWERCASE);
	psDoc.close(SaveOptions.DONOTSAVECHANGES);
	saveFileJPG.toSource();
	app.open(saveFilePSD);
	app.preferences.rulerUnits = startRulerUnits;
	app.displayDialogs = DialogModes.ALL;
}

sorry it's the full thing and probably messy but the relevant bits here are line 75 where I'm trying to pass the new file link back to source with saveFileJPG.toSource(); and line 45 where I'm trying to receive the result and write it in the console. it just comes back as undefined, no matter what I try.
not sure if I need to use eval or what but I couldn't get that to work either.

if I can get that working then all I need to do in indesign is this
myLink.relink(saveFileJPG);
myLink.update();
to link my selection up to the new file.

thanks for your help!

Report · May 12, 2020

Hi spaciousmind,

without testing anything of your code:

You could cheat a bit.

No need to pass the file back to InDesign because you are doing the new file with a predictable recipe. Simply use the same procedure and place the file to InDesign. Of course first check if the file exists.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

Report · May 15, 2020

Many Thanks Laubender, good suggestion... after much mucking around I finally got it to work as follows:

#target indesign

var doc = app.activeDocument;
var myImage = app.selection[0].images[0];
var myLink = app.selection[0].graphics[0].itemLink;
var myLinkfp = myLink.filePath;
var myLinkparentFolder = myLink.filePath.match(/(.*\\[^\\]*)(\\[^\\]*\\)/)[1];
var myLinkName = myLink.name.match(/(.*)(\.[^\.]+)/)[1];

var effectivePPI = String(myImage.effectivePpi);
effectivePPI.match(/(\d+),(\d+)/);
var ppiH = effectivePPI.replace(/(\d+),(\d+)/, '$1');
var ppiV = effectivePPI.replace(/(\d+),(\d+)/, '$2');



if (ppiH == ppiV) {
	if (ppiH < 300) {
		var scalePercentage = ((300 - ppiH) / ppiH) * 100 + 100;
		var scalePercentageRounded = Math.round(scalePercentage);
		$.writeln("scalePercentage = " + scalePercentage)
		$.writeln("scalePercentageRounded = " + scalePercentageRounded)
				var theFile = File(myLinkparentFolder + "\\" + myLinkName + '_upscaled_' + Math.round(scalePercentage) + '-pct.jpg');
		CreateBridgeTalkMessage(myLinkfp, myLinkName, scalePercentage);
	} else {
		alert("PPI higher than 300 already")
	}
} else {
	alert("Horizontal and vertical resolutions are not the same.");
}

//---------------------FUNCTIONS-----------------
function CreateBridgeTalkMessage(imagePath, myLinkName, scalePct) {
	var bt = new BridgeTalk();
	bt.target = "photoshop";
	bt.body = ResaveInPS.toSource()+"("+imagePath.toSource()+ "," + myLinkName.toSource()+ "," + scalePct.toSource()+");";
	bt.onError = function(errObj) {
		}
	bt.onResult = function(resObj) {
        		}
	bt.send(30);
		myLink.relink(theFile);
    myLink.update();
}

//-----------------------------------------------
function ResaveInPS(imagePath, myLinkName, scalePct) {
	var psDoc;
	app.displayDialogs = DialogModes.NO;
	var startRulerUnits = app.preferences.rulerUnits;
	app.preferences.rulerUnits = Units.PERCENT;
	psDoc = app.open(new File(imagePath));
	var currentPath = psDoc.path;
	psdSaveOptions = new PhotoshopSaveOptions();
		psdSaveOptions.layers = true;
	jpgSaveOptions = new JPEGSaveOptions();
		jpgSaveOptions.embedColorProfile = true;
		jpgSaveOptions.formatOptions = FormatOptions.STANDARDBASELINE;
		jpgSaveOptions.matte = MatteType.NONE;
		jpgSaveOptions.quality = 12;
	var outputFolder = decodeURI(currentPath.parent);
	var saveFilePSD = File( outputFolder + "/" + myLinkName + '_upscaled_' + Math.round(scalePct) + '-pct.psd');
	var saveFileJPG = File( outputFolder + "/" + myLinkName + '_upscaled_' + Math.round(scalePct) + '-pct.jpg');
	psDoc.resizeImage(Number(scalePct), null, 300, ResampleMethod.BICUBICAUTOMATIC);
	psDoc.saveAs(saveFileJPG, jpgSaveOptions, true, Extension.LOWERCASE);
	psDoc.saveAs(saveFilePSD, psdSaveOptions, true, Extension.LOWERCASE);
	psDoc.close(SaveOptions.DONOTSAVECHANGES);
	app.open(saveFilePSD);
	app.preferences.rulerUnits = startRulerUnits;
	app.displayDialogs = DialogModes.ALL;
}

which works fine for this purpose.....
For future reference I would still like to know how to or why I couldn't get any variables back from photoshop if anyone can explain where I went wrong in my first example that'd be really helpful 🙂

Report · May 22, 2020

Hi,

I haven't tested it with your script but it should be rather simple:

At the end of the photoshop script part below the line

app.displayDialogs = DialogModes.ALL;

add the command

return saveFileJPG

resObj.body should then contain the desired information.

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I can't get bridgetalk to pass result back

1 Correct answer