Time to give back to the community...
Here is a script I recently devised to bulk create symbols from images in a folder. Tested with Illustrator CC 2014.
// Import Folder's Files as Symbols - Illustrator CC script
// Description: Creates symbols from images in the designated folder into current document
// Author : Oscar Rines (oscarrines (at) gmail.com)
// Version : 1.0.0 on 2014-09-21
// Reused code from "Import Folder's Files as Layers - Illustrator CS3 script"
// by Nathaniel V. KELSO (nathaniel@kelsocartography.com)
#target illustrator
function getFolder() {
return Folder.selectDialog('Please select the folder to be imported:', Folder('~'));
}
function symbolExists(seekInDoc, seekSymbol) {
for (var j=0; j < seekInDoc.symbols.length; j++) { if (seekInDoc.symbols[j].name == seekSymbol) { return true; } } return false;
}
function importFolderContents(selectedFolder) {
var activeDoc = app.activeDocument; //Active object reference // if a folder was selected continue with action, otherwise quit if (selectedFolder) { var newsymbol; //Symbol object reference var placedart; //PlacedItem object reference var fname; //File name var sname; //Symbol name var symbolcount = 0; //Number of symbols added var templayer = activeDoc.layers.add(); //Create a new temporary layer templayer.name = "Temporary layer" var imageList = selectedFolder.getFiles(); //retrieve files in the folder // Create a palette-type window (a modeless or floating dialog), var win = new Window("palette", "SnpCreateProgressBar", {x:100, y:100, width:750, height:310}); win.pnl = win.add("panel", [10, 10, 740, 255], "Progress"); //add a panel to contain the components win.pnl.currentTaskLabel = win.pnl.add("statictext", [10, 18, 620, 33], "Examining: -"); //label indicating current file being examined win.pnl.progBarLabel = win.pnl.add("statictext", [620, 18, 720, 33], "0/0"); //progress bar label win.pnl.progBarLabel.justify = 'right'; win.pnl.progBar = win.pnl.add("progressbar", [10, 35, 720, 60], 0, imageList.length-1); //progress bar win.pnl.symbolCount = win.pnl.add("statictext", [10, 70, 710, 85], "Symbols added: 0"); //label indicating number of symbols created win.pnl.symbolLabel = win.pnl.add("statictext", [10, 85, 710, 100], "Last added symbol: -"); //label indicating name of the symbol created win.pnl.errorListLabel = win.pnl.add("statictext", [10, 110, 720, 125], "Error log:"); //progress bar label win.pnl.errorList = win.pnl.add ("edittext", [10, 125, 720, 225], "", {multiline: true, scrolling: true}); //errorlist //win.pnl.errorList.graphics.font = ScriptUI.newFont ("Arial", "REGULAR", 7); //win.pnl.errorList.graphics.foregroundColor = win.pnl.errorList.graphics.newPen(ScriptUIGraphics.PenType.SOLID_COLOR, [1, 0, 0, 1], 1); win.doneButton = win.add("button", [640, 265, 740, 295], "OK"); //button to dispose the panel win.doneButton.onClick = function () //define behavior for the "Done" button { win.close(); }; win.center(); win.show(); //Iterate images for (var i = 0; i < imageList.length; i++) { win.pnl.currentTaskLabel.text = 'Examining: ' + imageList[i].name; //update current file indicator win.pnl.progBarLabel.text = i+1 + '/' + imageList.length; //update file count win.pnl.progBar.value = i+1; //update progress bar if (imageList[i] instanceof File) { fname = imageList[i].name.toLowerCase(); //convert file name to lowercase to check for supported formats if( (fname.indexOf('.eps') == -1) && (fname.indexOf('.png') == -1)) { win.pnl.errorList.text += 'Skipping ' + imageList[i].name + '. Not a supported type.\r'; //log error continue; // skip unsupported formats } else { sname = imageList[i].name.substring(0, imageList[i].name.lastIndexOf(".") ); //discard file extension // Check for duplicate symbol name; if (symbolExists(activeDoc, sname)) { win.pnl.errorList.text += 'Skipping ' + imageList[i].name + '. Duplicate symbol for name: ' + sname + '\r'; //log error } else { placedart = activeDoc.placedItems.add(); //get a reference to a new placedItem object placedart.file = imageList[i]; //link the object to the image on disk placedart.name = sname; //give the placed item a name placedart.embed(); //make this a RasterItem placedart = activeDoc.rasterItems.getByName(sname); //get a reference to the newly created raster item newsymbol = activeDoc.symbols.add(placedart); //add the raster item to the symbols newsymbol.name = sname; //name the symbol symbolcount++; //update the count of symbols created placedart.remove(); //remove the raster item from the canvas win.pnl.symbolCount.text = 'Symbols added: ' + symbolcount; //update created number of symbols indicator win.pnl.symbolLabel.text = 'Last added symbol: ' + sname; //update created symbol indicator } } } else { win.pnl.errorList.text += 'Skipping ' + imageList[i].name + '. Not a regular file.\r'; //log error } win.update(); //required so pop-up window content updates are shown } win.pnl.currentTaskLabel.text = ''; //clear current file indicator // Final verdict if (symbolcount >0) { win.pnl.symbolLabel.text = 'Symbol library changed. Do not forget to save your work'; } else { win.pnl.symbolLabel.text = 'No new symbols added to the library'; } win.update(); //update window contents templayer.remove(); //remove the temporary layer } else { alert("Action cancelled by user"); }
}
if ( app.documents.length > 0 ) { importFolderContents( getFolder() );
}
else{ Window.alert("You must open at least one document.");
}