Editing each dataset -Variable Data

Really what you'd want to do is setup your source .csv? file to have a visibility variable, which can be done by using a hashtag in front of the column name.

For example a column called "#yellow" and another column called "#blue".

Then for each name or record, you can type "TRUE" or "FALSE" under the #yellow or #blue column names.

Next, go to Illustrator and setup individual Illustrator layer names to match to each of your csv columns. Put one design element on one layer in Illustrator because each layer will need to link to one variable from your source file. For each layer, set the correct font styles/sizes BEFORE importing your variable data. Basically, you want to do all of the designing and font styles ahead of bringing in your variable data. You can create place holder names in Illustrator to help figure out sizing or add effects.

Now import your variable data. Next, select one Illustrator layer at a time, then go to the variable panel and click on the variable that you want to link the Illustrator layer content to, then click on "make visibility dynamic" icon. Do this for each Illustrator/variable that you need to assign.

Then when you have done that for all your layers, go back to variable panel and select "make linked file dynamic".

Now you should be able to cycle through your data sets and see some names are yellow, and some are blue (because that is the way you setup your visibility variable within your original source file).

Dynamic text objects that are created in Illustrator's Variables palette do not store or remember type attributes such as fill colour or font size etc.

And they do not respect character styles and graphic styles on a per dataset basis.

Not quite sure what Mylenium means by "styles" that would help in this context.

You have to work with styles and apply separate ones to feels you don't want to inherit the basic formatting of other fields. A quick excursion to the help files might shed some light on this.

Mylenium