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Adobe 26001360 Scripting Guide - Page 15

What about actions?, System requirements

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Adobe Illustrator CS Scripting Guide 15 Think about your work-is there a repetitive task that's driving you crazy? If so, you've identified a candidate for a script. What are the steps involved in performing the task? What are the conditions in which you need to do the task? Once you understand the process you go through to perform the task, you'll be ready to turn it into a script. What about actions? Illustrator actions are different from scripts. An Illustrator action is a series of tasks you have recorded while using the application-menu choices, tool choices, object selection, and other commands. When you "play" an action, Illustrator performs all of the recorded commands. You record, play, edit and delete actions using Illustrator's built-in Actions palette. The "Automating Tasks" chapter in the Adobe Illustrator User Guide covers actions in detail. With the introduction of scripting for Illustrator, it is important to avoid any confusion about the difference between actions and scripting. Actions and scripts are both ways of automating repetitive tasks, but they work very differently. The following points summarize the key differences. • Actions use a program's user interface to do their work. As an action runs, menu choices are executed, objects are selected, and recorded paths are created. Scripts do not use a program's user interface to perform tasks, and can execute faster than actions. • Actions have very limited facilities for getting and responding to information. You cannot add conditional logic to an action. Therefore, actions cannot make decisions based on the current situation. Scripts are capable of getting information and making decisions and calculations based on the information they receive from Illustrator. • A script can execute an action, but actions cannot execute scripts. System requirements The language you use to write scripts depends on the operating system of the platform you're using: AppleScript for Mac OS; Visual Basic for Windows. While the two scripting systems differ, the ways that they work with Illustrator are very similar. Each example script shown in this manual will be shown in both systems. Make sure the scripting plug-in is installed on your system before attempting to script Illustrator. 12 Aug 03

Section	Page
Introduction	13
About this manual	13
What is scripting?	14
Why use scripting?	14
What about actions?	15
System requirements	15
Mac OS	16
Windows	16
Scripting Basics	17
Object model concepts	17
Object classes	18
Object inheritance	18
Object elements or collections	19
Object references	19
Scripting concepts	19
Comments	19
About long script lines	20
Values Types	21
Variables	22
Properties	23
Operators	24
Commands and methods	24
Conditional statements	25
Control structures	25
Handlers and subroutines	27
Testing and troubleshooting	29
About error handling	31
Scripting Illustrator	33
Illustrator’s object model	33
Looking at Illustrator’s objects and commands	34
AppleScript	34
Visual Basic	36
The application	36
Your first Illustrator script	37
Creating an AppleScript script	37
Creating a Visual Basic script	37
VBScript	39
Adding features to “Hello World”	40
Measurement units	42
Unit conversion to points	43
Em Space Units	43
Coordinates	44
Fixed points	44
Zero point	44
Fixed rectangle	45
Page item positioning and dimensions	45
Object references	46
Object references in AppleScript	46
Object references in Visual Basic	47
Object containment: document vs. layer	48
Working with selections	49
Working with paths	52
Working with color	52
Working with symbols	53
Working with symbol items	53
Working with text art	53
Content of a Text Range	55
Character Style, Character Attributes, Local Character Attributes	55
Printing Illustrator Documents	55
Transformation matrices	56
Using a matrix in an AppleScript script	57
Using a matrix in a Visual Basic script	57
Working with variables and datasets	58
Datasets	58
Launching and quitting Illustrator from a script	58
Launching and quitting from AppleScript	58
Launching and quitting from Visual Basic	59
Some objects that cannot be created by a script	59
User Interaction Levels	59
AppleScript	60
Visual Basic and JavaScript	60
The Scripts menu	60
Notes	61
Supported scripting languages	61
Script files	61
Installing scripts	61
Executing other scripts	62
AppleScript Reference	63
About the script examples	63
application	64
brush, brushes	67
character	69
character style, character styles	76
CMYK color info	82
color info	83
color management options	84
color separation options	84
compound path item, compound path items	85
coordinate options	87
dataset, datasets	88
document, documents	91
ellipse	98
EPS save options	100
Flash export options	102
flattening options	104
font, fonts	105
font options	105
GIF export options	107
gradient, gradients	110
gradient color info	112
gradient stop, gradient stops	113
gradient stop info	115
graph item, graph items	116
graphic style, graphic styles	118
gray color info	119
group item, group items	120
Illustrator preferences	125
Illustrator save options	125
ink	128
ink properties	128
insertion point	129
job options	132
JPEG export options	134
layer, layers	136
line	140
matrix	146
mesh item, mesh items	148
no color info	149
Open Options	150
page item, page items	150
page marks options	154
paper	155
paper options	155
paper properties	156
paragraph, paragraphs	157
paragraph style, paragraph styles	166
path item, path items	173
path point, path points	176
path point info	178
pattern, patterns	179
pattern color info	180
PDF options	181
PDF save options	183
Photoshop options	188
Photoshop export options	190
placed item, placed items	192
plugin item, plugin items	194
PNG24 export options	194
PNG8 export options	196
polygon	199
postscript options	200
PPD file	200
PPD properties	201
print options	203
printer	204
printer properties	206
raster item, raster items	207
rectangle	209
RGB color info	211
rounded rectangle	212
screen properties	213
screen spot function	214
separation screen	215
spot, spots	215
spot color info	217
star	218
story, stories	219
SVG export options	221
swatch, swatches	223
symbol, symbols	224
symbol item, symbol items	226
tab stop info	227
tag, tags	228
text, texts	229
text frame, text frames	231
variable, variables	234
view, views	235
word	238
Command reference	245
apply	246
apply character style	247
apply paragraph style	247
change case	248
close	248
colorize	249
concatenate matrix	249
concatenate rotation matrix	250
concatenate scale matrix	250
concatenate translation matrix	251
convert	251
convert to paths	252
copy	252
count	253
cut	254
delete	255
deselect	256
display	256
do javascript	256
do script	257
duplicate	258
equal matrices	259
exists	259
export	260
export PDF preset	261
export print presets	261
export variables	262
get	262
get identity matrix	263
get rotation matrix	264
get scale matrix	264
get translation matrix	265
import character styles	265
import paragraph styles	266
import PDF preset	267
import print preset	267
import variables	268
invert matrix	268
make	269
move	270
open	271
paste	272
print	273
quit	273
redraw	274
rotate	275
save	276
scale	279
select	280
set	281
show presets	281
singular matrix	281
transform	283
translate	284
translate placeholder text	285
update	285
Visual Basic Reference	287
About the script examples	287
Referencing and creating objects in Visual Basic	288
Syntax differences between Sub and Function methods	289
Application	290
Brush	295
Brushes	296
CharacterAttributes	297
Characters	300
CharacterStyle	301
CharacterStyles	301
CMYKColor	303
CompoundPathItem	304
CompoundPathItems	309
DataSet	310
DataSets	311
Document	312
Documents	319
EPSSaveOptions	320
ExportOptionsFlash	321
ExportOptionsGIF	322
ExportOptionsJPEG	324
ExportOptionsPhotoshop	326
ExportOptionsPNG24	327
ExportOptionsPNG8	328
ExportOptionsSVG	330
Gradient	331
Gradients	333
GradientColor	334
GradientStop	336
GradientStops	336
GraphicStyle	338
GraphicStyles	339
GraphItem	340
GraphItems	344
GrayColor	345
GroupItem	346
GroupItems	350
IllustratorSaveOptions	351
Ink	353
InkInfo	354
InsertionPoint	355
InsertionPoints	355
Layer	356
Layers	359
LegacyTextItem	360
LegacyTextItems	364
Lines	364
Matrix	366
MeshItem	367
MeshItems	370
NoColor	372
OpenOptions	373
PageItems	374
Paper	376
PaperInfo	377
ParagraphAttributes	377
Paragraphs	380
ParagraphStyle	381
ParagraphStyles	383
PathItem	383
PathItems	389
PathPoint	391
PathPoints	392
Pattern	393
Patterns	394
PatternColor	395
PDFFileOptions	397
PDFSaveOptions	398
PhotoshopFileOptions	401
PlacedItem	402
PlacedItems	406
PluginItem	406
PluginItems	410
PPDFile	410
PPDFileInfo	411
Preferences	412
PrintColorManagementOptions	412
PrintColorSeparationOptions	413
PrintCoordinateOptions	415
Printer	416
PrinterInfo	417
PrintFlattenerOptions	419
PrintFontOptions	421
PrintJobOptions	422
PrintOptions	424
PrintPageMarksOptions	426
PrintPaperOptions	427
PrintPostScriptOptions	428
RasterItem	429
RasterItems	433
RGBColor	434
Screen	435
ScreenInfo	436
ScreenSpotFunction	436
Spot	437
Spots	439
SpotColor	440
Story	441
Stories	442
Swatch	443
Swatches	444
Symbol	445
Symbols	445
SymbolItem	447
SymbolItems	451
TabStopInfo	452
Tag	452
Tags	454
TextFont	455
TextFonts	456
TextFrame	457
TextFrames	461
TextRange	464
TextRanges	466
Variable	466
Variables	467
View	468
Views	469
Words	470
Enumerations reference	471
Changes Since Earlier Versions	487
Changes InThe Object Model for Illustrator CS	487
Macintosh / AppleScript	487
Windows / COM (Visual Basic, et al)	487
Deprecated	489
Bibliography	491
AppleScript	491
Visual Basic	491
Internet resources	492
Adobe Systems, Inc.	492
AppleScript	492

