Script to autoflow multiple text files?

Question

A publisher I'm working with is being slowed down by a necessary change to their workflow. Maybe there's a script around to help? I've looked but can't find any, so I'm posting here.
Old workflow: Designers would autoflow a single, large Word doc that contained all front matter (sometimes >10 diff. sections) and chapters and endnotes into a book template.
New workflow: The Word doc is now broken up into 30-40 InCopy files, still destined for a single InDesign layout doc. (The InCopy files were created from a tagged Word doc by a different system, so they're all new to the InDesign user.)
Is there a script that, after the designers load a Place cursor with the 30-40 files (in the correct order), will allow them to single-click on page 1, and InDesign will place one after the other of the files, autoflowing as necessary? They still need them to be placed as individual InCopy files (so concatenating first wouldn't help). I don't think there would ever be a case of 2 stories being on the same page.
thanks,
AM

Answer 1

Hi AnneMarie,
This script will allow you to select a bunch of files, and will attempt to place them, one by one, into your InDesign document. It will auto-flow them as needed (although watch out for permanent overset problems -- because the script does not test for that).
I've tested this with a bunch of assets, but not with InCopy files because I don't have any. If they're placeable like Word documents, the script should run fine.
Let us know if it all works properly for you.
// BS"D
// Multi-file auto-place
// An InDesign Script by Ariel, (c) Id-Extras.com, 2014
// This script will allow the user to select a bunch of placeable files (Word docs, etc.)
// It will then attempt to place and auto-flow all the selected files.
// The script will start from page 1 of the active document
// and keep adding pages as needed.
// It will add text frames as needed, within the margins of the page.
// IMPORTANT: There is no error-checking for perpetual overflow!!!
// So, if something you're trying to place cannot fit within the margins,
// The script will continue adding pages to InDesign until it crashes.
// To quit the script, press ESC.
var myDoc = app.activeDocument,
myFiles = File.openDialog("Select files to place...", undefined, true),
i,
currentPage = myDoc.pages[0],
prevFrame,
myFrame;
for (i = 0; i < myFiles.length; i++){
myFrame = addFrame(currentPage);
myFile = myFiles[i];
try{
  myFrame.place(myFile, false);
catch(e){
  alert("Unable to place file: "+myFile, "Multi-file auto-place");
  continue;
while (myFrame.overflows){
  currentPage = addPageAfter(currentPage);
  prevFrame = myFrame;
  myFrame = addFrame(currentPage);
  prevFrame.nextTextFrame = myFrame;
currentPage = addPageAfter(currentPage);
function addFrame(aPage){
var pageMargins = aPage.marginPreferences,
  aFrame = aPage.textFrames.add(),
  areFacing = app.activeDocument.documentPreferences.facingPages,
  myTop = aPage.bounds[0]+pageMargins.top,
  myBottom = aPage.bounds[2]-pageMargins.bottom,
  myLeft = aPage.bounds[1]+pageMargins.left,
  myRight = aPage.bounds[3]-pageMargins.right;
//When document.documentPreferences.facingPages == true,
//"left" means inside; "right" means outside.
if (areFacing && aPage.side == PageSideOptions.LEFT_HAND){
   myLeft = aPage.bounds[1]+pageMargins.right;
   myRight = aPage.bounds[3]-pageMargins.left;
aFrame.geometricBounds = [myTop, myLeft, myBottom, myRight];
return aFrame;
function addPageAfter(aPage){
return myDoc.pages.add(LocationOptions.AFTER, aPage);