.ai compatibility and .pdf type question

[peter_balogh]

Hi guys!

I'm using Illustrator daily for my work since 2016, but there is one thing I can't find any answer.

For my job I have to save the finished drawings as .ai and .pdf too. For the .ai, I have to save with "Illustrator CS5 version compatibility", and for the .pdf, with the "Illustrator default". And this is the case for every single file. In the last 3.5 years I had to select these options for almost 7000 drawings.

Is there any way to pre-set these as defaults, so the Illustrator doesn't have to ask me at every single saving process? It would make my daily job a bit quicker, since I always have to use these options.

Thanks for your answer and help in advance,

BR, p.

[Eric Dumas]

Hi,

can you confirm the version of illustrator and the operating system you are using?

Have you looked into using actions to automate your tasks?

Use actions to automate tasks in Illustrator

[peter_balogh]

Hello Eric,

I'm sorry, true, I forgot to mention these details (didn't tought that different versions might have an option).

- Adobe Illustrator CC 2018 (it says "22.1 64-bit" in the Help menu),

- Windows 10.

I'm quite familiar with actions as I have a couple of them set up and in use daily; but I'm not sure how I can make one with the next steps:

- save as .ai,

- go to a specified network folder, different to almost every drawing (depends on customer),

- create a new folder within the customer's folder, with the name of "itemNumber_itemName",

- name the .ai file as "itemNumber itemName",

- select the CC5 compatibility,

- save as .pdf,

- name the .pdf file as "itemNumber itemName",

- use default pdf settings.

The itemNumber and itemName are individual parameters, different for every drawing, so I'm needed to add them by hand.

I also wrote a couple of thousand line of JS script for the Illustrator, but I don't really remember anything in the Reference about finding a specific folder on the network (customer's folder), creating a new folder with itemNumber and itemName, and selecting the correct parameters during saving. But if there is anything for this, I'm not sure if I can save any time with the prompt-s.

[Barbara Ash]

No way to change those particular defaults. Good suggestion from Eric Dumas to use Actions.

[peter_balogh]

Hello Barbara!

In my previous comment I've described that what kind of process I do. Do you have an actual suggestion about how to resolve the naming, and the save-to-folder creation/selection? Just because "use an action for this" is not really useful right now.

Thanks for your answer in advance,

BR, p.

[Barbara Ash]

Actions won't 100% automate the process, but should save you some time.

First set up your folders: a folder that contains the Illustrator files you want to save, and a second folder where you want the processed files to be saved.

Open the Actions panel and open one of your files. You'll need a file open to create the action.

Create a new action by clicking on the New Action button at the bottom of the Actions panel. Go through the various steps you need to do. When the steps are completed, click the Stop Action button at the bottom of the panel.

You can close the file you used to create the action.

In the Actions panel fly-out menu in the upper right, choose Batch.

In the Batch dialog box, specify the action you want to use, the Source folder and the Destination folder. Click OK to process the files.

[peter_balogh]

Hello Barbara,

that is indeed a detailed how-to!

The only issue is that at the beginning of my process, I have nothing on my hand.

I have to create the graphics from a blank sheet, so at the beginning I have no illustrator file to be opened and edited. (I'm working for a company who produces industrial bags, consumable packagins, etc.; and part of my job is to create the cutter guides and bag drawings; these later will be used by the graphic designers and the machine operators too. Since no two bag are the same, I have to make these drawings from zero.)

I have wrote three different script, which makes the drawings for me -one for every archetype of bags we made-, and after running them, I have to do a bit of refining, and then saving. The scripting reference indeed contains a couple of functions for saving in .ai and .pdf, but running a script where I have to add the itemNumber, itemName and savingLocation, might not save a lot of time for me. Altought I'll try to create a smart little script for this, if nothing else, just for fun. Maybe it'll work, maybe not..

But in general it's good to know that unfortunately there is no way to pre-set the Illustrator itself for my preferred settings. 😞

Thanks for your answers anyway, have a nice day!

[Doug A Roberts]

Since you already have a script that you want to get a bit closer to your specification, you should probably post it on the scripting forum and see if anyone can help there:

Illustrator Scripting

[peter_balogh]

I know that I can make a separate script where I can save in one step with my desired settings,

BUT

for that script I'd need at least three prompt windows, asking for itemNumer, itemName and customerFolder. Typing there these informations requires equal or more time than selecting the correct options on the Save As panel. So in the end, unfortunately, I'm not advancing anywhere.

But again: I'll try to create a quick script for this and check if it more convenient or not.

Thanks for the suggestion,

have a nice day, p.

[Doug A Roberts]

Do you know anything about ScriptUI? It's a plugin for creating custom interface windows. If you think it would be useful to combine those dialogs, someone on the scripting forum might be more familiar with it than me.

[peter_balogh]

No, I never touched SriptUI. I don't know why - maybe it requires to install some additional stuff to the computer, like some API's? I have to look after it. Thanks for the direction, when I'll have some extra time on my hands, I'll look after it!!

Thanks again,

have a nice day, p.   

[Lumenn]

How do you provide information about itemNumer, itemName and customerFolder right now?

If i am right you go to save as, then you type in name of the folder, and then type in name of the file.
And you are doing it for folder, and filename.
You have to click save as 2 times,  once for ai, once for pdf, and more if any other files are saved.

With a script you can type those once, and it will create folder, and save all the files with correct names.

It can be one prompt / window, it doesn't have to be a standard prompt.

Using ScriptUI as Doug A Roberts​ suggested will easily handle this.

[peter_balogh]

Hello Lumenn,

yes, you are actually right about my process. I can save some time as Save As is binded for key F1, but the process is right.

My concern about folder creation is that.. can the AI create a folder at all via JS/ScriptUI? I never checked this. The other one is that somehow I have to assign the to-be-created folder to the customer-specific folder. Right now I have 181 of those. If ScriptUI supports drop-down lists, then it can be easily selectable..

Time, time, time is what I need, but right now we have month's end closing, so I have other stuff to focus.

[Lumenn]

ScriptUI offers dropdownlist, and ExtendScript gives you some tools to check filesystem.

You can select the folder, in which you hold all of the customer folders.

var folder = new Folder (path)
var customerFolders = folder.getfiles() - it will give you array of files and folders in the folder you've pointed

Then select only folders from here, and use them as array for elements in dropdownlist.

Creating a folder is as simple as that:

var checkFolder = new Folder(path);
if (!checkFolder.exists){
checkFolder.create();
} !

For scriptUI, there is this awesome .pdf guide ScriptUI for dummies | Peter Kahrel​ which i just loved, once i've stared illustrator coding.

And creating a dropdownlist:

var window = new Window("dialog")
var dropdownlist = window.add("DropDownList", undefined, arrayOfFolderNames);

I might be able to write the script, or just a simple skeleton, but give me some overview on the requirements

Which illustrator version, what operating systems, how does example structure of folders look like

[peter_balogh]

Lumenn,

holy hell, that is awesome!

When I'll have the time to dive into the ScriptUI, propably I'll use the parts you wrote here.

Thank you!

Best regards, p.

[Barbara Ash]

If Actions won't do what you need, you might try the Illustrator Scripting forum.