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• • July 31, 2010 at 10:58 am #56540
    Ian MacPherson

    Member

    I have created a new way to add “Column Rules” to any multi-column text frame.
    This is an Applescript file. I currently know little of Javascript.

    I will gladly accept all comments and improvement ideas.

    I challenge all the “guru's” out there — if anyone could translate to Javascript,
    this would be wonderfull. Then all InDesign users would benefit!

    I hope the following script will prove to be useful!
    I currently have Adobe InDesign CS3, so I cannot say it will work perfectly
    in another version; perhaps with some minor tweaks.

    The multi-column rules (lines) are perfectly centered in the designated gutters.

    • Your text frame must be a multi-column text box.

    • Your text frame may be placed anywhere on the active page.
    • Your text frame must have a gutter more than 3.0 points.
    • Your text frame can have any variable indents (top, bottom, left, right).
    • The default column rule is .5 point, and can be modified through script file.

    I adapted and modified an earlier script found.

    The script is as follows (copy and paste into your script editor of choice):

    –== START OF SCRIPT — “ADD Column Rules”

    (* Tested in Adobe InDesign CS3 only *)
    global theDoc
    global oldHorz
    global oldVert

    tell application “Adobe InDesign CS3″
    activate

    try
    set theSel to object reference of selection
    end try

    –CHECK IF DOCUMENT IS OPEN
    if (count documents) = 0 then
    beep
    display dialog “Please open a document and try again!” buttons {“Opps!”} default button 1 with icon 1 giving up after 10
    return
    end if

    set theDoc to active document

    –GET USERS CURRENT UNIT OF MEASURE SETTINGS
    tell theDoc to set {oldHorz, oldVert} to {horizontal measurement units of view preferences, vertical measurement units of view preferences}

    –SET THE NEW UNIT OF MEASURE >> POINTS
    tell theDoc to set the properties of view preferences to {horizontal measurement units:points, vertical measurement units:points, ruler origin:page origin}

    –CHECK IF ANY SELECTION HAS BEEN MADE
    try
    set theSel to object reference of selection
    on error
    beep
    display alert “No Selection Was Made…” message “Opps… you forgot to make a selection!” & return & “Please try again and select a single “text frame”.” buttons {“Opps!”} default button 1 giving up after 10
    run resetMeasureUnits
    return
    end try
    set thePage to parent of selection

    –CHECK IF MORE THAN ONE ITEM IS SELECTED
    if (count of theSel) ≥ 2 then
    beep
    display alert “More Than One Object Selected!” message “Opps… You have selected more than one item.” & return & “Please try again and select a single “text frame”.” buttons {“Opps!”} default button 1 giving up after 10
    select nothing
    run resetMeasureUnits
    return
    end if

    –CHECK IF THE SELECTION IS TEXT BOX
    if content type of theSel is not text type then
    beep
    display alert “The selection is NOT a “Text” frame!” message “Opps… Your selection is not a “text” box.” & return & “Please select a single “Text Frame”” & return & “Try again…” buttons {“Opps!”} default button 1 giving up after 10
    select nothing
    run resetMeasureUnits
    return
    end if

    –CHECK IF THE SELECTED TEXT BOX IS A MULTI-COLUMN FRAME
    if content type of theSel is not text type then
    beep
    display alert “The selection is NOT a “Text” frame!” message “Opps… Your selection is not a “text” box.” & return & “Please select a single “Text Frame”” & return & “Try again…” buttons {“Opps!”} default button 1 giving up after 10
    select nothing
    run resetMeasureUnits
    return
    end if

    –CHECK IF THE TEXT COLUMN GUTTER SPEC IS GREATER THAN 2.5 POINTS
    if (text column gutter of text frame preferences of theSel is less than 3) then
    beep
    display alert “Text Column Gutter below minimum…” message “Opps… Your selection requires” & return & “the text column gutter to be” & return & “3+ points or greater.” & return & “Please try again…” buttons {“Opps!”} default button 1 giving up after 10
    select nothing
    run resetMeasureUnits
    return
    end if

    –GET OTHER SPEC'S
    set oldMarginPrefs to properties of margin preferences of thePage
    set oldColCount to (get column count of margin preferences of thePage)
    set oldColGut to (get column gutter of margin preferences of thePage)

    tell theDoc
    set theSel to object reference of selection

    –GET THE DOCUMENT MARGINS
    set myPageWidth to get page width of document preferences as points
    set myPageHeight to get page height of document preferences as points

    –GET PROPERTIES OF THE SELECTION
    set gb1 to item 1 of (get geometric bounds of theSel) –top
    set gb2 to item 2 of (get geometric bounds of theSel) –left
    set gb3 to item 3 of (get geometric bounds of theSel) –bottom
    set gb4 to item 4 of (get geometric bounds of theSel) –right

    set colCount to text column count of text frame preferences of theSel
    set colGut to text column gutter of text frame preferences of theSel

    set tfSpace1 to item 1 of (get inset spacing of text frame preferences of theSel)
    set tfSpace2 to item 2 of (get inset spacing of text frame preferences of theSel)
    set tfSpace3 to item 3 of (get inset spacing of text frame preferences of theSel)
    set tfSpace4 to item 4 of (get inset spacing of text frame preferences of theSel)

    end tell –theDoc

    set properties of margin preferences of thePage to {bottom:((myPageHeight – gb3) + tfSpace3), left:(gb2 + tfSpace2), right:((myPageWidth – gb4) + tfSpace4), top:(gb1 + tfSpace1), column count:colCount, column gutter:colGut}

