Multiple Text Frame dimension change - possible?

Create 5 text frames, all duplicates so they share the same height and width.
Select all and try to change just the height of all.
InDesign displays the total height rather than the height of one and therein lies the problem...
How can one change height of all in one hit? Thanks. JETNZ

Got it:
1. Select one of the five text boxes.
2. Change its height.
3. Deselect it.
4. Select the remaining text boxes.
5. Choose Transform Again Individually from the OBJECT >Transform Again menu.
Just incase anyone has this come up in their work...

Similar Messages

Table of contents and the order of multiple text frames flowing across pages

I have a multi-page document,
on each page, there are 2 text frames:
- A text frame for containing a PAGE TITLE
and
- A text frame, flowing from one page to another containing: a MAIN TITLE, a SECTION TITLE, and flowing body copy (on page 1); and another MAIN TITLE, a SECTION TITLE, and flowing body copy; (on page 2)
When I generate a TOC, using the Page, Main and Section Titles styles, the expected outcome would be:
Page Title             1
   Main Title           1
Section Title          1
Page Title             2
   Main Title           2
Section Title          2
But because the Main title and Section titles are all within one flowing text frame and the content flows across multiple pages, and each of the Page Titles are within 2 separate text frames, the actual TOC generated is:
Page Title             1
   Main Title          1
Section Title         1
   Main Title           2
Section Title          2
Page Title           2
...where the TOC lists all the TOC items from the flowing text frame in one grouping first, then the individual free standing text frame title.
QUESTION: Is the only way to automatically rectify this is to combine all the text into one flowing text frame? or is there another workaround?
Have played with the left/right, top/bottom alignment of the individual text frames; also experimented with the object layering, to no avail..
Thanks for any insights.

I ended up using a product called InFlow from EmSoftware. The solution offers a plugin to InDesign that builds pages on the fly when there is overset text. The setup is pretty minimual and it seems easy to use. The only drawback that the plugin MAY have is that it does not remove the pages it built if the pages are not needed from record to record. I could not test this myself since my test data did not test more then one record, but when I turned my proof set off, the pages that were built were still on screen. It does seem to work well for what we are looking to do, so if anyone is looking for something that will build pages on the fly in situations where the "Dynamic Story Handling" is not available, I would suggest looking into this.

When i re-open a document format of text frames is changed

I save my document with some frames with text. I close it. When I open it again the text is no longer visible, the format of the frame is changed. If i save it again, it may be stable...... incredible.

It sounds like you are alternately opening it in different versions of Pages.
If you 'upgraded' to Pages 5 from Pages '09 they are both on your Mac.
It sounds like you created the document in Pages '09 and then next time opened it in Pages 5 which does a poor job of translating the older format. Then when you saved it in Pages 5 it of course no longer changed the next time you opened it in Pages 5.
In the process of 'upgrading' Pages 5 Apple has removed over 90 features from Pages 5 many of wwhich are causing these problems.
http://www.freeforum101.com/iworktipsntrick/viewforum.php?f=22&sid=3527487677f0c 6fa05b6297cd00f8eb9&mforum=iworktipsntrick
Pages '09 is in your Applications/iWork folder.
Archive/trash Pages 5 and rate/review it in the App Store, then get back to work.
Peter

CS3, VBS, Selecting multiple text frames in a region is very slow

Hello,
I'm writing a script that selects a large crossword grid (19cm x 19cm), and changes the font and alignment before exporting out as an eps.
When I run the code below, it starts off selecting the frames quickly and then gradually slows to a crawl, before being painfully slow at the end. It takes 35mins to run it on the clues grid and then the solution grid.
Can anyone think of a way to rewrite the code so it's quicker? Or are there some settings that could be changed so it handles better? I've changed the Display Performance settings to the bare minimum, but it only has a little effect.
Thanks for any help ... Nigel
rem Selects grid and fixes text
Set mySolPage = myDocumentA.Pages.Item(2)
For myCounter = 1 to mySolPage.TextFrames.Count
Set myTextFrame = mySolPage.TextFrames(myCounter)
myBounds = myTextFrame.GeometricBounds
If myBounds(0) > 35 and myBounds(1) > 5 and myBounds(2) < 240 and myBounds(3) < 210 Then
myTextFrame.select(idSelectionOptions.idaddTo)
myTextFrame.Texts.Item(1).AppliedFont = "Tahoma"
myTextFrame.Texts.Item(1).fontstyle = "Bold"
myTextFrame.Texts.Item(1).baselineShift = 0
myTextFrame.textFramePreferences.VerticalJustification = idVerticalJustification.idCenterAlign
myTextFrame.textFramePreferences.ignoreWrap = 1
myTextFrame.textFramePreferences.firstBaselineOffset = idFirstBaseline.idAscentOffset
else
myTextFrame.select(idSelectionOptions.idremoveFrom)
End If
Next

