Episode 9: Automating Layouts with the EasyCatalog Plug-in for InDesign (Part 3)

#1

September 28, 2009

Matto

Can I use different product styles in the same document when using pagination?

#2

September 30, 2009

Gabriel Powell

@Matto Great question! It's definitely possible to use more than one product style in the same document. It does require some forethought and planning though. First, create all the product styles that you need for your publication. Then add them to one library and give each of them a distinct name. Next, you need to create an additional field (column) in your database or spreadsheet that contains the name of the product style that should be used for each record. This identifies which product style is used for each record. If you've already created a data panel, you'll need to synchronize it with your updated data source to bring in the new column. Once you've done that, you can paginate your document by choosing Paginate from the Data panel menu. In the Pagination dialog box, you need to specify one last option. Select the appropriate field name (the one that determines which product style to use) from the Asset Name pop-up menu. After clicking OK, EasyCatalog will use the product style you've specified for each product. I've created templates that utilize up to 10 unique product styles, but there is no limit.

#3

October 21, 2009

PMA

Hi! Is it possible to automate the usage of two layout styles, so that I can have the product image on the outer part of every page? In your demo, all the images are on the left hand side of the description, I'd like those two elements to switch places on every other page. And another question: I have some product groups with so many items that they will span over two (or more) pages. When I try to paginate, I get an error saying that the box (set to adjust Frame Depth To Content Depth) cannot be resized to fit the text as the text is deeper than a page. Any way to work around that, so that the remaining items will get listed on the next page? Thanks :)

#4

October 23, 2009

Glicopage

@PMA Product image on the outer part of pages:
Two ways: a) In Pagination Rules, Page Orientation, is possible to assign a library to "left" and "right" pages.
b) Anchored object, relative to the spine.

If Box Cannot Be Resized error: In Pagination Rules, Fitting, instead of "Adjust Frame Depth To Content Depth", try "Grow and Flow". Best Regards

#5

October 23, 2009

srdjan

Thank you Gabe

#6

October 26, 2009

Gabriel Powell

@PMA Glicopage is correct. You can assign the "left" and "right" Page Orientation options to your product styles, but keep in mind that you will then need to create an extra column in your data source file that specifies which product style each record should use. So I would go with the second option that Glicopage mentions, which is to setup the product image as an anchored object with the Relative to Spine option selected. This way you only need one product style and the images will always be on the outer part of each page.

As for the error message that you are getting, you can try paginating with the Frame Contents method instead of the Inline method. To switch between these two methods, double-click the Insert option in the Pagination Rules panel. Basically, the Inline option preserves the original parent frame of the product style when you paginate. The Frame Contents method essentially copies the contents of the original parent frame and pastes them into the text flow.

I can give you even more accurate answers if I could see your layout. Click the Ask a Question button at the top of this page to email me your layout and I'd be happy to take a look.

I also offer one-on-one training over the internet. If you're interested in custom training that is also recorded, let me know.

#7

December 14, 2009

jcapes

Very good videos. Thanks!

#8

March 01, 2010

tonlorenzo

Hi Gabriel, Great videos! Extremely helpful. I have a problem regarding the pagination rules. I'm setting up listings for books and there are some values that may or may not be there (subtitles, previous editions, series name, etc). I set up a single text box (which is probably where the problem lies) like so:

Publisher: [publisher]

Title:[title]

Subtitle: [subtitle]

Author:[author]

When I try to set up the pagination rule for the Subtitle to delete if the field is empty, the whole text box is deleted. This of course applies to other fields missing in the csv file that not all books have. I don't want it look like below for every empty field..

Publisher: INDI

Title: The Book of all Books

Subtitle:

Author: Mr. Magoo of the Shire

How can this be remedied? I attempted to add the suffixs (Publisher: , Title: ) in the field options for each column, but found that I could not edit the suffix. I want the tags to be bolded. Hope you can help!

#9

April 04, 2010

Gabriel Powell

@tonlorenzo Since you are using an action, the entire frame is deleted when the specified field is empty. In this case, you don't want to use an action. Instead, place all the text within one frame. Then select the frame and double-click the Remove Blank Lines For Empty Fields option in the Pagination Rules panel. In the Set Attribute dialog box that appears, choose Yes from the menu and click OK. EasyCatalog will now delete the entire line of text (paragraph) for each field that is empty. Keep in mind, this method only works when each field specifier is on it's own line (paragraph). If multiple field specifiers are stringed together on a single line, you use Conditional Processing instead.

