I have a problem with a script for Indesign 2020.
I am not a programmer and don't know javascript (I just created some simple script).
I want to create a simple panel with a button that add a textframe, but doesn't seems to work.
Here's the code
var document = app.activeDocument;
document.viewPreferences.horizontalMeasurementUnits = MeasurementUnits.MILLIMETERS;
document.viewPreferences.verticalMeasurementUnits = MeasurementUnits.MILLIMETERS;
app.viewPreferences.rulerOrigin = RulerOrigin.SPREAD_ORIGIN;
app.activeDocument.viewPreferences.rulerOrigin = RulerOrigin.SPREAD_ORIGIN;
app.activeDocument.zeroPoint = [0,0];
var Labelpanel = new Window("dialog");
Labelpanel.text = "Printer";
Labelpanel.orientation = "column";
Labelpanel.alignChildren = ["center","top"];
Labelpanel.spacing = 10;
Labelpanel.margins = 16;
var Button1 = Labelpanel.add("button", undefined, undefined, {name: "Button 1"});
Button1.text = "Magenta 1";
Button1.onClick = function() {
var Label = document.pages[0].textFrames.add();
Label.properties = {
geometricBounds : [ 25,284.5,15,226.5 ],
contents : "1234_Mag1"
}
Label.paragraphs[0].appliedFont = app.fonts.item("Arial");
Label.paragraphs[0].pointSize = "30";
Label.paragraphs[0].justification = Justification.RIGHT_ALIGN;
Labelpanel.close();
}
Labelpanel.show();
The code in the button normally works, but in ScriptUI it does nothing.
Can someone tell me what am I doing wrong?
In your case the script will work (I'm not sure about your goal, though) if you add this line:
#targetengine session
at the start of the code.
And change "dialog" with "palette" here:
var Labelpanel = new Window("palette");
The problem is a dialog window can't change a document until the dialog will be closed.
Not like a palette that has access to documents always.
Your script can be rewritten in order to use a dialog window instead of palette. But it will need to change more than just two lines.
Update
Here is the example how it can be done with a dialog window:
// set the dialog window
var labelDialog = new Window("dialog");
labelDialog.text = "Printer";
labelDialog.orientation = "column";
labelDialog.alignChildren = ["center","top"];
labelDialog.spacing = 10;
labelDialog.margins = 16;
// set a variable that we will convey to the main function
var contents = '';
// a couple buttons
var button1 = labelDialog.add("button", undefined, undefined, {name: "Button 1"});
button1.text = "Magenta 1";
var button2 = labelDialog.add("button", undefined, undefined, {name: "Button 2"});
button2.text = "Magenta 2";
// if click --> change the variable an close the dialog
button1.onClick = function() {contents = '1234_Mag1'; labelDialog.close()};
button2.onClick = function() {contents = '5678_Mag2'; labelDialog.close()};
labelDialog.show(); // show the dialog
// if the variable is not empty --> run the main function
if (contents != '') main(contents);
// the main function, get the variable and does the work
function main(contents) {
app.viewPreferences.rulerOrigin = RulerOrigin.SPREAD_ORIGIN;
app.activeDocument.viewPreferences.rulerOrigin = RulerOrigin.SPREAD_ORIGIN;
app.activeDocument.zeroPoint = [0,0];
var document = app.activeDocument;
document.viewPreferences.horizontalMeasurementUnits = MeasurementUnits.MILLIMETERS;
document.viewPreferences.verticalMeasurementUnits = MeasurementUnits.MILLIMETERS;
var label = document.pages[0].textFrames.add();
label.properties = {
geometricBounds: [ 25,284.5,15,226.5 ],
contents: contents // <-- our variable goes here
}
label.paragraphs[0].appliedFont = app.fonts.item("Arial");
label.paragraphs[0].pointSize = "30";
label.paragraphs[0].justification = Justification.RIGHT_ALIGN;
}
I've made two buttons. I suspect it would be your next question: "How to add more buttons?"
The main point: A dialog window should be closed before you try to change a document. A palette should not. This 'subtle difference' changes the algorithm significantly.