Text Style in Frames in InDesign from Filemaker

[PeterBeverley]

Hi, I want to import and format text from Filemaker into Indesignl on a Mac. I have found an Automator action to take both text and pictures from a filemaker database directly into an InDesign template.

It uses a SKU identifier in Filemaker to select the text and drops it into a Text Frame with Script Tag on it (the same SKU identifier). I want to automatically use 3 diferent fonts and point sizes into the single frame and need help. All I can do is give it one style sheet, where I would like to tag it in some way to give it three formats.

How is this done?

Many thanks

Peter

 

[PeterBeverley]

Hi Marcel
I really appreciate the effort you are putting in to help me with my task.

At the moment I am working on the Automator version because it seems easier. The XML way you described looks a better more flexible way of producint the layouts, I can get filemaker to do practically anything I want it too but I can't write XML code.

I will have the Automator version ready in a couple of days and I will load it here so you can see how I've takled it. Once you've seen the result you may be able to advise in converting to an XML version.

Many thanks again for your time

Peter

 

[MVerschuren]

Hi Peter,

Thank you.
I like to help and often i learn something on the road..
You are right the xml-workflow is something you need to setup and test. But having the automator workflow ready, it would generate more time and maybe more stress .. to finish the project.

I real like you see the end result....

Marcel

 

[PeterBeverley]

Hi Marcel
I can safely say 'It's doing my head in'

Please take a look at:

http://www.agonyangel.co.uk/Automator/Automator.html

See what you think

Many thanks

Peter

 

[PeterBeverley]

Hi Again
Filemaker seems ok and InDesign seems ok, I think it is Automator script where the trouble lies.

Is it possible change the Automator Action to give a field in Filemaker the name of the nested style sheet in InDesign and apply that style sheet to text from that record only. This way it will stop me having to use 6 actions for one text box in ID and will overcome the writing over the previous text action.

Thanks

Peter

 

[MVerschuren]

Hi Peter,

Many thanks for the files..
I didn't have much time the last days to look at your problem you have.

The filemaker layout is looks nice

I could not get it to work at my computer..
so i could not test why it didn't work.
I had not much time to look at it, sorry for that.

I also have to look how you did the tag-ing with Indesign and linking it to Indesign. I am curious, but the time thing is in the way ..

I am not sure how to setup automator to do what you asked in the last rely, will look into it.

Does the automator fill the Indesign already ?.. placing the text and photographs on there place ?

Marcel

 

[PeterBeverley]

Something I just noticed. The Action only applies the style sheet from ID it does not apply the nested styles

Cheers

 

[PeterBeverley]

Automator does take the text and the pictures from filemaker and drop them into InDesign. However, if you want to use one text box in InDesign to take several fields/actions (each with it's own style sheet) from filemaker it removes the text in the ID text box from the previous action.

If the text box in InDesign is not empty, I want the script to skip that and move to the next part of the action, instead of writing over the it.

I feel that we are so close to getting it to work, yet so far away!

Cheers

Peter

 

[PeterBeverley]

When you go to the Build Page layout in Filemaker I have put all the corresponding names of the fields to select in Automator before the Action is triggered

 

[MVerschuren]

Hi Peter,

I am working on a project that has a deadline..
I am sorry that i cannot look at your project in depth....

But last night i thought of a way that is less complicated (maybe).

Looking at your layout of the different pages in indesign, i thought it would be a good idea to look at the data merge function with in Indesign.
Have you seen how it works?

When you use the data merge function you not have to work with Automator.
Which is maybe a bonus, because of the problems you having with it.



My thought was..
You have done already all layout of the pages in Indesign.
Now you just have to assign text and picture to a text file.
Please look at "The Indesigner"-episode 43, it is a good example of data merge.
In your case you don't need to generate multiple cards, just one.

http://www.theindesigner.com/blog/episode-43-data-merge-video

The text file can be generate by Filemaker. I have seen that you can program filemaker.. , so i guess it will not that difficult to make the text file.
The text file is not generate by the export function in filemaker, but the file is build within filemaker and then the container (which contains the text, build like: text TAB text TAB TEXT RETURN) is saved as an text file.
(I have done this before and it gives you all the control of the data in the text file)

This file is then used by Indesign (data merge) and you can generate a page.

I think you should look into it. It gives you good control in indesign + you can preview the page before any thing is make, which is nice to fine tune the page.

Let me know what you think of this road ....

Marcel
You can contact me direct (below),

http://members.chello.nl/m.verschuren49/Site/Welcome.html)