Exporting linked images with overlays

Question

Hi,
I'm using InDesign CS5.5 on OS X Lion.
I have linked images in my InDesign document that I want to export as JPG and maintain the original file naming scheme. That part is easy (export as HTML, look in the images folder; export as ePUB, look in the images folder of the archive; etc.). But what I'm struggling with is when there are overlays added in InDesign. Some examples of overlays: part labels (e.g., "a", "b", "c"), text labels, arrows, lines, etc. The only way I've found to export the overlays is to do this:
-Group the placed image and overlay items together
-Apply Object Export Options to the grouped item such that Custom Rasterization is checked
-Export via one of the options (e.g., HTML, ePUB)
I get one image per group, which is what I want. The problem is that the filename for that image is now a random number. What I really need is the filename for the original image to be used.
I've also tried exporting to other formats, e.g., PDF (and using the extract all image options) but that doesn't preserve the overlays in the extracted images (which makes sense since the PDF sees the letters as text).
I figure to do this I have to write a script. So before I embark on that quest, I was hoping to get opinions on whether a) such a script is possible and b) whether there is a better way. For specific workflow considerations, moving the adding of these overlays to the images outside of InDesign (e.g., via Photoshop) is not an option.
I envision a script that does the following:
-Set custom rasterization on every grouped object
-Export all grouped objects and other linked images as JPG (with certain settings)
-The exported images for the links would preserve the original filename (adding "_fmt" like InDD does now would be okay) and for the grouped items it would use the filename of the linked image that is part of the group (and fallback to a random number if there is no such image). In the case that the filename could not be specified, then embed the original filename of the linked image in the group
Obviously, if a script could also do the grouping of objects (e.g., finding a linked image, checking to see if there is anything on top of it, grouping it all together), then that would be even better, but I'm not holding my breath. :-)
Thanks,
Steve

Answer 1

This is where the Adobe DNG could shine.
http://www.adobe.com/products/dng/index.html
Worth the read ... this can save the changes that one
makes.
DNG does NOT help in this case.
There is a huge misunderstanding that this is part of what DNG can or should do.
But if you think about it, what good are the adjustments being stored in DNG if you have to use a particular program to open it anyway?
Think about Aperture's Edge Sharpen for a second. Lets say you store that value in a DNG. Fine, what other program is going to able to reproduce that result EXACTLY to how you were previewing it at 100% on your monitor?
Lighroom is trying to do something along these lines by passing editing commands off to Bridge through DNG. But here you run into another problem - it constrains what editing any one program can do. If Lightroom is limited to only ever having editing commands that are the same as what Bridge offers, and no other program on earth supports them, then what have you really accomplished? Will unknown editing commands simply be dropped without warning?
That's why I think simply exporting projects, which hold master images alongside sidecar files (very like XMP) that describe edits are about as good as you are going to get. If you want to truly preserve editing work and you care about quality, nothing beats a TIFF file where 100% of the pixels are exactly as you reviewed them during editing. I personally trust Aperture enough to back up master images along with edits, and am fine with that.