Action to Edit Dartboard Placement

[aDavidAlan]

Hi Everyone,

I had a plan that I thought would be pretty simple to record as an action, but is proving to be impossible.  I'm building a 3D mockup in Fusion 360, but the easiest way for me to do the initial setup was to build the shapes of the panels in Illustrator.  I broke all the shapes into separate artboards so that I could easily import each panel separately as I needed them.  I did a save as .eps so that I could break out all the artboards into individual files, which worked, BUT it kept each artboard in its original position in the workspace, i.e. not with the upper left corner at X=0, Y=0.  

Here's where my problem is.  I figured I could easily just record selecting the artboard tool, typing 0s into the X and Y coordinates, save as DXF and close.  Nope.  Can't record selecting the artboard tool, and can't record typing 0s into X and Y coordinates, even if i just leave the Artboard tool selected.  

This particular project is only a couple boxes, so it's not a HUGE deal to do this part by hand, but I know this won't be the last time, so it'd be helpful to know if there's a way to script this somehow.  

Any help is always appreciated.

[florence023]

Hi Everyone,

I had a plan that I thought would be pretty simple to record as an action, but is proving to be impossible.  I'm building a 3D mockup in Fusion 360, but the easiest way for me to do the initial setup was to build the shapes of the panels in Illustrator.  I broke all the shapes into separate artboards so that I could easily import each panel separately as I needed them.  I did a save as .eps so that I could break out all the artboards into individual files, which worked, BUT it kept each artboard in its original position in the workspace, i.e. not with the upper left corner at X=0, Y=0.  

Here's where my problem is.  I figured I could easily just record selecting the artboard tool, typing 0s into the X and Y coordinates, save as DXF and close.  Nope.  Can't record selecting the artboard tool, and can't record typing 0s into X and Y coordinates, even if i just leave the Artboard tool selected.  

This particular project is only a couple boxes, so it's not a HUGE deal to do this part by hand, but I know this won't be the last time, so it'd be helpful to know if there's a way to script this somehow.  

Any help is always appreciated.

By @aDavidAlanHealthCareGov

Hello,
It sounds like you’re dealing with artboards in Illustrator and need to adjust their positions. While recording actions for this specific task might not be straightforward, there are alternative approaches you can try:

Manual Adjustment: Since your project involves only a few boxes, manually adjusting the artboard positions might be the quickest solution. You can drag and position each artboard to the desired location using the Artboard tool.
Scripting: While Illustrator doesn’t directly support recording actions for artboard placement, you can explore scripting options. Adobe Illustrator supports JavaScript-based scripting, which allows you to automate tasks. Here’s a high-level approach:
Write a script that iterates through each artboard.
Set the X and Y coordinates of each artboard to (0, 0).
Save the modified artboards as DXF files.
Close the files.
Keep in mind that scripting requires some familiarity with JavaScript and Illustrator’s scripting API. If you’re comfortable with coding, this could be a powerful solution for future projects.
Exporting with Transformations: Instead of saving as .eps, try exporting your artboards as SVG files. SVG files retain the artboard positions relative to the artwork. You can then convert SVG to DXF using other tools or online converters.
Remember to back up your files before trying any new approach. If you decide to explore scripting, Adobe’s official documentation provides details on Illustrator scripting using JavaScript

Hope this will help you.
Best regards,
Florence Gayhart