LayoutBridge for Adobe InDesign®

Set the absolute rotation of an object in degrees (-360 to 360; positive = counterclockwise, as in InDesign; a portrait photo credit is -90; 0 straightens it). Rotates around the centre of the object. Returns frame_id, angle_deg read back and bounds_mm in the rotated space. Rule: draw frames unrotated, then rotate.

Change the stacking order (Stapelreihenfolge) of an object within its layer: bring_to_front, send_to_back, bring_forward or send_backward. Newly created objects always start on top. Returns frame_id and action.

Set visible, locked and/or printable on one layer (Ebene): at least one of the three. Pass layer_name or layer_id. Returns the layer state after the change, previous {visible, locked, printable}, item_count and changed. Warns when a layer with objects is hidden and when a layer is set to not print (its objects vanish from PDF exports). Unlocking is the fix when writing tools fail on objects of a locked layer.

Set margins, column count and gutter on document pages and, by default, master pages, and redistribute the column guides evenly (relative to the type area). Whatever is omitted stays as it is. margins_mm takes top, left, bottom, right in mm – for facing pages "left" is the inside margin (Bundsteg) and "right" the outside margin. column_count 1–30, column_gutter_mm. page_ids[] limits the change to those pages (document or master pages); without it every page and the document defaults for new pages are changed – a client may block one call over all pages, so pass page_ids in blocks if needed. Optional baseline_grid {start_mm, increment_pt, relative_to: top_of_page | top_of_margin} sets the document baseline grid (Grundlinienraster). Moves only guides, never frames. Returns changed_pages[] {page_id, name, margins_mm, column_count, column_gutter_mm, type_area_mm, column_width_mm, columns_positions_mm} read back from InDesign, with a warning per page whose column positions do not lie on the even grid. A timed-out call may still have completed in InDesign – check with get_layout_grid before repeating.

Set paragraph options of a text frame: alignment (left, center, right, justify_left, justify_center, justify_right, justify_full), hyphenation (true/false – usually false for headlines), no_break (true/false, keeps the text of the paragraphs on one line), and the option groups keep_options (Umbruchoptionen: keep_with_next, keep_first_lines, keep_last_lines, keep_lines_together, keep_all_lines_together, keep_with_previous, start_paragraph), hyphenation_options (Silbentrennungseinstellungen: words_longer_than, after_first, before_last, ladder_limit, zone_mm, capitalized_words, last_word, across_columns, weight) and justification_options (word_spacing, letter_spacing, glyph_scaling, single_word_justification, composer, auto_leading_percent). Indents in mm: left_indent_mm, first_line_indent_mm (negative for a hanging indent, never further left than the left indent), right_indent_mm, last_line_indent_mm. tab_stops[] {position_mm, alignment left|center|right|character, leader, align_on} replaces the whole tab list ([] clears it); language selects the dictionary by the name InDesign shows, its untranslated name or an ICU locale (de_DE, en_GB – the safest form). The answer reads them back under indents {left_indent_mm, first_line_indent_mm, right_indent_mm, last_line_indent_mm, tab_stops[], language {name, untranslated_name, icu_locale}}. Without start_index/end_index every paragraph of the frame is changed; with them every paragraph the range touches. Returns paragraphs_changed, alignment, hyphenation, no_break, keep_options, hyphenation_options, justification_options, indents of the first paragraph read back after the change, and overset of the story – strict keep options can push text into overset or leave empty column ends; check get_frame_lines.

Start a section on page_id or change the one starting there: page_number_start (sets continue_numbering false), continue_numbering, page_number_style (arabic, upper_roman, lower_roman, upper_letters, lower_letters), section_prefix (up to 8 characters), include_section_prefix, marker (text for the section marker), name. remove true deletes the section starting on page_id (never the first). Returns created, section (read back), previous, sections[] and pages[] {page_id, name} – page names change with the numbering, so re-read them before using page names in export_pdf ranges. Use it for an issue that starts at page 3, roman front matter, or a supplement with its own numbering.

Select objects in the document window by frame_ids (replaces the selection) – to show the user what you mean – or a text range with text_range {frame_id, start_index, end_index} (story indices as get_frame_text gives them; start_index equal to end_index places the insertion point there), or clear true to deselect everything. Selecting text switches InDesign to the text tool at that place; combine with show_page to make it visible. Objects on hidden or locked layers cannot be selected (warning when fewer objects end up selected). Returns the selection as get_selection does plus cleared (and story_length for a text range).

Read or set story-wide options of the story a text frame belongs to (frame_id names any frame of the story): optical_margin_alignment (optischer Randausgleich / hängende Interpunktion – punctuation and letter edges hang slightly outside the column edge, which makes justified edges look straight) and optical_margin_size_pt (the point size the alignment is calculated for; usually the body text size, 0.1–1296). Without parameters it is read-only. Returns story_id, frame_ids[] of the story in threading order, the two values after the change, previous {…}, changed[] and overset of the story. Optical margin alignment recomposes every line of the story – check get_frame_lines afterwards. get_frame_options shows the two values under text as well.

Write cell texts into an existing table from a matrix, starting at start_row/start_column (0-based, rows counted across header, body and footer). By default the matrix must fit; grow true adds body rows and columns as needed. Optional paragraph_style and cell_style for the written cells. Cells hidden by a merged cell are skipped (warning). Returns cells_written, cells_skipped, rows_added, columns_added, overflowing_cells (cells whose text does not fit – widen the column or shorten), overset of the story, and the table summary as get_table.

Change how a table looks: table_style (Tabellenformat), cell_style with cell_style_scope all|header|body|footer, column_widths_mm (one per column) or width_mm (proportional), header_rows and footer_rows (converted from existing rows; at least one body row must remain). At least one parameter. Unknown style names are not_found with the available names in the details. Returns the table summary (widths, heights, counts, table_style), cells_styled, changed, overset.

