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Collect individual files contained in a book in one .indd document

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    • January 8, 2014 at 6:44 am #66590
      Olaf Mueller
      Member

      Hello,

      I have data for a huge folder with 600+ pages in 20 chapters. Single pages (InDesign documents) are combined into InDesign .indb book files, making up the different chapters. To be able to easier make changes I want to combine all files included in a chapter file (e.g. 56 different single-page .indd files) into one coherent InDesign file. I have not found a way to export from the indb file or any other way to do that. Right now I open each and every file, copy it’s contents and paste it into my new continuous file.

      Does anybody know of a script or other means to speed up that process?

      Thanks for any hint!

    • January 8, 2014 at 6:59 am #66591
      David Blatner
      Keymaster

      There are scripts that do this. I haven’t tried this one, but might be helpful: https://www.simonwiscombe.com/archives/459

      That said, I think it’s probably going to be easier to just open each one and use Move Pages to move all the pages into one document. See:
      https://creativepro.com/moving-pages-to-another-document-doesnt-have-to-be-a-drag.php
      and

      How to Move Pages from One Document to Another

    • January 8, 2014 at 8:33 am #66595
      Olaf Mueller
      Member

      Thank you, David,

      I’ll have to try the script then. I have already tried the other method you suggest but somehow the transfer didn’t always take place as usual. And I still have to open each individual file and then click through all the messages (since I open them on the Mac for the first time). So that really only saves me just a little time…

    • September 22, 2015 at 1:42 pm #78286
      Michael Zaichenko
      Member

      I have a better version of a script like that. It collects files from either a book, folder (with subfolders) or all opened documents. It then creates a single file. It also allows you to choose the sequence of the files and either keep or not sections and page numbers. I tested it in CS 5.5. It should work in CS5 and CS6 Win. It’s in javascript.

      I don’t know how to attach it here but I could share it.

      Michael

      • September 22, 2022 at 12:07 pm #14372424
        ZVI
        Member

        Hi Michael!

        Your script is perfect for my needs, but I have one issue. Each of my two single-paged documents has four pages. DOC-01: 1,3,5,7. DOC-02: 2,4,6,8. I want to merge them to DOC-03: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8. No matter what settings I choose, it won’t merge as facing pages. If I choose “keep page numbers” or not, this is what I get: https://bit.ly/3fcg3v0 Am I doing something wrong? Thanks!

      • September 22, 2022 at 3:25 pm #14372443
        ZVI
        Member

        Would it be possible to get the source code so I can modify it to my facing pages need? Thank you! ztwersky[@]gmail.com

    • November 23, 2015 at 2:53 pm #79595
      Jean-Claude Tremblay
      Participant

      Michael, can you email me the script you are referencing. I want to try it on CC. You can send it to: jc [at] proficiografik [dot] com

    • November 23, 2015 at 3:36 pm #79596
      Michael Zaichenko
      Member

      Hi Jean-Claude,
      I sent you the script. It has a small description at the beginning.
      Simply run the script – it will give you options at the start.
      Let me know if it works in CC.

      Michael

    • November 23, 2015 at 5:49 pm #79597
      Jean-Claude Tremblay
      Participant

      I have done a quick test. The first one on a bunch of documents, the second with a Book file with 20 document in it. The script works perfectly…

      Nice script by the way!

    • November 23, 2015 at 6:07 pm #79598
      Michael Zaichenko
      Member

      Thanks.
      Currently there is no routine to resolve master page naming or conflicts. It picks up first document as a base for the rest. I probably could change it to automatically rename the master pages but that would result in a document with many master pages that are essentially the same. Another alternative would be to have a comparison function to check if master pages are identical… I feel that would get too involved.

      Michael

    • December 15, 2015 at 1:46 am #80181
      Steven Six
      Member

      @Michael Zaichnko or @ Jean-Claude Tremblay: is it please possible to sent me this script as well?
      Thanks in advance!

      • December 18, 2015 at 5:54 pm #80306
        Michael Zaichenko
        Member

        @gert and @Steven Six: Gert I sent you script in email. Steven, what’s your contact so I can send it. I don’t want to paste it all here.

        Michael

    • December 15, 2015 at 3:46 am #80182
      Gert Verrept
      Member

      @michael I’m very interested too for such a script, if possible, you can send it to gertverrept[at]gmail[dot]com
      Thanks in advance!

    • December 23, 2015 at 12:23 am #80403
      Sorour Slimane
      Member

      @Michael Zaichenko. I’m interested too. you can send it to sorours[at]gmail[dot]com
      Thanks in advance!

