Participant

Answered

Random letters and numbers mixing position in grid

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
February 28, 2024
3 replies
1169 views

Hi, I use Illustrator to create worksheets for my students in preschool. I'm searching for tool or scrypt that allow me random mix postition of objects (letters, number). I have grid under those objects, and I wish that after mixing objects they stay in the middle of grid. Am I only dreaming that something like that exsist? Help ❤️

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Correct answer femkeblanco

// select text frames
var doc = app.activeDocument;
var contents = [];
for (var i = 0; i < doc.selection.length; i++) {
    contents.push(doc.selection[i].contents);
}
for (var i = 0; i < doc.selection.length; i++) {
    var index = Math.floor(Math.random() * contents.length);
    doc.selection[i].contents = contents[index];
    contents.splice(index, 1);
}

femkeblancoCorrect answer

Legend

// select text frames
var doc = app.activeDocument;
var contents = [];
for (var i = 0; i < doc.selection.length; i++) {
    contents.push(doc.selection[i].contents);
}
for (var i = 0; i < doc.selection.length; i++) {
    var index = Math.floor(Math.random() * contents.length);
    doc.selection[i].contents = contents[index];
    contents.splice(index, 1);
}

P

Paulina357536076223Author

Participant

Thank you! I'll check them ! It took me so much precious time to prepare something for my kiddos.Tons of 💕

Kurt Gold

Community Expert

There are scripts. One is provided by sky-chaser-high.

Shuffle Objects

RobOctopus

Inspiring

While I am certain something could be created via scripting, if I'm understanding your ask correctly a similar effect can be achieved using native tools like area type options and text margins.

Create your underlying grid
Create a large Area Type Frame to cover the grid
Edit the Area type options so that the Rows/Columns match the grid
then get the Margins to push in and left to align

Here is a 50mm x 50mm grid that is ultimately a single text frame with a string of letters/numbers that flow from 1 box to the next. you could simply retype whatever you wish or copy/paste a string into the text frame and each character would flow into the next box in line

P

Paulina357536076223Author

Participant

Thank you for replay. Now it's easier to prepare grid with numbers/letters. The thing is I wish I could change/mix it somehow, so they randomly change their places, mix in those 5 rows and 5 columns. Sorry, I don't know how to explain it properly O_O I have 'randomus' script, but it only change properities not places ;(

RobOctopus

Inspiring

using the above method I've outlined. here's a script to randomise the text thats currently in the frame.

if(app.activeDocument.selection.length==1 && app.activeDocument.selection[0].typename=="TextFrame"){
    var StartContents = app.activeDocument.selection[0].contents
    var ShuffledContents = shuffleArray(StartContents)
    app.activeDocument.selection[0].contents = ShuffledContents
} else {
    alert("Whoops!\nPlease select a text frame and try again.")
}

function shuffleArray(Arr) {
    if(typeof Arr=="string")Arr = Arr.split("")
    for (var i = Arr.length - 1; i > 0; i--) {
        var j = Math.floor(Math.random() * (i + 1));
        var temp = Arr[i];
        Arr[i] = Arr[j];
        Arr[j] = temp;
    }
    return Arr.join("")
}

it will only work on a single text frame

it will take the contents of the text frame, in this case a string of numbers or letters, and randomise them amongst themselves and then set that text frame's contents to the new randomised string.

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