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Scripting with VBScript, For more information, Your first Illustrator script

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6 Scripting with VBScript This chapter uses script examples and explanations to help you to become familiar with Illustrator scripting using VBScript. For more information Several extended sample scripts are in the /Scripting/Sample Scripts folder in your Illustrator CS4 installation directory. For information about individual classes, objects, properties, methods, and parameters, as well as script samples that demonstrate how to use many of these items, see Adobe Illustrator CS Scripting Reference: VBScript, in the /Scripting/Documentation folder in your Illustrator CS4 installation directory. You also can view the Illustrator CS4 type library from most VBScript editors or any Microsoft Office application; see "Viewing the VBScript object model" on page 9. If you do not understand the concepts and terms used in this chapter, read Adobe Introduction to Scripting. Your first Illustrator script The traditional first project in any programming language is displaying the message "Hello World!" Follow these steps: 1. Start any text editor (for example, Notepad). 2. Type the following code: Rem Hello World Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application") Rem Create a new document and assign it to a variable Set documentRef = appRef.Documents.Add Rem Create a new text frame item and assign it to a variable Set sampleText = documentRef.TextFrames.Add Rem Set the contents and position of the TextFrame sampleText.Position = Array(200, 200) sampleText.Contents = "Hello World!" 3. Save the file as text-only in a folder of your choice, using the file extension .vbs. 4. To test the script, do one of the following: ➣ Double-click the file. ➣ Start Illustrator, choose File > Scripts > Other Scripts, and navigate to and run your script file. TIP: To add the script to the Illustrator Scripts menu (File > Scripts), save the script in the Scripts folder. The script will appear on the menu the next time you start Illustrator. For details, see "Installing scripts in the Scripts menu" on page 10. In general, when you launch a VBScript script from the Scripts menu, any msgBox dialogs will not display correctly. 48

Section	Page
Introduction	6
What is scripting?	6
Why use scripting?	6
What about actions?	6
Script support in Adobe Illustrator CS4	7
ExtendScript features	7
ExtendScript tools	7
Script file extensions	7
Viewing sample scripts	8
Viewing the object model	8
Viewing the JavaScript object model	8
Viewing the AppleScript object model	8
Viewing the VBScript object model	9
Executing scripts	9
Installing scripts in the Scripts menu	10
Executing scripts from the Other Scripts menu item	10
Startup scripts (.jsx scripts only)	10
Application-specific startup scripts folder	10
General startup scripts folder	11
Changes since CS3	11
Known issues	16
The Illustrator Scripting Object Model	17
Object-naming conventions	18
Top-level (containing) objects	18
Application	18
Document	19
Layer	19
The artwork tree	19
Art styles	20
Color objects	21
Text objects	21
Text frames	21
Text geometry	22
Objects that represent text content	22
Text ranges	23
Text styles	23
Dynamic objects	24
Symbols	24
Transformations	24
Scripting Illustrator	25
Launching and quitting Illustrator from a script	25
Launching and activating Illustrator	25
AppleScript	25
JavaScript	25
VBScript	25
Quitting Illustrator	26
AppleScript	26
JavaScript	26
VBScript	26
Working with objects	26
Getting the frontmost document or layer	26
Creating new objects	26
Collection objects	27
AppleScript	27
JavaScript	27
VBScript	28
Selected objects	28
Selecting text	28
Selecting art items	28
Referring to selected art items	28
Notes on renaming objects stored in the application’s panels	28
Measurement units	29
Em space units	29
Page-item positioning and dimensions	29
Art item bounds	30
Paths and shapes	31
User-interaction levels	31
AppleScript	31
JavaScript	32
VBScript	32
Printing Illustrator documents	32
Scripting with AppleScript	33
For more information	33
Your first Illustrator script	33
Adding features to “Hello World”	34
Object references	34
Obtaining objects from documents and layers	35
Creating new objects	35
Working with selections	35
Selecting artwork objects	36
Working with text frames	36
Threaded frames	36
Threaded frames make one story object	37
Creating paths and shapes	37
Paths	37
Specifying a series of x-y coordinates	37
Using path point objects	37
Combining path point types	38
Shapes	38
Write-once access	39
Creating a rectangle	39
Creating a polygon	39
Scripting with JavaScript	40
For more information	40
Your first Illustrator script	40
Adding features to “Hello World”	41
Working with methods in JavaScript	41
Accessing and referencing objects	42
Referencing the application object	42
Accessing objects in collections	42
Creating new objects	43
Working with selections	44
Selecting artwork objects	44
Working with text frames	44
Threaded frames	44
Threaded frames make a single story object	45
Creating paths and shapes	45
Paths	45
Specifying a series of x-y coordinates	45
Using pathPoint objects	45
Combining path point types	46
Shapes	46
Creating a rectangle	47
Creating a polygon	47
Scripting with VBScript	48
For more information	48
Your first Illustrator script	48
Adding features to “Hello World”	49
Accessing and referencing objects	49
Obtaining objects from collections	49
Creating new objects	50
Working with selections	50
Selecting artwork objects	50
Working with text frames	51
Threaded frames	51
Threaded frames make a single story object	51
Creating paths and shapes	51
Paths	51
Specifying a series of x-y coordinates	52
Using path point objects	52
Combining path-point types	53
Shapes	53
Creating a rectangle	53
Creating a polygon	54
Working with enumeration values	54

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Scripting with VBScript

This chapter uses script examples and explanations to help you to become familiar with Illustrator

scripting using VBScript.

For more information

Several extended sample scripts are in the

/Scripting/Sample

Scripts

folder in your Illustrator CS4

installation directory.

For information about individual classes, objects, properties, methods, and parameters, as well as script

samples that demonstrate how to use many of these items, see

Adobe Illustrator CS Scripting Reference:

VBScript

, in the

/Scripting/Documentation

folder in your Illustrator CS4 installation directory. You also

can view the Illustrator CS4 type library from most VBScript editors or any Microsoft Office application; see

“

Viewing the VBScript object model

” on page 9

If you do not understand the concepts and terms used in this chapter, read

Adobe Introduction to Scripting

Your first Illustrator script

The traditional first project in any programming language is displaying the message “Hello World!” Follow

these steps:

Start any text editor (for example, Notepad).

Type the following code:

Rem Hello World

Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")

Rem Create a new document and assign it to a variable

Set documentRef = appRef.Documents.Add

Rem Create a new text frame item and assign it to a variable

Set sampleText = documentRef.TextFrames.Add

Rem Set the contents and position of the TextFrame

sampleText.Position = Array(200, 200)

sampleText.Contents = "Hello World!"

Save the file as text-only in a folder of your choice, using the file extension

.vbs

To test the script, do one of the following:

➣

Double-click the file.

➣

Start Illustrator, choose File > Scripts > Other Scripts, and navigate to and run your script file.

To add the script to the Illustrator Scripts menu (File > Scripts), save the script in the Scripts folder. The

script will appear on the menu the next time you start Illustrator. For details, see

“

Installing scripts in the

Scripts menu

” on page 10

. In general, when you launch a VBScript script from the Scripts menu, any

msgBox

dialogs will not display correctly.