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M
Maple Stirrup
Known Participant
July 26, 2020
Answered

Wanting to move an object with javascript to specific coordinates

  • July 26, 2020
  • 1 reply
  • 3545 views

I can't seem to get the move method to work, it lists move( relativeObject, insertionLocation ) or would I use the transform method here instead?

 

I can't seem to find examples of move or transform being used unfortunately.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer femkeblanco

move(), as I understand it, corresponds to the "Arrange" command in the Object menu.  So, it "moves" a path above or below another path (in the example below, named path1 and path2).

 

var paths = app.activeDocument.pathItems;
paths["path1"].move(paths["path2"], ElementPlacement.PLACEAFTER);

 

It sounds like what you want is translate(dx, dy), which moves the path by dx and dy distances from the present position.  So

 

paths["path1"].translate(100, 100);

 

moves the path 100 points in the positive x direction and 100 points in the positive y direction.

 

Alternatively, you can assign new values for the position property:

 

paths["path1"].position = [x, y];

 

I've not figured out how transform and transformation matrices work. 

 

1 reply

femkeblanco
femkeblancoCorrect answer
Legend
July 26, 2020

move(), as I understand it, corresponds to the "Arrange" command in the Object menu.  So, it "moves" a path above or below another path (in the example below, named path1 and path2).

 

var paths = app.activeDocument.pathItems;
paths["path1"].move(paths["path2"], ElementPlacement.PLACEAFTER);

 

It sounds like what you want is translate(dx, dy), which moves the path by dx and dy distances from the present position.  So

 

paths["path1"].translate(100, 100);

 

moves the path 100 points in the positive x direction and 100 points in the positive y direction.

 

Alternatively, you can assign new values for the position property:

 

paths["path1"].position = [x, y];

 

I've not figured out how transform and transformation matrices work. 

 

    M
    Maple StirrupAuthor
    Known Participant
    July 26, 2020

    Nice!  .position is what I was looking for. 

     

    Without having to complicate things and introduce me having to do math with the visible bounds, is there a way to get the .position to apply to the mask of a clipped group?  Unfortunately the .position factors in the whole content and not the mask.

    femkeblanco
    femkeblanco
    Legend
    July 26, 2020

    Most items have a position property.  So in the clipping mask from the preceding thread (Trying to assign a variable name to a masked object using a menu command in jsx), you can reassign the position of the whole "clipping set" group,

    clippingSet.position = [x, y];

    just the "clipping path"

    clippingSet.pathItems["clippingPath"].position = [x, y];

    or just the "masked artwork".

    clippingSet.pathItems["maskedArtwork"].position = [x, y];

     

    The key is getting the hang of Illustrator's object model to be able to reference the items you want. 

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