    • December 29, 2015 at 7:23 am #80468
      Anne-Marie Concepcion
      Member

      Please post the script to Dropbox or similar and give all us fans a public link in a forum reply, or Michael, if you could send it to me at amarie@indesignsecrets.com, I’m happy to post it here (or write a blog post about it).

      Thanks!
      AM

    • December 29, 2015 at 12:42 pm #80480
      Michael Zaichenko
      Member

      Hello Anne-Marie and all,

      I don’t use Dropbox, etc. but I think I sent it to all who asked. Anne-Marie, you can post it. I’m only glad if it helps people.

      Michael

    • December 30, 2015 at 3:01 pm #80490
      Alex Martinez
      Member

      @Michael Zaichenko. I use InDesign CC 2014 and greatly need your script!!
      Would love if you could send to: alexam1012[at]gmail[dot]com
      Thank you so much!!

    • December 31, 2015 at 8:12 am #80491
      Annette Murray
      Participant

      Hi @Michael Zaichenko. Would you be so kind as to send me the script too?

      amurray@anro.com

      Thank you!
      Annette

    • December 31, 2015 at 3:24 pm #80495
      Michael Zaichenko
      Member

      Hello Annette and Alex,
      I sent you the script. Would be good to know if there are improvements to be made.
      If you didn’t know, you can change sequence of files by selecting a file in the list and pressing up and down keys. You can remove files from the list by pressing Del. Otherwise they will be combined in the sequence they appear in the list.

      Please let me know how it works.

      Michael

    • January 3, 2016 at 9:03 am #80505
      Anne-Marie Concepcion
      Member

      Michael, can you please send me a copy of the script? amarie@indesignsecrets.com.

      Thanks!

    • January 4, 2016 at 1:34 pm #80523
      Michael Zaichenko
      Member

      Hello Anne-Marie,

      I sent you the script. If you didn’t get it, please check your Junk mail box. The Subject line is “merge files script.”

      Michael

    • February 5, 2016 at 5:02 pm #81591
      Michael Zaichenko
      Member

      Hello all,

      I believe I was able to send the script to everyone.

      Michael

    • February 11, 2016 at 10:17 am #81864
      Hugo Rene
      Member

      Hi Michael
      I have been searching and searching for some like that! I am in a proyect and Iwant to try it… Could you send me a copy of your script to hugorene01@gmail.com
      I really appreciate it
      Thanks a lot

    • February 13, 2016 at 12:12 am #81945
      zemzen
      Member

      Hi Michael
      Can you send me your amazing scripts. My email andreyblinovtm@gmail.com

    • February 29, 2016 at 6:40 am #82354
      Yannis Spanoudis
      Member

      Hi Michael,
      thanks for providing such a helpful toll to the community.
      Can you please send me the script?
      My email is: iospan@me.com
      Thanks again.

    • February 29, 2016 at 11:33 pm #82411
      Michael Zaichenko
      Member

      Finally got to my computer. Hope you all got the script by now. I would like to hear back on whether it works alright. I made a minor bug fix in it which was that it would attempt to run even if there was no files to run on. So the latest version doesn’t do it. If you run into any other bugs, please let me know.

      Michael

    • March 1, 2016 at 10:08 am #82428
      Masood Ahmad
      Participant

      Wow, when everyone is asking for a script then how can I be left behind. Please email me the same at masoodahmad@inbox.com, I’ll upload it to Hightail and share the link here on the forum.

    • March 9, 2016 at 8:01 am #82773
      Stan Willemse
      Member

      I would love to have a copy of your script Michael. Thanks a bunch :-) stanwillemse@gmail.com

    • March 24, 2016 at 10:55 am #83369
      Andy McGinnis
      Member

      Hi Michael, would you please send me the script also at andymcginnis@gmail.com? I’ve been looking for a script like that for a long time!

      Thanks so much!

      -Andy

    • April 14, 2016 at 6:39 am #84011
      Anne-Marie Concepcion
      Member

      hang on

    • April 19, 2016 at 1:15 am #84111
      Kwai Hee Loh
      Member

      Hi Michael, kindly please share the script with me also at lohkwaihee@yahoo.com

      Thanks a lot!

      -KwaiHee

    • April 26, 2016 at 6:14 am #84296
      Bobbie Huddleston
      Member

      I would be ever so grateful if I could get a copy of this script, please :D

      claysmom@gmail.com

      thanks so very much
      b

    • May 9, 2016 at 4:01 pm #84719
      Rob Horsman
      Member

      Hi Michael,

      I would love a copy of that script as well. If you could email it to horsman[at]123w.ca

      Thanks!