Below is the script you need to use to delete a field specifier if the field is empty in the data source. Type or paste the following script into your text frame and then replace the text within the curly brackets with the name of the field you want to reference in the data source. Then replace [FIELD_SPECIFIER] with the actual field specifier you want to use.

@@if {FIELD_NAME} <> ''@@[FIELD_SPECIFIER]@@endif@@

This script essentially states, "if the specified field is empty, delete everything surrounded by the IF and ENDIF delimiters; otherwise insert the data." The IF delimiter starts with @@if and ends with @@. The ENDIF delimiter is @@endif@. When you paginate, the script will be processed and the unnecessary markup will be removed.

Using your example, your script would look like this:
@@if {publisher} <> ''@@Publisher: [publisher] @@endif@@@@if {title} <> ''@@Title: [title] @@endif@@@@if {subtitle} <> ''@@Subtitle: [subtitle] @@endif@@@@if {author} <> ''@@Author: [author]@@endif@@

For detailed information on Conditional Processing, refer to page 131 of the EasyCatalog Manual, which you can download from www.65bit.com.

#10

April 15, 2010

tonlorenzo

@Gabriel Powell - Brilliant. Thanks Gabe. Another question I have. After paginating all the items off an excel... is there a way to edit each item? Move them around, resize images, re-organization of items, etc. I've attempted to edit the items once I paginated but found great difficulty in doing so. I'm making a book catalog, and it's a title by title case. There are just some titles that require more attention and I won't know which they are until I see them on the page.

#11

May 03, 2010

Gabriel Powell

@tonlorenzo It is definitely possible to edit a catalog after paginating it with EasyCatalog. In fact, anything you can normally do with InDesign can be done to edit your publication. Based on your question, I'm assuming you are paginating your product style as an inline object. That is, it is being duplicated within a main text frame and all the products flow within that text frame. In that case, it is definitely difficult to edit the various elements that make up your product style, but it's not impossible.

There are other pagination methods you can use as well. Rather than paginate using the inline method, which flows the products into a main text frame, you can paginate at positions specified in the data or at page guide positions. Refer to the EasyCatalog Manual, starting on page 102, for a detailed description of each method. It sounds like you are better off paginating at page guide positions. Good luck!

#12

July 14, 2010

foxjazz

With my data, when I try to use "frame depth with content depth" on the fitting pagination rules, I get an error populating the page. And so I have to use Grow and Flow, but what I really want is for it to popoulate and then start filling up the next column. Instead I have to manually flow the text to the next column (which populates fine) but not what I am after. Why doesn't this work?

#13

July 23, 2010

roudodim

hi,gabriel,i would i am a new to indesign and to easycatalog try user. that is what i am trying to do but cannot achieve: I have to blocks one above the other, and i want the first block to autofit depending on the content and the second to follow always the first. and a second please: i want to create a style like: [asdfsdf]............................ ..................[sdsdfsdf] and the dots to auto adjust to the fields, increasing or decreasing everytime. is that possible thanks in advance

#14

July 28, 2010

Ingrato

Is it possible to have EC update our data base with page information? For example, we are creating a 700 page catalog, typically with 4 items per/page. Those items will shuffle between pages and some may be deleted or replaced with other items. While this is happening, we would like to know if we can gather/keep an ongoing and up-to-date INDEX. Is this possible? If so how and do we need the pagination module? Thanks! Ingrid.

#15

August 23, 2010

Cilie

Hi Gabriel, I'm trying out easycatalog for making a sales catalog. The thing is; I want only one record per page, but I would like to have left hand & right hand pages. Therefor I have made a product style for left pages and one for right pages, put them in a library & made a column in my datasource for which page to use. I think the best way to paginate my document is to use Guide line Pagination, but when I try to do this, I get the following error message; "Pagination could not start because there were no library items available to paginate the selected records. Please ensure that you have used the "Pagination Rules" panel to set the pagination rules on each of your library items." I have defined the pagination rules for each of the product styles before putting them into the library. What am I doing wrong? Thanks. Cecilie

#16

August 23, 2010

Cilie

Hi Gabriel, I'm trying out easycatalog for making a sales catalog. The thing is; I want only one record per page, but I would like to have left hand & right hand pages. Therefor I have made a product style for left pages and one for right pages, put them in a library & made a column in my datasource for which page to use. I think the best way to paginate my document is to use Guide line Pagination, but when I try to do this, I get the following error message; "Pagination could not start because there were no library items available to paginate the selected records. Please ensure that you have used the "Pagination Rules" panel to set the pagination rules on each of your library items." I have defined the pagination rules for each of the product styles before putting them into the library. What am I doing wrong? Thanks. Cecilie