hi Nigel,
1) move your TextFrames to separate layer - then you don't need to check Bounds
2) turn OFF redrawing:
Property EnableRedraw As Boolean
Member of InDesign.ScriptPreference
If true, enables redraw during script execution.
3) create and use Para or Char Style - then you don't need to apply many times same params
myTextFrame.ParentStory.Texts.Item(1).AppliedParagraphStyle = myParaStyle
or
call myTextFrame.ParentStory.Texts.Item(1).ApplyParagraphStyle(myParaStyle,True)
and why you have:
else
myTextFrame.select(idSelectionOptions.idremoveFrom)
there is no Select command ...
but if you have Select command somewhere before - you can iterate .Selection collection - so you don't need to check bounds
robin
www.adobescripts.com

Multiple columns within a single text frame

Is it at all possible to make a single text frame containing first a single column followed by two columns?
Why: I need to have my heading expanding across my two column body text. What's important is that I need the two column body text to automatically drop whenever I type (or paste) in more text in my heading. Like it would if the heading and body text was in a single column.
My text frame options (I work in CS3) do not give me this option, I can only work in one "frame set". I have tried fixing this problem with combinations of tables, multiple text frames and text wrap, but nothing really works.

Thank you Peter.
Yes I did try it.
InDesign CS3 just gives me this alert:
I also tryed copying the files (HeadStraddler.jsx and HeadStraddler.indl) into a folder like you suggested.
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe InDesign CS3\Scripts\Scripts Panel\Version 4.0 Scripts\HeadStraddlerForCS2.
But I just get the same alert.

Multiple selected text frame to table

I am looking for a script that will allow me to select multiple text frames at one time and have the contents in those text frames converted to tables.
What I have to do now is place the cursor in one text frame, select all, select menu item "convert to table", the defalt dialog appears and I click ok.
I have ten text frames on a page (for example). The manual process means I have to do the text to table 10 times per page.
So, I would like a script that will allow me to select all 10 text frames and convert the content of each frame to a table.
Any suggestions are appreciated.
RPP

This should do it:
if (app.documents.length > 0 && app.selection.length > 0)
for (i = 0; i < app.selection.length; i++)
try {app.selection[i].texts[0].convertToTable ("\t", "\r")}
catch (_) {}
Peter

How do I create a series of text frames using values from Excel list?

First of all, this is the very first script I'm attempting to write from scratch. I'm completely green at scripting, and I've picked up a few snippets from Adobe's ID scripting guide, but nothing has really stuck yet relating to this particular objective.
My supervisor keeps a master list of ad spaces, with the name of the account, how wide the space is, and how tall the space is, all in an Excel sheet. These spaces can number in the hundreds, and I am stuck manually drawing one rectangle for every space, which takes a very long time.
I'd like to create/have help creating a script that will take these values and "automagically" draw these spaces in the form of text frames, with the width (in columns) and the height (in inches) defined by the values in the master list, as well as the name of each account appearing in the subsequent text frames.
The script doesn't necessarily need to be able to pull the values straight from the Excel sheet; I can transfer the values to a support text file if needed, or directly into the script, changing it as I need it. A big thing (if it is not able to pull right from an Excel sheet) is that the number of spaces changes weekly, and so do the accounts, and the width and the height. Accordingly, it would be ideal if the values from the sheet could be changed easily, so as to create a new set of spaces as needed.
Positioning for each space is not crucial, only height and width. If they all appear on top of each other on the same page, that will be a result for me. The main idea is to not have to draw them all manually, one by one.
To me, this sounds like a tall order, but hopefully some experienced scripters out there can assist me, as I wish to become experienced as well.
So, the TL;DR version:
- Script needs to draw a series of text frames.
- Text frames dimensions need to be defined by width and height values from Excel sheet.
- Text frames must have account name as contents (from account names in Excel sheet).
- Accounts, width and height change every week in the Excel sheet, so must be relatively easy to exchange all of the values.
- The width values are on the Excel sheet as columns. It would be ideal if the script could convert those numbers into multiples of columns as needed.
- (Optional) Script can pull values directly from Excel sheet.
- (Optional) Script can define text frame fill color as gray. (If it works as I think it will, I could just select all the resulting text frames myself and set them all to gray at once... I'm not that lazy )
Thanks in advance to whomever can assist in any possible way, even if it is just a push in the right direction. This script will save 1-2 hours of tedium every week.