    –==============
    run CenterColumnsRules
    –==============

    –RESET THE USERS ORGINAL MARGIN PREFERENCES
    set properties of margin preferences of thePage to oldMarginPrefs

    –RESET THE USERS ORIGINAL UNIT OF MEASURE SETTING
    tell theDoc to set the properties of view preferences to {horizontal measurement units:oldHorz, vertical measurement units:oldVert, ruler origin:page origin}

    select nothing

    end tell –app

    –==========
    – HANDLERS
    –==========

    script resetMeasureUnits
    tell application “Adobe InDesign CS3″
    –RESET THE USERS ORIGINAL UNIT OF MEASURE SETTING
    tell theDoc to set the properties of view preferences to {horizontal measurement units:oldHorz, vertical measurement units:oldVert}
    end tell –app
    end script

    script CenterColumnsRules
    property strokeWeight : “.5″ –points only
    –property strokeWeight : missing value

    –Environment
    try
    set theDoc to getDocRef()
    –call to handler
    set {pageWid, pageHgt, topmar, leftMar, botmar, rightMar, colCount, colGut} to getPageParams(theDoc)
    if colCount < 2 then
    error “Requires page with columns”
    end if
    –makeLayer requires doc reference, name, visible and locked
    set theLayer to makeLayer(theDoc, “Column Rules”, true, false)
    set x1 to pageWid – rightMar
    set cGutList to GetcGutterXList(leftMar, x1, colCount, colGut)
    on error errStr
    fatalMessage(errStr)
    end try

    –Input
    if strokeWeight is missing value then
    set strokeWeight to measureEditbox()
    end if

    –Process
    tell application “Adobe InDesign CS3″
    tell theDoc
    set lineProperties to {stroke alignment:center alignment, stroke color:swatch “Black”, stroke type:”S
    olid”, stroke weight:strokeWeight, item layer:theLayer, label:”ColumnRule”}
    end tell –theDoc
    tell active page of layout window 1
    repeat with i from 1 to count of cGutList
    set thisx to item i of cGutList
    set theLine to make graphic line with properties {geometric bounds:{topmar, thisx, (pageHgt – botmar), thisx}} & lineProperties
    end repeat
    end tell –page
    end tell –application
    beep 1

    –===HANDLERS

    (* Returns center x coordinate for each gutter on page. *)
    on GetcGutterXList(x0, x1, numCol, gutWid)
    set colXList to {}
    set colwid to ((x1 – x0) – (gutWid * (numCol – 1))) / numCol
    set stepValue to colwid + gutWid
    set thiscolX to x0 + colwid + gutWid / 2
    repeat with i from 2 to numCol
    set end of colXList to thiscolX
    set thiscolX to thiscolX + stepValue
    end repeat
    return colXList
    end GetcGutterXList

    (* Returns list of essential page parameters. *)
    on getPageParams(theDoc)
    tell application “Adobe InDesign CS3″
    set thePage to active page of layout window 1
    tell document preferences of theDoc
    set {pageWid, pageHgt} to {page width, page height}
    end tell –app
    tell margin preferences of thePage
    set {topmar, leftMar, botmar, rightMar, colCount, colGut} to {top, left, bottom, right, column count, column gutter}
    end tell –margin prefs
    end tell –app
    return {pageWid, pageHgt, topmar, leftMar, botmar, rightMar, colCount, colGut}
    end getPageParams

    (*returns reference to active document. Will generate error if no document. *)
    on getDocRef()
    tell application “Adobe InDesign CS3″
    if not (exists document 1) then
    error “Requires active document with selected object”
    else
    return active document
    end if
    end tell –app
    end getDocRef

    (*Creates layer if one by name is not in document;
    moves it to bottom of layers. *)
    on makeLayer(docRef, theName, theVisible, theLocked)
    tell application “Adobe InDesign CS3″
    tell docRef
    if exists layer theName then
    set theLayer to layer theName
    if locked of theLayer is true then
    set locked of theLayer to false
    end if
    else
    set theLayer to make layer with properties {visible:theVisible, locked:theLocked, name:theName}
    –In CS2 you need to move the layer to after layer -1 rather than end of layers
    move theLayer to after layer 1
    end if
    end tell –docRef
    end tell –app
    return theLayer
    end makeLayer

    –Gives user a message and cancels out of script
    on fatalMessage(theMessage)
    activate
    display dialog theMessage buttons {“OK”} default button 1
    error “User Error” number -128
    end fatalMessage

    (* Creates measurement editbox in custom dialog *)
    on measureEditbox()
    set theContents to “”
    tell application “Adobe InDesign CS3″
    activate
    set dialogRef to make dialog with properties {name:”Enter Rule Width”, can cancel:true}
    tell dialogRef
    tell (make dialog column)
    tell (make border panel)
    tell (make dialog column)
    make static text with properties {static label:”Enter width for rule (points)”}
    make static text with properties {static label:”Rule Width:”}
    end tell –make dialog column
    tell (make dialog column)
    make static text with properties {static label:””}
    set txtRef to (make measurement editbox with properties {edit contents:”.5″, edit units:points, minimum value:0.25, maximum value:12})
    end tell –dialog column
    end tell –border panel
    end tell –dialog column
    show
    end tell –dialog ref
    set dialogResult to result
    if dialogResult is true then
    set theResult to edit contents of txtRef
    end if
    –You will want to add the statement to destroy the dialog to remove it from memory as part of your script
    destroy dialogRef
    end tell –app
    return theResult
    end measureEditbox

    end script

    –== END OF SCRIPT — “ADD Column Rules”

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