Initiating a Search in Lightroom From a Resource in InDesign

Questions & Suggestions
1

I'm looking to accomplish the following steps, albeit with more accuracy than I'm getting right now.

I need to accomplish the following;

  1. Retrieve the file name of a selected image element placed within a frame element in InDesign.
  2. Call Lightroom.
  3. Engage its search functionality, specifically targeting the metadata for file name.
  4. Insert the file name variable.
  5. Execute the search and let lightroom display the results in the grid layout.

Initiating a Search in Lightroom from a resource in InDesign

Keyboard Maestro Actions.kmactions (6.3 KB)

Keyboard Maestro Export

2

Hey Jeff,

I think InDesign is reasonably scriptable.

Try asking over on the Script Debugger Forum for that portion of the task.

-Chris

3

I have a quick and dirty solution if you are on macOS. Lightroom is utterly un automateable unless you invest the time to learn LAU. Problem is InDesign is AppleScript of JavaScript enabled. Getting the two to talk to each other is far more complicated a solution that it needs to be. Shame on Adobe for forcing users to develop 3 programming language skills to solve a simple problem.

Eliminating the need to dig around for link panels and such, you simply create a shortcut for “Reveal In Finder” command. Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts... > Product Area: Panel Menus > Links: Reveal in Finder

Now fire up KB and assign the following basic steps

  1. Bring InDesign Forward
  2. Type the Shortcut Key you assigned to "Reveal in Finder"
  3. Bring Finder Forward
  4. Copy the filename (the revealed file will be highlighted by default)
  5. Type Command+W (closes the Finder window since you may be using the macro more than oce, so you want to keep things neat and tidy)
  6. Bring forward the Lightroom window and brutishly have your software issue the following commands
  • "G"
  • Command+F
  • Command+V
  • "Enter"

Reveal in Lightroom.kmmacros (7.8 KB)

Keyboard Maestro Export
Keyboard Maestro Export1106×3508 414 KB

Assign a Keyboard Shortcut to your new macro and you are done. Works 99% of the time and you don't have to touch JavaScript or LAU to get the "Reveal in Lightroom" function.