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KevinMByers
Known Participant
September 14, 2019
Answered

Can you program "New Artboard" to actions?

  • September 14, 2019
  • 3 replies
  • 3050 views

Hey all,

 

I'm trying to set up an action set to copy and paste something to a new artboard, but it seems as if artboard creation, selection, and deletion are all exempt from actions?

 

Does anyone know if it's supposed to be this way?

 

If it is: is there a workaround?

 

Any insight is greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks!

-K

    Correct answer Kurt Gold

    Here you can download a sample action that shows one way to create a new artboard with an action:

     

    Sample Action: New Artboard

     

    To test:

     

    - Open a blank document that contains one artboard (any size).

    - Load the .aia file.

    - Make sure that Align to Artboard is turned on in the Align palette (otherwise the action won't work).

    - Play the action.

     

    The other things you mentioned may also be automated with a modified action, but to check that I would have to take a look at one of your sample .ai files.

    3 replies

    Participant
    March 5, 2023

    Seems there is no scripting way for the "New Artboard" from artboard panel, which is automaticaly placed, so as 2023 neither actions, neither scripting may allow it

    Participant
    July 22, 2023

    I wish the action were in english so I could understand what its doing. I need an action that will create a new artborad based on a "Select All" command, and make the artboard an inch all the way around from the selection boundaries

    Kurt Gold
    Community Expert
    Kurt GoldCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    September 14, 2019

    Here you can download a sample action that shows one way to create a new artboard with an action:

     

    Sample Action: New Artboard

     

    To test:

     

    - Open a blank document that contains one artboard (any size).

    - Load the .aia file.

    - Make sure that Align to Artboard is turned on in the Align palette (otherwise the action won't work).

    - Play the action.

     

    The other things you mentioned may also be automated with a modified action, but to check that I would have to take a look at one of your sample .ai files.

    KevinMByers
    Known Participant
    September 16, 2019

    That worked perfectly, Thank you.

    Unfortuantely it looks like the set of actions I want to create won't be possible until Adobe makes it so layer and artboard selection/visibility can be recorded into actions.

    Thank you again for that!

    Kurt Gold
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    September 16, 2019

    As already mentioned, there may be a way to make an action that does what you describe in post #2 (including layer selection), but I would have to check a sample .ai file from you in order to see what steps may be possible. You may keep in mind: Any Illustrator action that includes more than 10 steps is always a bumpy ride, always. But it may work ...

    Kurt Gold
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    September 14, 2019

    Yes, there are or may be workarounds, depending on the specific steps you are going to do.

     

    For example: Does your documents (initially) contain just one artboard or multiple artboards? Should the new artboard have the same dimensions (width/height) as the "previous" artboard? Etc.

     

    Provide as much details as possible in order to get possible approaches.

    KevinMByers
    Known Participant
    September 14, 2019

    Document is initially one artboard.

    I'm trying to develop shortcuts for screen print preparation.

    Ideally the action would be as follows:

    Select all
    Expand Appearance
    Unite
    Make Compound Path
    Copy
    New Artboard (selected)
    Paste In Place
    Color

    I'd like to be able to do this ten times on ten separate layers with one keystroke, locking and unlocking layers in the command line as well, but it would appear layer modifications don't record in actions either.