Sound like the perfect thing for InDesign Scripting.
I would copy the Excel contents into a text file, to get a format that is easily read from InDesign, and there will automatically be a TAB for each "cell" just using copy/paste.
Here is a piece of code, that you perhaps could go on with (adding variable to change pages and location on page, and other stuff).
The readFileLineByLine function, can be easily re-used with any function using "callback". You simply supply the function to it, that you want to be executed for every line of text that is read:
const COLUMN_WIDTH = 2; // Define the column width in inch
var pageIndex;
var textFramesExported; // not implemented.
// Add a new dokument. Set myDoc to app.activeDocument to use
// the current document instead of creating a new one.
var myDoc = app.documents.add();
// The doSomethingWithTextRow function is called upon for every line of text read.
readFileLineByLine('c:\\test.txt', doSomethingWithTextRow);
function doSomethingWithTextRow(row){
    // We expect the text line to be TAB separated (\t = TAB). We get that from just copying the contents of an
    // excel file into a text document.
    var cells = row.split('\t');
    var companyName = cells[0]; // The Company name in the first slot of the array
    var width = COLUMN_WIDTH * cells[1];
    var height = cells[2];
    // Create a new text frame for every row handled
    if (pageIndex==undefined) pageIndex = 0; // Count up when you have exported a number of texts, I leave this for you to do.
    var newTextFrame = myDoc.pages[pageIndex].textFrames.add();
    newTextFrame.contents = companyName;
    // The text frame is created in the top left corner.
    newTextFrame.geometricBounds = [0, 0, height + ' in', width + ' in']; // Top, Left, Bottom, Right
    // You might want to move the textframes to other positions, keeping track of how many you put out per page.
    newTextFrame.move( [10, 10] );
function readFileLineByLine(path, callbackFn){
    var myFileIn = new File(path);
    if (File.fs == 'Windows'){
        // This was probably added to recognize UTF-8 (even without its start marker?)
        myFileIn.encoding = 'UTF-8';
    myFileIn.open('r');
    var myEncoding = myFileIn.encoding;
    try{
        if (!myFileIn.exists){
            throw('Missing file: ' + myFileIn.fsName)
        var ln = '';
        while(!myFileIn.eof){
            // Read the lines from the file, until an empty line is found [now as a remark].
            ln = myFileIn.readln()
            // if(ln !='' && ln!='\n'){
               // Call the function supplied as argument
               callbackFn(ln);
    }catch(e){
        alert(e);
        gCancel = true;
    finally{
        myFileIn.close();
The file in C:\ in my example was saved as UTF-8 and looks like this (showing hidden characters):
Message was edited by: Andreas Jansson

Select each page's text frame in one shot and resize them

Hello, I want to make a 400 page text book. How can I select each page's text frame in one shot and change their size simultaneusly? (each text frame has same size per page)

Make a backup copy of the file incase something goes wrong, then:
Make sure the frames snap to the margins on all sides -- change the margins on the applied master page to achieve this, if necessary.
Enable Layout Adjustment (Layout > Layout Adjustment...)
On the master page change the margins to be the size you want the new text frame dimensions to be.
If, for some strange reason, you don't want to use these margin settings in the layout, turn OFF layout adjustment and reset them on the master page again to what you want.

Can't create a text frame

I started a new two page, two column document and added all the text id multiple text frames in both columns on p.1. When I try to create a text frame on p.2, I only can get the cursor in the upper left corner of p.w in the margin, not in the defined area of the document.
Can anyone please give me a suggestion as to what I'm doing wrong?
Thanks!
Larry

Every document uses a master page, even if you don't choose to add new objects to it. The default master page will have a text frame or frames fitting the defined columns structure if you check off the "Master Text Frame" box in the document setup dialog.
It doesn't really sound like this is what is happening, though, in your particular case. A master frame would need to be overridden to interfere with creating a new frame on a document page. What it does sound like, though, is that you drew a frame to hold a background image or something similar that is filling the entire page area, but didn't actually put anything into that frame before trying to add your new text frame.
By default, clicking with the text tool in any empty frame or shape converts it to a text frame. If you understand this behavior you learn to work with it pretty quickly, or you can change the setting in your preferences if you find it annoying.

Multiple text selections

Having made the transition from Word to ID CS4, one of the things I miss most is the ability to select multiple text instances (by holding down Ctrl as you select them with the mouse).
Or is this possible in ID CS4 via an alternative route?

