Hey all,
I would like to write a script that dynamically creates inDesign templates based on values within a spreadsheet/csv file and am in need of some advice on how best to approach this.
I am fairly well versed in bash programming so not a total noob to this sort of thing, however, I have no experience using the Adobe API so any assistance there is appreciated…(where to find the docs, any gotchas, what to keep in mind, etc.)
Feel free to tell me i’m dreaming if you think this is not possible, your reasons for thinking that would be appreciated.
The idea is to be able to dynamically create a file with the size and orientation variables and a unique name made up possibly from a concatenation of “id”, “template_ref”, and “size”, pull the different backrounds, different logo variants, different icons, and text fields from their respective fields and then, manually place the placeholder fields (as i have no idea how to achieve this programmatically).
here is a sample of the data set i will be working from with headers but minus file urls at this stage… i’m still cleaning this up but there should be enough info to give you the gist:
id,venue,zone_ref,zone_name,owner,template_ref,template_type,size,orientation,@background,@logo,text_field_1,text_field_2,text_field_3,text_field_4,text_field_5,text_field_6,text_field_7,text_field_8,text_field_9,text_field_10,text_field_11,text_field_12,text_field_13,text_field_14,text_field_15,text_field_16,Font Size (mm),directional,icon_type,@icon_url,substrate,finishing,quantity,production_notes,Notes
263,HAG,SPEC ENTRY 1,VEN - Sitewide Requirements,VEN,,,,,,,You are here,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Location Map,,Corflute,None,1,,
264,HAG,SPEC ENTRY 2,VEN - Sitewide Requirements,VEN,,,,,,,You are here,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Location Map,,Corflute,None,1,,“Inside gate”
369,HAG,SPEC ENTRY 3,VEN - Sitewide Requirements,VEN,,,,,,,You are here,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,é,Location Map,,Corflute,None,1,,“Inside gate”
535,MCL,"INSIDE GATE ON, PAST ROCKS",VEN - Sitewide Requirements,VEN,,,,,,,You are here,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,é,Location Map,,Corflute,None,1,,“TO BE FIXED INSIDE GATE JUST PAST ROCKS.“
532,MCL,Graeme Lowe Stand,VEN - Sitewide Requirements,VEN,,,,,,,You are here,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,é,Location Map,,Corflute,None,1,,
534,MCL,Harris Stand,VEN - Sitewide Requirements,VEN,,,,,,,You are here,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,é,Location Map,,Corflute,None,1,,
812,SAX,Err:508,VEN - Sitewide Requirements,VEN,,,,,,,You are here,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,é,Location Map,,Corflute,None,1,,
942,SED,Bryce St/Seddon Road,VEN - Sitewide Requirements,VEN,,,,Portrait,,,You are here,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Small,é,Location Map,,Corflute,None,1,,“Place between Gates C and D (corner/grass verge)”
943,SED,Inner Gate D,VEN - Sitewide Requirements,VEN,,,,Portrait,,,You are here,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Small,é,Location Map,,Corflute,None,1,,
944,SED,Seddon Rd/ Norton Rd,VEN - Sitewide Requirements,VEN,,,,Portrait,,,You are here,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Small,é,Location Map,,Corflute,None,1,,
948,SED,Tristram St/ Norton Rd,VEN - Sitewide Requirements,VEN,,,,Portrait,,,You are here,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Small,é,Location Map,,Corflute,None,1,,
1177,UNI,INSIDE GATE 1,VEN - Sitewide Requirements,VEN,,,,,,,You are here,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,é,Location Map,,Corflute,None,1,,
1178,UNI,INSIDE GATE 2,VEN - Sitewide Requirements,VEN,,,,,,,You are here,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,é,Location Map,,Corflute,None,1,,
84,EDN,TIX BOX,TIC - Ticket Box Office/Assistance,TIC,0,0 - CUSTOM,400 x 600,Portrait,,,"""Prices - Game 1""",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,,,,Corflute,None,8,,“Fixed to End of Box Offices”
118,EDN,TIX BOX,TIC - Ticket Box Office/Assistance,TIC,0,0 - CUSTOM,400 x 600,Portrait,,,"""Prices - Game 2""",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,,,,Corflute,None,8,,“Fixed to End of Box Offices”
121,EDN,TIX BOX,TIC - Ticket Box Office/Assistance,TIC,0,0 - CUSTOM,400 x 600,Portrait,,,"""Prices - Game 3""",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,,,,Corflute,None,8,,“Fixed to End of Box Offices”
122,EDN,TIX BOX,TIC - Ticket Box Office/Assistance,TIC,0,0 - CUSTOM,400 x 600,Portrait,,,"""Prices - Game 3""",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,,,,Corflute,None,8,,“Fixed to End of Box Offices”
