Comments on: Swapping Color Swatches with Swatch Switcher

By: Uwe Laubender

Uwe Laubender — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:03:07 +0000

Thank you Steve for contributing that script. However, if you are not working with an english version of InDesign the script will fail detecting the “copy” status of the swatch you want to apply.
Still I have not found an universal method for all localized version of InDesign, but I came to a solution for my german version:
1. step:
instead of “copy” just write “Kopie” in the following line of code. For the german version from:
if (myTempStringSlice == ‘copy’)
to:
if (myTempStringSlice == ‘Kopie’)
2. step:
because the new word “Kopie” has a character count of 5 instead of 4 you have to change the following line of code accordingly from:
myTempStringSlice = myTempString.slice((myTempString.length-4), myTempString.length);
to:
myTempStringSlice = myTempString.slice((myTempString.length-5), myTempString.length);
3. step:
The same is true for the next line of code.
From:
myTempStringSlice = myTempString.slice((myTempString.length-5), myTempString.length);
to:
myTempStringSlice = myTempString.slice((myTempString.length-6), myTempString.length);
Just save the script under a new name like “swatch_switch_DE.jsx”.

By: Sam Richardson

Sam Richardson — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:57:07 +0000

Thanks for the helpful tip. Have an unusual situation that maybe someone can help me with.
I inherited a template for a client that uses only spot colors and will stay that way. This template will be repurposed for a number of projects that will have various color schemes, also only using spot colors (btw, all will be Pantone Standard).
All the Paragraph, Character, and Object Styles use these colors, as well as Master Pages.
Question, Can I use this to swap out one swatch (using a Pantone Spot color) for another (also using a Panton Spot)?
thanks
Sam

By: InDesignSecrets » Blog Archive » InDesignSecrets Podcast 081

InDesignSecrets » Blog Archive » InDesignSecrets Podcast 081 — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:12:45 +0000

[...] New design for InDesignSecrets.com blog * Free script extravaganza: Swatch Switcher, Label Graphics, Swap Object Positions, IndexMatic (beta) to index on character styles, Select [...]

By: Anne-Marie

Anne-Marie — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 03:57:06 +0000

Or you can see what he looks like about 1:10 into the Transparencide video.

By: David Blatner

David Blatner — Fri, 30 May 2008 12:59:30 +0000

Regular readers of InDesign secrets who don't know Russell will quickly become acquainted with his particularly sharp sense of humor (thus his comments about paypal and so on... just a joke! Really!). For more on Russell's humor, you (and everyone you know) should visit yabb-adobe-doo.com

By: Russell Viers

Russell Viers — Thu, 29 May 2008 13:55:22 +0000

Thanks for the kind words, Pat. What you don’t know is that the script also pings your PayPal account for $7.34 every time you use it…and sends it to me.
Feel free to use the script regularly and tell your friends, as well.

By: Pat

Pat — Thu, 29 May 2008 13:50:50 +0000

Just tried this script out and it works great! Thanks a lot guys. This site is great, it explains everything about InDesign and when InDesign can’t do something, you get that featured added. Awesome.

By: jerome

jerome — Thu, 29 May 2008 12:52:51 +0000

I started with AppleScript before JavaScript was supported by Adobe. It is an easier language to program in because it is closer to the spoken language and allows for greater integration the computing environment that it is working on including other programs such as e-mail, word processors, spreadsheets, databases, etc. You can also run (Unix/OS X) shell scripts and in certain programs JavaScript. I can also build a full blown user interface with Apple’s free development environment.

AppleScript’s can be attached to a folder so that they are triggered whenever a file is added, or stay open and watch a folder or series of folders for some event. You can set up rules in an e-mail program to run an AppleScript whenever you receive a message with the subject “ADD THIS.”

JavaScript does have it’s place, it is great for dual platform scripts such as this which are just working inside of ID. It makes it a nice way for a developer to add functions to ID (or PS, ILL, etc) and deploy it to as many users as possible. However, if you want to build a robust work flow then that integrates well into your system then VB Script or AppleScript is probably a better choice.

By: Klaus Nordby

Klaus Nordby — Thu, 29 May 2008 12:15:48 +0000

jerome, thanks. But I’m on Win, so Applescript isn on my menu. (I don’t really get why people bother with Applescript and the Win-only VB script, when JavaScript is dual platform?)

By: jerome

jerome — Thu, 29 May 2008 03:17:42 +0000

I assume that you are talking about hyperlinks Klaus. If you are on a Mac you should be able to use an applescript like this:

set OldDelim to AppleScript’s text item delimiters

tell application “Adobe InDesign CS3″
set theHyperlinks to every hyperlink of document 1
repeat with aHyperlink in theHyperlinks
set AppleScript’s text item delimiters to ” copy”
set newName to name of aHyperlink
try
set name of aHyperlink to text item 1 of (newName)
on error
display dialog “Could not rename hyperlink ” & (name of aHyperlink)
end try
end repeat
end tell

This is pretty simple and takes the name of the hyperlink up to the first instance of ” copy” and uses that for the name and displays an alert to the user for duplicates.