Hello again,
I'm on yet another quest to write a completely idiot proof function to do a very specific task in Illustrator. The task is to create a new artboard in the target document (determined by a small script ui prompt) that is a certain distance from the existing artboard with the highest index (so i'm always putting the new artboard at the end). After I've created the artboard, I want to activate the source document and duplicate all artwork and layers (some layers are blank but will be used later) into the target doc and place them on the newly created artboard.
With the help and guidance of Silly-V I wrote a recursive loop to handle the nested layer situation. That brings me to part one of my question. Please take a look at the recursion and let me know if there's anything I can do to clean it up and streamline it as much as possible. (I know it looks really messy. I was learning how to do it on the fly and i changed a lot of variables and loops after the fact, just trying to make it work). I'm also hoping that finding a slightly more efficient way to work this will help improve stability as well. As it stands, I can only run this script 3 or 4 times (if i'm lucky) before i get persistent MRAP errors on trivial things such as: layers.getByName("Information").visible = false; At that point, the only remedy is to quit illustrator and reopen the files. Then i'm usually good for a few more runs..
Part 2 of my question is this. Is there a way to duplicate artwork from one document to another and have it placed onto the new artboard rather than artboard[0]? Currently, the art is duplicating from artboard[0] of the source doc to artboard[0] of the target doc and then i'm manually manipulating the placement by setting: this.left = this.left + (artboards.length * 2100). First of all, this is just adding WAY too many steps to the script and slowing things down i'm sure. The second problem with this is that after 4 artboards, i need to move down to another row (to keep from spilling off the pasteboard). That adds another layer of complexity and a lot more if statements to determine how far to move it and in what direction.
Here's the script in it's entirety. Please feel free to tear it apart and ask me WTH i was thinking. In the words of carloscanto, script.elegant is definitely false.
var copyToMaster = function(){ var docRef = app.activeDocument; var layers = docRef.layers; var masterFile = getTargetDoc(); if(masterFile == null){ return; } var master = app.documents.getByName(masterFile); var sourceDoc = app.activeDocument; var move; var myLayer; var targetLayer; var innerTargetLayer; var outerTargetLayer; //Logic Container// function outerRecursive(layer){ var name = layer.name; try{ outerTargetLayer = targetLayer.layers.getByName(layer.name); } catch(e){ outerTargetLayer = targetLayer.layers.add(ElementPlacement.PLACEATBEGINNING); outerTargetLayer.name = name; } if(layer.pageItems.length>0){ for(var b=layer.pageItems.length-1;b>-1;b--){ var curItem = layer.pageItems[b]; var copyCurItem = curItem.duplicate(outerTargetLayer,ElementPlacement.PLACEATBEGINNING); copyCurItem.left = curItem.left+move; } } if(layer.layers.length>0){ for(var e=layer.layers.length-1;e>-1;e--){ var subSubLayer = layer.layers[e]; innerRecursive(subSubLayer); } } } function innerRecursive(subLayer){ try{ innerTargetLayer = outerTargetLayer.layers.getByName(subLayer.name); } catch(e){ innerTargetLayer = outerTargetLayer.layers.add(); innerTargetLayer.name = subLayer.name; } if(subLayer.pageItems.length>0){ for(var g=subLayer.pageItems.length-1;g>-1;g--){ var curItem = subLayer.pageItems[g]; var copyCurItem = curItem.duplicate(innerTargetLayer,ElementPlacement.PLACEATBEGINNING); copyCurItem.left = copyCurItem.left + move; } } if(subLayer.layers.length>0){ for(var h=subLayer.layers.length-1;h>-1;h--){ innerRecursive(subLayer.layers[h]); } if(name == "Information"){ layer.locked = true; layer.visible = true; } else if(name == "Prepress"){ layer.locked = false; layer.visible = false; } } if(subLayer.name == "Information"){ subLayer.locked = true; subLayer.visible = true; } else if(subLayer.name == "Prepress"){ subLayer.locked = false; subLayer.visible = false; } } function getTargetDoc(){ var docs = []; for(var a=0;a<app.documents.length;a++){ docs.push(app.documents[a].name); } var targetIndex = new Window("dialog", "Which is Master"); var newTextGroup = targetIndex.add("group"); newTextGroup.text = targetIndex.add("statictext",undefined,"Which file do you want to merge to?"); newTextGroup.align = "center"; var radioGroup = targetIndex.add("group"); radioGroup.alignChildren = "left"; radioGroup.orientation = "column"; for(var a=0;a<docs.length;a++){ radioGroup.add("radiobutton",undefined,docs[a]); } radioGroup.children[0].value = true; var buttonGroup = targetIndex.add("group"); var ok = buttonGroup.add("button", undefined, "OK"); var can = buttonGroup.add("button", undefined, "Cancel"); function selected(which){ for(var c=0;c<which.children.length;c++){ if(which.children[c].value == true){ return which.children[c].text; } } } if(targetIndex.show() == 1){ return (selected(radioGroup)); } else{ return; } targetIndex.show(); } function createNewArtboard(){ master.activate(); move = ((master.artboards.length) * 2100) var aBcount = master.artboards.length; var lastAB = master.artboards[master.artboards.length-1]; var aB = lastAB.artboardRect; var left = aB[0]; var top = aB[1]; var right = aB[2]; var bot = aB[3]; var moveRight = 2100; var moveDown = 2100; if(aBcount != 5 && aBcount != 10){ var newLeft = left + moveRight; var newRight = right + moveRight; var rect = [newLeft,top,newRight,bot]; var newAb = master.artboards.add(rect); } else{ var originAb = master.artboards[0].artboardRect; var oLeft = originAb[0]; var oTop = originAb[1]; var oRight = originAb[2]; var oBot = originAb[3]; oTop = oTop - moveDown; oBot = oBot - moveDown; var rect = [oLeft,oTop,oRight,oBot]; var newAb = master.artboards.add(rect); } sourceDoc.activate(); } //Function Calls createNewArtboard(); for(var a=0;a<layers.length;a++){ layers[a].locked = false; layers[a].visible = true; } for(var a=0;a<master.layers.length;a++){ master.layers[a].locked = false; master.layers[a].visible = true; } for(var a=layers.length-1;a>-1;a--){ var curLayer = layers[a]; try{ targetLayer = master.layers.getByName(curLayer.name); } catch(e){ targetLayer = master.layers.add(); targetLayer.name = curLayer.name; } if(curLayer.pageItems.length>0){ for(var k=curLayer.pageItems.length-1;k>-1;k--){ var curItem = curLayer.pageItems[k]; var copyCurItem = curItem.duplicate(targetLayer,ElementPlacement.PLACEATBEGINNING); copyCurItem.left = copyCurItem.left + move; } } if(curLayer.layers.length>0){ for(var f=curLayer.layers.length-1;f>-1;f--){ var curSubLayer = curLayer.layers[f]; outerRecursive(curSubLayer); } } } //re-lock/hide layers; for(var a=0;a<master.layers.length;a++){ if(master.layers[a].name == "Guides" || master.layers[a].name == "BKGRD, do not unlock"){ master.layers[a].locked = true; } else{ for(var b=0;b<master.layers[a].layers.length;b++){ var level2 = master.layers[a].layers[b]; if(level2.name == "Prepress"){ level2.locked = false; level2.visible = false; } else if(level2.name == "Information"){ level2.locked = true; level2.visible = true; } } } }
}
copyToMaster();
copyToMaster = null;