Are you telling me it may be time to upgrade my copy of Word?
Actually, I think you're being mislead somewhat.
Let's be clear:
In Word 2003 and 2007, you can "mouse-select" text within multiple text boxes, (holding down Ctrl).
In Word as far back as I can remember, (and I'm not young), you could always hold down Alt while drag-selecting to make a vertical selection, (described earlier in this thread as selecting bullet characters only). Very handy when cleaning up someone else's tab disaster.
In Word, you CANNOT select dis-contiguous text that all resides on the same open page. At least I have yet to do it.
In ID, you indeed CAN Pick-Tool select multiple text frames and apply a single paragraph style to all.

1 XML node to many Text Frames

In indesign is it possible to map the content of a single XML node element to multiple text frames within an Indesign document?
I have data elements in my XML that I don't want to repeat but they have to appear in multiple places within my document.
Is this possible? What's the trick?
Thanks,
Gordon

I don't have it to test with, but might the Linked Stories feature in CS5.5 allow you to do this? Maybe that's worth a look. I don't know of a way to do it in CS5 or before.
Jeff

Do text frames have an (internal) "number / creation date"?

Assumption:
I suspect, that (automatic list + paragraph) numbering depends on when a text frame was created.
Situation:
I have made a paragraph text style with paragraph numbering and list numbering. Works fine, so far: I can even create multiple text frames (the three green ones in the below picture) that are not connected with / chained to each other and the numbering still is correct.
Problem:
But when I create a new text frame (with the color pink in the picture) later on, which shall be inserted as e.g. second in order, the numbering still orientates at the frame creation. Correct would be: the pink paragraph "5. new frame" should be numbered as "3.new frame", the green paragraph "3. drei" should then be numbered as "4. drei" and so forth.
Question:
How can I change the frame creation number? Can it be changed at all?

Thank you, jmlevy, this works!
But when dealing with an object with many pages, this can be tedious, though. So, is there another way? Is there a way to change the text frame order by e.g. entering a new value for its number somewhere within InDesign?

Symlinking a text frame

Hi,
Is there any functionality like symlink concept in linux.
Is there a way to create a link from text frame to page, i mean symlinking text frame to a page
this way it will automatically reflects the page contents in to a trext frame.
this is required for creating a web farma ?
If there is any such functionality can u tell us ?

Hi,
Let me clearly explain u what i mean
Consider there is a page of 1000 mm x 670mm
It contains 16 frames each of size 145mmx223mm.
My Indesign document also contains 16 pages each of size 145mmx223mm .
So i am searching is there any way to link the text frame with the individual pages.
This way whatever changes u make in those pages it will automatically updated in the text frame.
This possible if the text frame can be linked to page

Selection text frame in linked text frame remove

I chose in the text frame the linked text frames
get out of text and I want to delete a text frame
Is it possible that a command letter
same thing selecting the external can

Ok. Try now,
var doc = app.activeDocument;
app.findGrepPreferences = app.changeGrepPreferences = null;
app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat = "~a";
var found = app.selection[0].findGrep();
for(var i =found.length-1;i>=0;i--)
        var ip = found[i].insertionPoints[0];
        if(found[i].allPageItems[0] instanceof TextFrame)
                var cont = found[i].allPageItems[0].texts[0].duplicate(LocationOptions.AFTER,ip);
                found[i].remove();
Regards,
Chinna

Select all Linked Text Frames

Dear All,
My Request:
1. Is it possible to select all linked text frames of my selecting text frame (Please refer attachment)
2. Suppose If we select all text frames, is it possible to fix height for all text frames like as 3p or 4p etc....
Trying script for select all linked text frames:
if (app.selection[0].nextTextFrame == null)
   if (app.selection[0].previousTextFrame != null)
        alert("pass")
        app.select(previousTextFrame.parent) && app.select(nextTextFrame.parent) && app.select(startTextFrame.parent)
Could you anyone give solution for my request.
Thanks in advance
Beginner

Hi All,
If I select any text frame, I need to select all linked text frames of selecting text frame.
Please can anyone help me...
Please refer the above screenshot for your reference.
Trying script:
if (app.selection[0].nextTextFrame == null)
   if (app.selection[0].previousTextFrame != null)
      myParagraphs = app.selection[0].parentStory.paragraphs;
      for (j=0;j<myParagraphs.length;j++)
        myParentTF = myParagraphs[j].parentTextFrames[0].contents
        alert(myParentTF)
Output i needed:
Thanks in advance
BEGINNER

Multiple Text Frame dimension change - possible?

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