Flatplan Generator – Adobe InDesign

Automatic flatplan generator for Adobe InDesign based on CSV data. This script allows you to quickly create pagination mockups with a modular structure and maintainable code.

🚀 Features

• Automatic generation: Creates complete flatplans from a CSV file
• Color management: Automatic assignment of pastel colors by section
• Advertising support: Specialized handling of ads with fractional formats (1/2, 1/3, 1/4)
• Smart pagination: Automatic calculation of positions and spreads
• Visual separators: Separator lines every 4 pages to ease printing
• Modular structure: Code organized into reusable modules

📁 Project structure

flatplan-generator/
├── constants.jsx          # Configuration and constants
├── utilities.jsx          # Utility functions
├── colorManager.jsx       # Color management
├── layoutCalculator.jsx   # Positioning calculations  
├── cardBuilder.jsx        # Visual element construction
├── start.jsx              # Main orchestration file
└── README.md

📋 Prerequisites

• Adobe InDesign (recent versions tested)
• InDesign template: gabarit_pagin.indt with the required masters
• Required masters: “A-Master” and “B-Master”
• A CSV file formatted according to the expected structure

📊 CSV file format

The CSV file must contain the following columns:

startPage,title,section,pageCount,advertiser,sector
1,"Main article",Editorial,2,,
3,"Toyota advertisement",Advertising,1,Toyota,Automotive
4,"News",News,3,,

🛠️ Installation and usage

Method 1: Modular files (recommended)

• Place all .jsx files in the same folder
• Adjust the template path in constants.jsx:

var PATHS = {
    templateFile: "path/to/your/template.indt"
};

• Run start.jsx in Adobe InDesign

Method 2: Manual loading Load the files in the following order in InDesign:

1. constants.jsx
2. utilities.jsx
3. colorManager.jsx
4. layoutCalculator.jsx
5. cardBuilder.jsx
6. start.jsx

⚙️ Configuration

Edit constants.jsx to customize:

• Card dimensions: width, section heights
• Colors: pastel color palette
• File paths: template and logs
• Text styles: sizes and alignments

🎨 Advanced features

Advertising management

• Support for fractional formats (1/2, 1/3, 1/4 page)
• Grey overlay with ad number
• Special formatting: “Advertiser – Sector”

Color system

• Automatic assignment by section
• 16 predefined pastel colors
• Consistent color reuse

Smart pagination

• Automatic spread calculation
• Multi-page handling
• Automatic master application

🐛 Debugging

• Errors are automatically logged to indesign_script_errors.log
• Alert messages in case of issues
• Modular structure for easier debugging

🤝 Contribution

This modular structure facilitates collaboration:

• Each module has a specific responsibility
• Easily extensible code
• Clear separation of concerns

📝 License

Project developed for automated flatplan generation in an editorial production environment.