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Adobe 65010248 Scripting Guide - Page 20

Art styles, AppleScript, JavaScript

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CHAPTER 2: The Illustrator Scripting Object Model The artwork tree 20 ➤ mesh item ➤ non native item ➤ path item ➤ placed item ➤ plugin item ➤ raster item ➤ symbol item (see "Dynamic objects" on page 24) ➤ text frame Your scripts can access and manipulate art objects through collections in the document and layer objects. There are two types of art-object collections: ➤ Collection objects that correspond to each individual artwork object type, such as the graph items object or the mesh items object. ➤ The page items object, which includes art objects of all types. Also, you can use the group item object to reference a grouped set of art items. You can create new art objects using the make command (AppleScript) or add method of an artwork item collection object. For example, to create a new path item object: AppleScript set myPathItem to make new path item in current document JavaScript var myPathItem = activeDocument.pathItems.add(); VBScript Set myPathItem = appRef.ActiveDocument.PathItems.Add() The following artwork collections do not allow the creation of new objects using the make command or add method: ➤ graph items object ➤ mesh items object ➤ plugin items object ➤ legacy text items object For details on creating objects of these types, see the Adobe Illustrator CS4 Scripting Reference for your language. Art styles Your script can apply a graphic style to artwork using the graphic style object. To apply a graphic style, use the graphic styles property of the document object to access the apply to method of the graphic style object. Similarly, the brush object allows you to specify the brush to apply to artwork. You access any brush through the brushes collection object, which is a property of the document object.

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

Match case Limit results 1 per page

HAPTER

2: The Illustrator Scripting Object Model

The artwork tree

➤

mesh

item

➤

non

native

item

➤

path

item

➤

placed

item

➤

plugin

item

➤

raster

item

➤

symbol

item

(see

“

Dynamic objects

” on page 24

)

➤

text

frame

Your scripts can access and manipulate art objects through collections in the

document

and

layer

objects.

There are two types of art-object collections:

➤

Collection objects that correspond to each individual artwork object type, such as the

graph

items

object or the

mesh

items

object.

➤

The

page

items

object, which includes art objects of all types.

Also, you can use the

group

item

object to reference a grouped set of art items.

You can create new art objects using the

make

command (AppleScript) or

add

method of an artwork item

collection object. For example, to create a new

path

item

object:

AppleScript

set myPathItem to make new path item in current document

JavaScript

var myPathItem = activeDocument.pathItems.add();

VBScript

Set myPathItem = appRef.ActiveDocument.PathItems.Add()

The following artwork collections do not allow the creation of new objects using the

make

command or

add

method:

➤

graph

items

object

➤

mesh

items

object

➤

plugin

items

object

➤

legacy

text

items

object

For details on creating objects of these types, see the

Adobe Illustrator CS4 Scripting Reference

for your

language.

Art styles

Your script can apply a graphic style to artwork using the

graphic

style

object. To apply a graphic style,

use the

graphic

styles

property of the

document

object to access the

apply

method of the

graphic

style

object.

Similarly, the

brush

object allows you to specify the brush to apply to artwork. You access any brush

through the

brushes

collection object, which is a property of the

document

object.