How do I write a "macro" for Indesign?
Lisa Huff (17 pencils) | Sun, 2007-02-04 16:56This is what I want Indesign to do for me (CS2 if I have to but I really want it in InDesign), I want it to look at a number in a text box and change the "box" under it to a corresponding color box. Example, for 07 and 7 I want the graphic box under it to change to Pantone Violet, for number 1 I want the graphic box under that text box to change to Pantone Warm Red. And so forth until there are 9 colors assigned to the correct number boxes. There has to be some kind of macro to get it to to it for me after I paste in the text from Word or text edit.
Right now, I'm doing it by hand (that eats hours of work time). There has to be an easier way.
If you want a sample to see what I trying to get it to do, let me know...i'll get you a copy right quick.
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I read your question 4 times and I cannot gather from what you have written what it is you want to accomplish. But Illustrator has a wonderful Actions pallet and you can build 'macros' there then copy paste into Indesign.
Sorry.
The labels that go on your file when you go into the doctor's office. Can you see in your head the way that different numbers represent the different colors on the label?
The labels are 7 up on a full sheet.
Logo at the (landscape) top. Then the year under, then the numbers.
0=Warm Red
1=pantone 200
2=130
3=1525
and so forth until all 9 numbers have a color assigned to it. I will attempt to attach a sample here so you can see clearer what I need to do.
But you see, I start in Word so I can format the text files using a macro I wrote, then copy paste into my current file.
Then by hand I come in behind and change all the box colors to fit the numbers that flowed into the text boxes that are sitting on layer 2 while the color change boxes are sitting on layer 1. (lock one work on the other).
What I want Indesign to do is to look at the numbers and then change the box under the numbers to the correct color (from the swatches palette of course)
Since, it's done in word and Indesign...Can I write something in Illustrator and port it into Indesign? And still have it hold the positions of the color boxes on layer one?
The last batch I ran was 220 pages of this. There really has to be an easier way...I just don't know where to look for it.
Is the indesign file a string of numbers or is each it's own text box? There may be a solution using Indesigns graphics styles. You could set up a style for each color/number but that only solves part of the problem.
FreeHand has the ability to find and replace graphics. You could convert your text files to outlines then do a find and replace for each path shape. Maybe Illustrator can do this but I'm not a power user. So you create one of each color-number box and then globally change all 1's shape to the coresponding box. etc.
Another solution is to find someone who can make a new font for you in the exact specifications you need. I have tinkered with Fontographer and I can check to see if it's an easy chore. I'll post back my findings here.
The only way I could see, at the time I built the file, was to have the text on one layer and the colored boxed on another layer under it.
But the light just went on with what you said about styles...just getting enough color to fit exactly onto the die cut labels....humm...and make it look just like this...
Still trying to find something somewhere...has to be a way that Indesign to do it...it is so smart on other things. (I love Bridge by the way).
I'm going to go poke around with a font and see if doctoring background color will do it.
You could do a data merge (which also includes image placement) using CS2. It's a VERY helpful feature for repetitive tasks. Go to this website for more info: http://www.theindesigner.com
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is an intimate knowledge of its ugly side." - James Baldwin
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Dirt and Rust
In we use lot off capital words(eg. name of companies) in story. I don't know how to create "macro" in word to make all these capital letters into small caps so that the height of the capital words will be smaller in InDesign. can anyone help?
"Macro" isn't a word used in InDesign (or Quark, either). The term is "Style Sheet" and it's easy to do. Once you've created the style, which can include a specific color for a text box fill, the font for the number, the color for the number and other things, you can apply it with a keystroke. You can also append it in new files so you don't have to recreate it, or open and rename an old file.
Mara