123,EDN,TIX BOX,TIC - Ticket Box Office/Assistance,TIC,0,0 - CUSTOM,600 x 400,Landscape,,,"""Seller Map - Game 1""",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,,,,Corflute,None,8,,“Fixed to End of Box Offices”
124,EDN,TIX BOX,TIC - Ticket Box Office/Assistance,TIC,0,0 - CUSTOM,600 x 400,Landscape,,,"""Seller Map - Game 2""",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,,,,Corflute,None,8,,“Fixed to End of Box Offices”
126,EDN,TIX BOX,TIC - Ticket Box Office/Assistance,TIC,0,0 - CUSTOM,600 x 400,Landscape,,,"""Seller Map - Game 3""",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,,,,Corflute,None,8,,“Fixed to End of Box Offices”
127,EDN,TIX BOX,TIC - Ticket Box Office/Assistance,TIC,0,0 - CUSTOM,600 x 400,Landscape,,,"""Seller Map - Game 3""",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,,,,Corflute,None,8,,“Fixed to End of Box Offices”
236,HAG,TIX BOX,TIC - Ticket Box Office/Assistance,TIC,0,0 - CUSTOM,400 x 600,Portrait,,,"""Prices - Game 1""",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,,,,Corflute,None,10,,“Fixed to End of Box Offices”
238,HAG,TIX BOX,TIC - Ticket Box Office/Assistance,TIC,0,0 - CUSTOM,400 x 600,Portrait,,,"""Prices - Game 2""",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,,,,Corflute,None,10,,“Fixed to End of Box Offices”
260,HAG,TIX BOX,TIC - Ticket Box Office/Assistance,TIC,0,0 - CUSTOM,400 x 600,Portrait,,,"""Prices - Game 3""",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,,,,Corflute,None,10,,“Fixed to End of Box Offices”
261,HAG,TIX BOX,TIC - Ticket Box Office/Assistance,TIC,0,0 - CUSTOM,600 x 400,Landscape,,,"""Seller Map - Game 1""",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,,,,Corflute,None,10,,“Fixed to End of Box Offices”
262,HAG,TIX BOX,TIC - Ticket Box Office/Assistance,TIC,0,0 - CUSTOM,600 x 400,Landscape,,,"""Seller Map - Game 2""",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,,,,Corflute,None,10,,“Fixed to End of Box Offices”
265,HAG,TIX BOX,TIC - Ticket Box Office/Assistance,TIC,0,0 - CUSTOM,600 x 400,Landscape,,,"""Seller Map - Game 3""",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,,,,Corflute,None,10,,“Fixed to End of Box Offices”
495,MCL,TIX BOX,TIC - Ticket Box Office/Assistance,TIC,0,0 - CUSTOM,400 x 600,Portrait,,,"""Prices - Game 1""",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,,,,Corflute,None,5,,“Fixed to End of Box Offices”
497,MCL,TIX BOX,TIC - Ticket Box Office/Assistance,TIC,0,0 - CUSTOM,400 x 600,Portrait,,,"""Prices - Game 2""",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,,,,Corflute,None,5,,“Fixed to End of Box Offices”
502,MCL,TIX BOX,TIC - Ticket Box Office/Assistance,TIC,0,0 - CUSTOM,400 x 600,Portrait,,,"""Prices - Game 3""",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,,,,Corflute,None,5,,“Fixed to End of Box Offices”
503,MCL,TIX BOX,TIC - Ticket Box Office/Assistance,TIC,0,0 - CUSTOM,600 x 400,Landscape,,,"""Seller Map - Game 1""",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,,,,Corflute,None,5,,“Fixed to End of Box Offices”
504,MCL,TIX BOX,TIC - Ticket Box Office/Assistance,TIC,0,0 - CUSTOM,600 x 400,Landscape,,,"""Seller Map - Game 2""",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,,,,Corflute,None,5,,“Fixed to End of Box Offices”
505,MCL,TIX BOX,TIC - Ticket Box Office/Assistance,TIC,0,0 - CUSTOM,600 x 400,Landscape,,,"""Seller Map - Game 3""",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,,,,Corflute,None,5,,“Fixed to End of Box Offices”
673,SAX,TIX BOX,TIC - Ticket Box Office/Assistance,TIC,0,0 - CUSTOM,400 x 600,Portrait,,,"""Prices - Game 1""",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,,,,Corflute,None,4,,“Fixed to End of Box Offices”
676,SAX,TIX BOX,TIC - Ticket Box Office/Assistance,TIC,0,0 - CUSTOM,400 x 600,Portrait,,,"""Prices - Game 2""",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,,,,Corflute,None,4,,“Fixed to End of Box Offices”
679,SAX,TIX BOX,TIC - Ticket Box Office/Assistance,TIC,0,0 - CUSTOM,400 x 600,Portrait,,,"""Prices - Game 3""",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,,,,Corflute,None,4,,“Fixed to End of Box Offices”
680,SAX,TIX BOX,TIC - Ticket Box Office/Assistance,TIC,0,0 - CUSTOM,600 x 400,Landscape,,,"""Seller Map - Game 1""",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,,,,Corflute,None,4,,“Fixed to End of Box Offices”
681,SAX,TIX BOX,TIC - Ticket Box Office/Assistance,TIC,0,0 - CUSTOM,600 x 400,Landscape,,,"""Seller Map - Game 2""",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Medium,,,,Corflute,None,4,,“Fixed to End of Box Offices”
clear as mud? same!
looking forward to some insight from someone with more knowledge on interfacing with inDesign.
many churs!
.
