Lightning Brain Color2Gray for InDesign CS/CS2/CS3

Version 1.0.8 - 16 June 2007

(C) 2005-2007 Rorohiko Ltd.
P.O. Box 57143
Mana
Porirua 5247

Web: http://www.rorohiko.com 
Mail: pluginsupport@rorohiko.com

* Intro

This tools allows you to convert placed color photos to 
grayscale without modifying the original color image.

Sometimes you want a particular picture to be output as a 
grayscale image, yet the original image is in color. You
could open it in Photoshop and convert it to grayscale,
but you can instead also use this plug-in. The original
image is not changed and remains in color, yet it is output
as a grayscale image. The gray image will only render on 
the black (K) plate.

* Feedback

Your opinion is very important to us - we need to know whether
we're on the right track with what we do. Of course, we prefer 
kudos (when we deserve them) - but any feedback, positive as 
well as negative, can help us improve things.

So, please, take the time to let us know what you think - is this
tool useful? useless? stupid? smart? lacking something? helpful?
dangerous? Let us know how we can improve it. Send it to 
pluginsupport@rorohiko.com

* Limitations

There are two known limitations.

First, the conversion to grayscale is done by InDesign, 
and you have no control over the process.

InDesign does a pretty good job, and this will suffice for 
many people, but if you want more specialized conversions
(e.g. switch off color management, fiddle with curves,...)
then this plug-in won't help you. In other words - back to
Photoshop, and create an edited grayscale copy there.

Second limitation: this plug-in only works on bitmap
images - it does not work on vector images (Illustrator,
EPS,...).

* Installing

This is a hybrid plug-in collection: part is written in C++,
part is written in ExtendScript/JavaScript. As a result,
it has three plug-in components.

The three plug-ins that need to be present for this to work 
are:

- an up-to-date Active Page Item Runtime or equivalent

- a Color2Gray.spln scripted plug-in (with .spln
file name extension). All platforms share the same
scripted plug-in file. On Windows this file carries a 
generic icon.

- a platform-specific Color2Gray plug-in (with .pln 
file name extension; the name will differ for 
CS/CS2/CS3/Mac/Win - it's Color2Gray<something_or_other>.pln)

Yes, you'll need TWO plug-ins that have "Color2Gray"
in their file name: one is a scripted plug-in, the other
is a regular plug-in.

Make sure you install the correct plug-ins for your 
version of InDesign. InDesign CS, CS2 and CS3 Plug-Ins 
are mutually incompatible, and Windows Plug-Ins don't 
work so well on Mac.

To make it easier, we've prepared ready-to-copy sets 
of plug-ins - you can dig into the appropriate disk image
or folder and copy the three items from there to your plug-ins 
folder.

Please read the remarks below - if the download you used
is a bit dated, you might need to separately update 
some of the individual plug-ins.

Check

http://www.rorohiko.com/color2gray.html

for more info.

* Usage

After you have installed the plug-in, you get
a new context menu when you select and then
right-click or control-click a placed 
bitmap image, or a selection containing a placed 
bitmap image. 

There are also two new menu items that appear in 
the API menu - these are equivalent to the context 
menus and can be used to assign keyboard
shortcuts to the color-to-gray function.

1) Select image
2) Right-click (Win) or Control-click (Mac)
3) Select 'API - Force Render as Gray'
from the popup menu

After an image is converted to grayscale the context
menu will change - you can convert back to a color image
if so desired. The menu item changes to 'Render Normally'.

* For scripters and the technically inclined

The C++ part of this tool will check the script label
of each placed image. If the script label is equal to the
word 'gray' then it will force the image to be rendered in 
grayscale. 

The scripted part of this tool is nothing more than a 
set of menu items and some logic to set the script label
to 'gray' or the empty string.

If you want to automate the conversion to gray with AppleScript,
ExtendScript, or VBScript, all you need to do is change the 
script label of the image. 