    • May 12, 2016 at 2:54 am #84851
      candan esin
      Member

      Hello Michael,
      I wrote 1400 pages psychology book for print. Now I need to gather all documents into one and reassamble page layout for epub3. I would be more than grateful if you can mail your script to

      drcandanesin@gmail.com

      Best wishes

    • May 12, 2016 at 8:46 am #84867
      Anne-Marie Concepcion
      Member

      Here is the script!
      https://creativepro.com/downloads/MergeFiles-2016.zip

      It’s a jsx.bin file. After you download it, unzip it, and put MergeFiles-2016.jsxbin in your scripts folder. Double-click it to run, and you’ll get a dialog box with some options.

      And I’ve done an InDesign Secrets tips video demo-ing it for Lynda.com too … not sure when it’ll come out though. In the meantime I’ll do a post on the blog with screen shots, but probably won’t get to that for a few days.

      BTW I asked Michael, the author, for permission to distribute (thank you Michael!), as well as his Paypal account name if you’d like to say thanks for this one, and/or contribute to his ongoing script development work: biozaichenko@gmail.com

      About the script, Michael told me,
      “The way it works is… run the script. It will pop a panel. You can
      choose from “all open docs”, “folder with files” or “a book” if it
      is open. From there it is self-explanatory. Features that you should
      be aware of is that up and down keys move items up and down in the
      list. Delete button, removes them from the list. It chooses the
      first file as a “template” for the rest. I’m open for feature
      suggestions.”

      AM

    • June 9, 2016 at 4:37 am #85585
      Rune Eilertsen
      Member

      Hi!
      The script doesn’t seem to keep the link between threaded text-frames. Is this fixable?

      – Rune

    • December 6, 2016 at 2:23 am #90310
      Olaf Mueller
      Member

      Thanks a lot, Anne-Marie and Michael, for providing the script. I was the original instigator of the above question. And have had to come back three years later now.

      Great community!

    • May 31, 2017 at 1:52 pm #94955
      Kimberley McLean
      Member

      This is amazing, I’ve been searching for a script for days. Still works perfectly! Thank you very very much.

    • September 23, 2017 at 7:07 am #98322
      Si Dispa
      Member

      Hi.

      I tried the merge script with a book. One of the chapter has 17 footnotes numbered 1 to 17. After the merge the footnotes were renumbered 1,2,3 on each spread/frame, that is, as the footnote counter restarted every time.
      As a result, after exporting to EPUB, with all the footnotes at the end of the chapter, I ended with several #1, #2, etc.
      Very confusing.
      It is a bug or I am missing something ?

      Thank you .

    • October 20, 2017 at 11:31 am #99145
      Nicolas Flamel
      Member

      Hi, useful script but I confirm it doesn’t keep links between text-frames.
      any chance to have an update ?
      thanks in advance

    • April 17, 2019 at 9:20 pm #116162
      Felicia Alvarez
      Member

      In case anyone comes across this and was wondering, it still functions quite well. Not sure why, but my chapter numbers disappeared. Maybe I missed a checkbox. All-in-all, still a great script three years later. And thanks InDesignSecrets for having a post about how to implement scripts in InDesign to go along with this. Without it, I would have been lost!

    • February 23, 2022 at 2:14 pm #14359145
      John OKeefe
      Participant

      Hi @michael-zaichenko,

      Is it possible to get a copy of the source code for this script? I am learning InDesign scripting and would like to learn from your script. Thank you for your time!

    • September 19, 2022 at 12:01 am #14372341
      Rainer Klute
      Participant

      Thanks, Michael, for this script!

      I’d love to see two improvements:
      – Text-frames should be connected – or to have the choice. As mentioned before.
      – If there are different paragraph styles and character styles it would be nice to mark one file as a “master” when merging the files.

    • October 19, 2022 at 12:51 pm #14373801
      Rich Harvey
      Participant

      I’ve downloaded and used the script Anne-Marie linked to … it’s wonderful except that my individual documents import into one major document … but each new section starts as a right-hand page one. When I try to renumber the documents, I get that age-old problem of everything (text, graphics) going askew. Everything is approximately .25″ to .5″ away from where it should be. So, objects that were perfectly aligned with the margins are now going into the gutter. Rather than fix each one manually … what’s the usual cure? Turn off “Allow Document Pages to Shuffle”? “Turn off Allow selected spreads to shuffle”? … or turn off/on both??

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