DataMerge for shapes in Indesign

Welcome to the forum, Mohad.

Try these:

https://creativepro.com/automating-data-handling.php
https://creativepro.com/data-merging-part-2.php
https://creativepro.com/data-merging-part-3.php
https://creativepro.com/using-data-merge-to-create-a-table-for-a-directory.php
https://creativepro.com/data-merge-into-inline-anchored-objects-so-they-flow-in-a-story.php

Hi Mohad,

Nor Datamerge, nor XML import will let you rearrange frame dimensions on the fly. It’s only a matter of Scripting here (given that you want to set a specific dimension. Otherwise frame options can help).

The Text Frame can autosize on importation of the data merge, but you can’t dictate the size.

https://creativepro.com/keeping-long-fields-text-line-data-merge.php

Best to find the longest size, set the font size to fit this at the required size. Then use the data merge feature.

Try this :

var fn = function() {
var doc, fgp = app.findGrepPreferences.properties,
found, n, errors = 0, hu, vu;

if ( !app.documents.length) return;

doc = app.activeDocument;

hu = doc.viewPreferences.horizontalMeasurementUnits;
vu = doc.viewPreferences.verticalMeasurementUnits;

doc.viewPreferences.horizontalMeasurementUnits =
doc.viewPreferences.verticalMeasurementUnits =
MeasurementUnits.POINTS;

app.findGrepPreferences = null;

app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat = “\\d+cm”;

found = doc.findGrep();
n = found.length;

while ( n– ) {
!doResize ( found[n] ) && errors++;
}

app.findGrepPreferences.properties = fgp;

doc.viewPreferences.horizontalMeasurementUnits = hu;
doc.viewPreferences.verticalMeasurementUnits = vu;

alert( errors? errors+” errors occured on “+found.length+” occurences.” : “Everything was fine.” );
}

var doResize = function(text) {
const ap = AnchorPoint.TOP_LEFT_ANCHOR,
cs = CoordinateSpaces.INNER_COORDINATES,
rm = ResizeMethods.REPLACING_CURRENT_DIMENSIONS_WITH;
var ptf, uv, w, props;

if ( !text.parentTextFrames.length
|| !text.parentTextFrames[0].isValid
|| !/.+cm$/i.test(text.contents) ) return false;

uv = new UnitValue ( text.contents.slice (0, -2), “cm” ).as(“pt”);
ptf = text.parentTextFrames[0];
props = getPageItemProperties ( ptf );
ptf.resize ( cs,ap, rm, [uv, props.height] );
return true;
}

var getPageItemProperties = function(pi) {
var points = pi.paths[0].entirePath,
n = points.length, i = 0,
dummy, bounds, w, h;
const cs = CoordinateSpaces.INNER_COORDINATES;
var newPoints = [];

while ( i < n ) {

newPoints [ i ] = pi.resolve ( points[i], cs )[0];
i++;
}

dummy = app.activeDocument.polygons.add();
dummy.paths[0].entirePath = newPoints;
bounds = dummy.geometricBounds;
w = Math.round ( Math.abs ( bounds[3]-bounds[1])*1000)/1000;
h = Math.round ( Math.abs ( bounds[2]-bounds[0])*1000)/1000;
dummy.remove();

return {width:w, height:h};
};

fn();

Loic
https://www.ozalto.com

You could do this if you were using the chartwell bars font AND the auto-resize as Eugene suggests in his post.

You would have to change the width of the chartwell bar font using the character scaling.

See this post https://creativepro.com/chartwell-bars-scalable-data-merge-shapes.php to get an idea of what i’m talking about.

Catch is, chartwell isn’t free – US$139 last time i checked.