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Adobe Illustrator CS Scripting Guide

12 Aug 03

Think about your work—is there a repetitive task that’s driving you crazy? If so, you’ve

identified a candidate for a script. What are the steps involved in performing the task? What are

the conditions in which you need to do the task? Once you understand the process you go

through to perform the task, you’ll be ready to turn it into a script.

What about actions?

Illustrator actions are different from scripts. An Illustrator action is a series of tasks you have

recorded while using the application—menu choices, tool choices, object selection, and other

commands. When you “play” an action, Illustrator performs all of the recorded commands.

You record, play, edit and delete actions using Illustrator’s built-in Actions palette. The

“Automating Tasks” chapter in the Adobe Illustrator User Guide covers actions in detail.

With the introduction of scripting for Illustrator, it is important to avoid any confusion about

the difference between actions and scripting. Actions and scripts are both ways of automating

repetitive tasks, but they work very differently. The following points summarize the key

differences.

•

Actions use a program’s user interface to do their work. As an action runs, menu choices

are executed, objects are selected, and recorded paths are created. Scripts do not use a

program’s user interface to perform tasks, and can execute faster than actions.

•

Actions have very limited facilities for getting and responding to information. You cannot

add conditional logic to an action. Therefore, actions cannot make decisions based on the

current situation. Scripts are capable of getting information and making decisions and

calculations based on the information they receive from Illustrator.

•

A script can execute an action, but actions cannot execute scripts.

System requirements

The language you use to write scripts depends on the operating system of the platform you’re

using: AppleScript for Mac OS; Visual Basic for Windows. While the two scripting systems differ,

the ways that they work with Illustrator are very similar. Each example script shown in this

manual will be shown in both systems. Make sure the scripting plug-in is installed on your

system before attempting to script Illustrator.