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A
AKillingCurse
Participant
January 2, 2018
Answered

Renaming Sublayers/Text Objects

  • January 2, 2018
  • 2 replies
  • 1547 views

I'm running into a problem and I thought the best place to ask would be here. The project I'm working on is a plot/plat map, so there are tiny boxes where a home etc would go. I have to make several layers of just numbers (for the elevation, or the lot number) and sometimes those lots number into the 100s. I've been looking for a script that would take the layers/objects I've selected and append whatever text I need.

In the case of the screenshot below, I need to append "number-" before everything. On another layer I need to put "elevation-" before everything.

I CAN do it by hand, but this can take hours doing it on three different layers, especially when something goes from 360 to 620.

A script I've tried messing with is below which Illustrator decidingly does not like.

var idoc = app.activeDocument; 

    for (var l=0; l<idoc.layers.length; l++) { 

    var ilayer = idoc.layers; 

    for (i=0; i<ilayer.layers.length; i++) { 

        var sublayer = ilayer.layers; 

        sublayer.name = 'num-' + ilayer; 

    } 

}

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Disposition_Dev

give this a go..

function renameLayers()
{
    //change this variable to the name of
    //the layer for which you want to
    //prepend "number-" to each child element
    var numberLayerName = "Numbers";
    //change this variable to the name of
    //the layer for which you want to
    //prepend "elevation-" to each child element
    var elevationLayerName = "Elevation";
    
    if(!app.documents.length)
    {
        alert("You must have at least one document open.");
        return;
    }
    var docRef = app.activeDocument;
    var layers = docRef.layers;
    //verify the necessary layers exist
    var curLayer;
    try
    {
        curLayer = numberLayerName;
        var numberLayer = layers[curLayer];
        curLayer = elevationLayerName;
        var elevationLayer = layers[curLayer];
    }
    catch(e)
    {
        alert("Sorry. The layer \"" + curLayer + "\" does not exist.");
        return;
    }
    //rename the children of the numberLayer
    for(var x=0,len=numberLayer.pageItems.length;x<len;x++)
    {
        numberLayer.pageItems.name = "number-" + numberLayer.pageItems.name;
    }
    //rename the children of the elevationLayer
    for(var x=0,len=elevationLayer.pageItems.length;x<len;x++)
    {
        elevationLayer.pageItems.name = "elevation-" + elevationLayer.pageItems.name;
    }
}
renameLayers();

2 replies

CarlosCanto
Community Expert
CarlosCantoCommunity Expert
Community Expert
January 2, 2018

are those Text Items?

the script renames Sublayers not objects. If those are text frames this script should work

var idoc = app.activeDocument;
    for (var l=0; l<idoc.layers.length; l++) {
    var ilayer = idoc.layers;
    for (i=0; i<ilayer.textFrames.length; i++) {
        var tf = ilayer.textFrames;
        tf.textRange.contents = 'num-' + tf.textRange.contents;
    }
}

but it renames all text frames in the document. It'll need to be modified to do something more useful.

    Disposition_Dev
    Disposition_DevCorrect answer
    Legend
    January 2, 2018

    give this a go..

    function renameLayers()
    {
        //change this variable to the name of
        //the layer for which you want to
        //prepend "number-" to each child element
        var numberLayerName = "Numbers";
        //change this variable to the name of
        //the layer for which you want to
        //prepend "elevation-" to each child element
        var elevationLayerName = "Elevation";
        
        if(!app.documents.length)
        {
            alert("You must have at least one document open.");
            return;
        }
        var docRef = app.activeDocument;
        var layers = docRef.layers;
        //verify the necessary layers exist
        var curLayer;
        try
        {
            curLayer = numberLayerName;
            var numberLayer = layers[curLayer];
            curLayer = elevationLayerName;
            var elevationLayer = layers[curLayer];
        }
        catch(e)
        {
            alert("Sorry. The layer \"" + curLayer + "\" does not exist.");
            return;
        }
        //rename the children of the numberLayer
        for(var x=0,len=numberLayer.pageItems.length;x<len;x++)
        {
            numberLayer.pageItems.name = "number-" + numberLayer.pageItems.name;
        }
        //rename the children of the elevationLayer
        for(var x=0,len=elevationLayer.pageItems.length;x<len;x++)
        {
            elevationLayer.pageItems.name = "elevation-" + elevationLayer.pageItems.name;
        }
    }
    renameLayers();
    A
    AKillingCurseAuthor
    Participant
    January 2, 2018

    That's perfect, thank you!

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