To check this out for yourself, proceed as follows:

- place a color picture in InDesign
- select it with the 'hollow arrow' selection tool
(the Direct Selection Tool).
- bring up the Script Label palette (either under 
'Window - Scripting - Script Label' (for CS) or 
'Window - Automation - Script Label' (for CS2/CS3).
- For the script label, type the word 'gray' and then 
hit the 'Tab' key (to force the entry to 'take')
- Erase the word 'gray' to revert to color

To perform this operation from a script: look up the 'label'
attribute.

* Version history

  Version 1.0.8:
   
    - Fixed clipping path and transformation problems
    
  Version 1.0.7:
   
    - Added CS3 support
    - Fixed clipping path problem
    
  Version 1.0.6:
   
    - In some cases, grayed images would still print in 
    color. This version fixes the issue.
    
  Version 1.0.5:
   
    - Fixed incorrect clipping on some grayed images
    
  Version 1.0.4:
   
    - Support transparency on image.
    - Support embedded images.
    - Fixed abnormal slowdown when many items are selected
    
  Version 1.0.3:
   
    - Fixed JavaScript error message.
    
  Version 1.0.2:
  
    - Switched to a totally different technique
    to force the gray rendering. This version properly
    shoves all the pixels of the image onto the black plate
    This means that if an image is forced to gray, it will
    only appear on the K plate, and nothing will show up 
    on the C/M/Y plates.
    
  Version 1.0.1:
  
    - Changed transparency setting from 'Luminosity' 
    to 'Lighten'
    
  Version 1.0:
  
    - Initial beta release

* Remarks

  REMOVE OLDER VERSIONS 
  
  YOU CAN USE APID OR APIE INSTEAD OF APIR

Please make sure you have an up-to-date copy of the 
'Active Page Item Runtime' Plug-In (APIR) installed
(or one of its supersets - APID or APIE). Updates can
be downloaded from:

http://www.rorohiko.com/activepageitemsruntime.html

If you have Active Page Item Developer (APID) or 
Active Page Item Enterprise (APIE) installed, you 
should _NOT_ install the Active Page Item Runtime 
(APIR).

Instead make sure your copy of APID or APIE is 
up-to-date.

Free updates to APID are available from our web
site (simply download the demo of the APID Kernel 
we have available - it does double-duty as an update). 
If you have a license to APIE, you will receive a 
download link via e-mail each time there is an update.

The Color2Gray.spln (scripted plug-in) should reside 
in the same folder as the Runtime Plug-In you installed
(typically that will be the InDesign Plug-Ins folder). 

Third, make sure you use the Color2Gray plug-in that 
matches your platform - there are six versions 
available: Mac-CS, Mac-CS2, Mac-CS3, Win-CS, Win-CS2, 
and Win-CS3


Restart InDesign if it was already running.

* Disclaimer

This software is provided as is without warranty
of any kind, either expressed or implied,
including, but not limited to the implied
warranties of software programs and fitness for a
particular purpose. The entire risk as to the
quality and performance of the program is with
you. If you use the program, please do so with the
understanding that you assume all risks of using
it.

* License

This license covers the 'Lightning Brain Color2Gray 
for InDesign CS/CS2/CS3' tool.

Copyright (c) 2006-2007 by Rorohiko Ltd. All rights
reserved.

You should carefully read the following terms and
conditions before using this software. Your use of
this software indicates your acceptance of this
license agreement and warranty.

This software and the accompanying files are
provided "as is" and without warranties as to
performance or merchantability or any other
warranties whether expressed or implied. Because
of the many and variable hardware and software
environments under which this software may
operate, no warranty of fitness for a particular
purpose is offered.

Good computer procedure dictates that any program
be thoroughly tested with non-critical data before
relying on it. The user must assume the entire
risk of using the program.

You may make as many copies of this software and
documentation as you wish; give exact copies of
the original version to anyone; and distribute the
software and documentation in its unmodified form
as provided on the Rorohiko web site via
electronic means. There is no charge for any of
the above.

You are, however, specifically prohibited from
charging, or requesting donations, for any such
copies, however made; and from distributing the
software and/or documentation with other products
(commercial or otherwise) without prior written
permission.

