Place snippet script

Question

Hi all,
I am working on a script that is asking InDesign to place a snippet into the slug of whatever document is created. The problem is I don't seem to have control over the placement coordinates of the snippet: it always place it at exact same coordinates than where it was placed when I created it ...
Any idea about how to get around this problem would be greatly appreciated:
- Placing in a slug
- maybe the script would set margin to zero at the bottom trim of any document created and the snippet would be placed at a 0, 1" coordinate
- maybe the script coordinate would be x:0, y:(myDocumentHeight + 1)
I just don't know....
Thank you!

Answer 1

My original post was not accurate. I believe that when you create a script that is calling out for the placecement of a snippet, iD will center on your screen by default. In other words it will place your snippet randomly.
In order to control the placement of your snippet on your page, you have to define coordinates.
It makes a much more complicated script that you would think.
That is my understanding of how it works in CS2, 3 & 4 - I don't know for CS5.
By digging into scripting language, I don't see why you would not be able to have the script take advantage of the "maintain placement" option mentionned in this conversation.
For my part, I'd rather specify coordinate so that I can customize placement as document size change (my script actually reads the size of the document and place my snippet precisely in the slugg area, not matter what.)
Here is an abstract:
set myPage to page 1 of myDocument
            tell myPage
                set myPlacedSnippet to place "Macintosh HD:PrintSlugforscript.idms"
            end tell
            set mypageitems to group 1 of myPage
            tell mypageitems
                move to {0, (myHeight + (myVerticalBleed * 3))}
            end tell
In this instance, I got the script to understand what "myHeight" is (height of the document) and what "myVerticalBleed" is.
As a result, my slug (my snippet) is always positionned along my vertical trim line and fare enough away from my bleed (3 times whatever bleed there is around my document)
Just have to understand that a snippet is nothing but a group of objects. It's like a bundle you inport in your document. The only way I found to use and move my snippet automatically is to import it in my document before anything else, then have the script look for whatever group of objects it finds in the document "group 1"  and move it to precise coordinates.
This is kind of complicated so I'd understand that under certain circumstances you'd rather do it manually. For me it works because importing and positionning the snippet is only a small part of what the script is doing.
Hope this helps!