Inspiring

Question

Swatch names conflict

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
August 15, 2018
4 replies
2394 views

As I am changing the color definition of a swatch and press ok, i get message 'Swatch name .... is already in use. Please choose another. And I end up just smashing random keys for new name.

It is a bit frustrating. I don't really care about names of the swatches. At least it could rename it automatically with sufix _(1) or something.
Does anyone happen to now workaround?It even used to be more problematic, because in case of this message you had to close Swatch options windows and start all over again with the redefining and renaming.

This topic has been closed for replies.

S

SorontarAuthor

Inspiring

It really seems that I am one of very few people who have discovered global swatches.
While changing global swatch definition and name conflict comes up with already existing swatch I get conflict message 3 times. Twice immeadetly and once when I try to rename or close the swatch window. Why do I get any conflict at all? It does not fit into my mind, how is this reasonable for workflow.

Can I somehow write plugin myself that renames the swatch on conflict without showing any popup or disables naming by color.
It is absolutely reasonably to have multiple swatches with same color definition and I should not have automatic reflex to slam keyboard for unique swatch name ever time i start changing swatch color definition.

Ton Frederiks

Community Expert

Which version are you using?

In 28.5 it works like this for me:

I define a 100/50/0 RGB color and add it to my swatches as global.

I gets named as R=100 G=50 B=0

When that swatch is still selected, I click the + to create a new swatch with the same definition.

I gets named as R=100 G=50 B=0 copy

I start again with my first swatch selected and click the Convert option in the Color panel to make it non-global.

I add a new swatch by clicking +

I gets named as R=100 G=50 B=0 1

They ar all swatches with the same definition but automatically get a different name. No conflict messages.

What do I different compared to what you experience?

S

SorontarAuthor

Inspiring

I meant something else.
Let's say you have swatch that is named R=100 G=50 B=0 and
you have some other swatch with whatever color name, let's say R=50 G=20 B=0.
Let's say you have many objects with second swatch and you want to recolor them by adjusting the color sliders in swatch defininiton. When you happen to change the second swatch definition R=100 G=50 B=0 you get those errors about naming conflict. Even if you dont want the color be exactly same you might just slide over the named value by draging sliders or in the middle of renaming color channels manually.

S

SorontarAuthor

Inspiring

At least it should let me change the name and color definition not like this -> whatever you do no changes will be saved and you have start modifying your swatch from scratch.
Every day same thing, no workaround. If you dont use global swatches to change colors they you are just not efficient enough. Duplicate colors in this situation are obvious, becaus swatches are connected to specific objects.

Only 3 Illustrator users have this problem. No wonder it never gets changed. Please help out in uservoice. Link in previous comment.

S

SorontarAuthor

Inspiring

Not that this conflict alert is absurd enough, now Illustrator does it twice. I close the conflict warning and then it opens once more.
When I make new swatch with a color that already exist, it has no problem adding uniqe number behind name and no warning, but as soon as you reach the conflict by changing global swatch definition and reach the conflict then it loses its mind. Why layers can have same names but not swatches?

S

SorontarAuthor

Inspiring

I made a feature request in user voice. Please upvote this. This feels like a bug. What if Illustrator had error message every time your line length is the same that some other line length and you need to delete it and start all over again.
Why not just add (2) at the end of the swatch name. *facepalm*
https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/46071352-disable-auto-renaming-swatches

Met1

Legend

Because Illustrator doesn't know that you don't know that the swatch color already exists... That message is Illustrator facepalming...

Monika Gause

Community Expert

So your swatches are named with the color definition? But why do you need several swatches with the same definition?

S

SorontarAuthor

Inspiring

Illustrator names swatches automatically with color name and renaming is usually waste of time.
I may have several watches with same definition because I often change colors in my design by changing definition of Global swatches. Sometimes they may end up with same color. It even gives the 'error' message in the middle of preview, when not yet commited to the final choice of color. Sometimes there are some default or old swatches I don't use at all with same color.
I would be better off with some automatic numbering. Swatch 1, swatch 2, ...

Myra Ferguson

Community Expert

You can request the automatic numbering as a feature here Adobe Illustrator Feedback. First check if anyone else has suggested it, in which case you would vote for their suggestion.

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