Replace the whole story of a text frame (really replace, never append): text with real line breaks as paragraph marks ("\n" or "\r\n" in the parameter become paragraph returns; U+2028 stays a forced line break). "" empties the frame. The text takes the document text defaults as local formatting – apply a paragraph style afterwards with apply_paragraph_style_to_range over the whole story. For a threaded frame the entire story across all frames is replaced (warning). Returns frame_id, character_count read back and overset. Placeholders in the text become InDesign special characters (placeholders true, default): {{line_break}} (forced line break within the paragraph), {{nbsp}} (no-break space U+00A0), {{nbsp_fixed}} (fixed-width no-break space U+202F), {{thin_space}}, {{hair_space}}, {{soft_hyphen}} (discretionary hyphen), {{nb_hyphen}} (no-break hyphen), {{en_dash}}, {{em_dash}}, {{tab}}, {{column_break}}, {{frame_break}}, {{page_break}}. Unknown {{…}} stay as written with a warning; each placeholder is exactly one character in the story. Returns placeholders_replaced {name: count} and placeholders_unknown[].

Replace characters start_index (inclusive) to end_index (exclusive) of the story of a text frame with text; start == end inserts, text "" deletes the range. The new text keeps the formatting of the first replaced character up to its first paragraph mark (keep_format_of "start", default) – also when the range begins a paragraph that follows a paragraph with other formatting; every further new paragraph takes the formatting and paragraph style of the replaced paragraph at the same position (beyond the last one: of the last replaced paragraph). If the range begins with a paragraph mark, the paragraphs merge and the new text continues that paragraph in its formatting. The right way for formatted placeholders and for a full swap (0 to story_length). keep_format_of "before" leaves the choice to InDesign (the range is replaced in one step); "none" removes character style and local character formatting from the new text, so it shows its paragraph style. An insertion (start == end) takes InDesign's formatting of the insertion point unless keep_format_of is "none". An empty line is two line breaks. Indexes come from get_frame_text. Returns frame_id, replaced_chars, inserted_chars, story_length and keep_format_of. Placeholders in the text become InDesign special characters (placeholders true, default): {{line_break}} (forced line break within the paragraph), {{nbsp}} (no-break space U+00A0), {{nbsp_fixed}} (fixed-width no-break space U+202F), {{thin_space}}, {{hair_space}}, {{soft_hyphen}} (discretionary hyphen), {{nb_hyphen}} (no-break hyphen), {{en_dash}}, {{em_dash}}, {{tab}}, {{column_break}}, {{frame_break}}, {{page_break}}. Unknown {{…}} stay as written with a warning; each placeholder is exactly one character in the story. Returns placeholders_replaced {name: count} and placeholders_unknown[].

Set the text wrap (Textumfluss) of an object: mode none, bounding_box, object_shape, jump_object or next_column, with an optional offset as offset_mm or offset_pt {top, left, bottom, right} (one of them, not both; object_shape uses only one distance). The reliable cure for text frames pushed into overset by a new frame is mode "none". Returns frame_id, mode and offset_mm read back. The document is recomposed afterwards; recomposed, overset_stories_before, overset_stories_after and overset_changed report whether the overset state of the document changed.

Turn the layout window of the document to a page and fit it – for demonstrations, screen recordings and for checking a page by eye. Address the page by page_id (from list_pages, or a master page from list_parent_pages) or by page_name (the printed page number as list_pages shows it; with sections restarting the numbering the first match is shown with a warning). fit: page (default, centres the page), spread (the whole Druckbogen – InDesign then reports the left page of the spread as active_page, so compare active_spread_id), pasteboard, actual_size (100 %) or none (keep the current zoom); zoom (5–4000 percent) is applied after fit and overrides it. activate true brings the window to the front (default false – other documents stay where they are). Changes only the view, never the document. Fails with invalid_state when the document has no layout window (opened with show_window false). Returns page_id, page_name, is_parent_page, fit, zoom_percentage, view {active_page_id, active_page_name, active_spread_id, is_parent_page, zoom_percentage} read back, and previous_view. Tools that add pages (add_page, create_parent_page, place_text_file with autoflow) keep the view by default (keep_view).

Thread (verketten) two text frames into one story: the text of source_frame_id continues in target_frame_id. Already threaded to each other = no-op (already_threaded true). Text already in the target is merged into the story after the source text (warning). A source that already continues elsewhere, or a target that already continues another frame, is refused with invalid_state. Returns source_frame_id, target_frame_id, story_id and story_character_count.

Release an anchored object from its text: it stays where it is drawn but becomes a free object of the page again (the anchor character is removed from the story). Returns frame_id (read back), was_anchored {story_id, index, position}, bounds_mm, page_id/page_name. invalid_state when the object is not anchored.

Turn embedded graphics back into links (Einbettung aufheben): without folder_path InDesign links to the original file again (fails when it is gone), with folder_path the file is written to that folder and linked from there. Returns unembedded[] with the new file_path and status, skipped[] (not embedded), links_after.

Dissolve a group (Gruppe aufheben): its members become independent objects of the page again and keep their ids; the group id disappears. Nested groups inside are kept as groups. Returns frame_id (the former group), member_ids, member_count, landed_on_page_id and landed_on_page_name of the members. Fails with invalid_state when the object is not a group or is itself inside a group (ungroup the outer group first).

Update links whose file changed on disk ("Verknuepfung aktualisieren"): link_ids[] (1 to 500) or, without it, every LINK_OUT_OF_DATE link. Ids that are not out of date come back as "nothing to do", no error. Returns results[] {link_id, name, page_name, status_before, status_after}, updated, failed and considered.