AppleWorks drawings to Pages.

This is something I've done with almost all of my AppleWorks draw documents. I may have mentioned it here sometime ago. Yvan Koenig is working on an AppleScript to do this in batches. Just this week I've been testing it for him & it works well. I don't know if he has posted it on his iDisk yet.

Hello

Given what you wrote, I posted the scripts on my iDisk:
<http://idisk.me.com/koenigyvan-Public?view=web>

Download
For_iWork:iWork '09:AWdraw2iWork.zip

At this time, the explanations aren't written.

Two scripts are available:

(1) export to Pages.
It is fine if you have no objects crossing page boundaries.
As Tables are restricted to 65 columns in Pages, if a spreadsheet frame was using more than that, a spreadsheet containing the complete frame is also created.

(2) export to Numbers.
It's interesting if you have objects crossing pages boundaries.
Alas (1), in Numbers there is no way to wrap text around a shape 😟
Alas (2), when Numbers imports a spreadsheet containing table frames, it drops them 😟 I reported this silly feature to Apple but at this time we must live with it. So, the script pass the tables as pictures to be sure of their position and paste a true table which it exported in Pages. The user must adjust the bounds of these objects because I found no way to define the position of a graphic object in a Numbers document thru AppleScript.

For those interested by the technique, the scripts copy every objects from the Draw document into a WP or a SS AW6 document then Pages or Numbers imports these new documents.

Interesting enough, if the original Draw documents where made in old CW/AW it's not a problem. The script opens them in AW6 then save a copy in AW6 format so it may grab infos from the internals of a known structure.

To use them, save them as 'application packages'.
You may may run them and they will ask you to navigate to a folder containing the original draw documents.
You may also drag the folder containing the files on the script's icon.

I'm waiting your comments.
Those needing explanations upon scrripts use may ask about "AppleScript" in the Finder's Help.
They may also look at:
http://www.tandb.com.au/applescript/tutorial/

Yvan KOENIG (from FRANCE vendredi 3 avril 2009 19:52:53)

Thanks for the feedback.

As I always gave an extension name to my documents I didn't saw that the script fails when original documents haven't the ".cwk" extension.

I will treat them as old files and save them with the extension name so the original will remain absolutely as it was.

May you test with the same folder after adding the extension names ?

Here it behaves flawlessly.

I must switch off for two hours but I hope that revised versions will be available before 20h (french hour).

Yvan KOENIG (from FRANCE samedi 4 avril 2009 16:22:40)

Hello

Yes I know it's more than 20h (in France).

I encountered problems with one of the Roger's sample files.
At this time I don't understand why it fails.

I also loose time searching a way to change the orientation of the temporary AW6 WP document in which I store the different items.

I found a soluce but it requires the availability of "Extra Suites.app" an application which add features to AppleScript.
I need those moving the cursor and clickin in the Landscape button.

The script which import in Numbers works well.
I posted it on my iDisk.

I just wish to add some refinements because I identified two potential problems.

As I wrote, Numbers doesn't import the tables embedded in a spreadsheet so if the original document contains such items, I used an auxiliary Pages document in which I store the table.

Alas, Pages has its own limits: it accepts only 65 columns in a table when AppleWorks allows 100.
So, when a table is between 65 and 100 columns, I will create an auxiliary spreadsheet with the table contents so it will be easy to pass it in the final document.

Now it's late and I am tired.

See you tomorrow.

Yvan KOENIG (from FRANCE samedi 4 avril 2009 23:42:31)

Hello

I have just downloaded the appleworks to pages package from Yvan's idisk. Not knowing much about applescript, I have open the "draw2pages.applescript" and tried to save it as a script and tried to save it as an application bundle. Whenever I do though it comes up with a Syntax Error saying "Expected end of line but found property." The word 'version' is highlighted the file that is opened.

What am I doing wrong - any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Hi again

Forgot to say - if I try to save it as an application, it just says "The document "draw2pages.applescript" could not be saved as "draw2pages".

???

You have to save from the Script Editor.



You have also to read and apply the explanations given at the beginning.
They urge you to install some auxiliary tools:

"Extra Suites.app"
"My Progress Bar.app"
"My Progress Bar script.scpt"

If the apps are not installed, the scripts will not compile and you will be unable to save them as Script or Application (better to save as Application Bundle).
As the used aux tools are different given the operating system, I will write two versions: one for 10.4.11, one for 10.5.6 and higher.

Yvan KOENIG (from FRANCE mardi 14 avril 2009 11:01:52)

Hi Yvan

I've tried the save as application bundle in the Applescript editor but I get the syntax error happening when I click on Save. I am running 10.5.6 - all three of the apps you mentioned came with your downloaded package - should these be placed somewhere specific on my hard drive for it all to magically work - at the moment they are just in the AWdraw2iWork folder where they where originally appeared.

Brian

Oops

In the explanations I wrote

(1) to be able to treat Landscape documents under 10.4.11, this script requires the availability of the application "Extra Suites.app" in the Applications folder.

but I failed to detail the locations for the tools required under 10.5.6…

If you want to get the progress bar, you must install
the application “My Progress Bar.app”
in the folder “Applications:Utilities”
and “My Progress Bar script.scpt”
in the folder “<startupVolume>:Users:<yourAccount>:Library:Scripts:”.

I will edit that and the new versions will be available on my idisk.

Yvan KOENIG (from FRANCE mardi 14 avril 2009 12:22:26)

Hi again

I've put these files from the updated download into the places stated:
"HD:Users:YourUsername:Library:Scripts:My Progress Bar script.scpt"
"HD:Applications:Utilities:My Progress Bar.app:"

I then double clicked the file draw2pages.aplescript, went to File - chose Save as and chose Application bundle and its then when I click on save that the syntax error happens. No doubt I'm making some simple mistake somewhere??