AI File Format Specification

[Muppet_Mark-phjQ9l]

Is there such a thing? I can find the same old one in several places but nothing up to date…? I have one for Photoshop but not AI. I script AI but would like to parse some info out of the file itself for a Bridge script…

[moluapple]

Hi Mark,

I think the only document you can get is AI7FileFormat.pdf. From version 9.0 .AI file format has being keep secret by Adobe.

With CS6 you will be able to dump a readable PGF file first(I mean by script), and then try to deal with it.

BTW, what info you want to parse from ai document?

[Muppet_Mark-phjQ9l]

Wow, Ive not put my head in here for ages… ( didn't get notified of any response )… Yes I have that pdf but it contains nothing of what Im after… Plus Im not sure if it can be relied upon being so old… What I was going to look at doing was adding my own custom name space to the file XMP where I can pack additional info about the doc… Bridge will show plates, fonts and swatches but Im interested in storing collections like brushes, graphic styles, symbols and such alike… I want a Bridge tabbed panel to pickup this data and show me on file selection… I want to do the same for my Indesign files but thats another story and possibly easier to do…

[moluapple]

Yes, the dumped readable PGF file is follow AI7FileFormat Specification, so not easy but possible with CS6 through javascript.  Before CS6 the AI file should save with "Use Compression" option unchecked in order to be readable.

%AI8_BeginPluginObject

(Adobe Calligraphic Brush Tool)

(7 pt. Round)

(1 7 7 100 100 0 0 0 0 0 0) .

%AI8_EndPluginObject

%AI9_BeginArtStyleList

([Default])

(Shadow)

(Round Corners 10 pt)

(Live Reflect X)

(Illuminate Yellow )

(Tissue Paper)

(Smoke)

(Bevel Soft)

(Shadow 1)

%AI9_EndArtStyleList

%AI10_BeginSymbolList

(Cube)

(Grime)

(Florid Strokes)

(Bow)

(Bubble)

(Roman Trim Marks \(9-Slice\))

%AI10_EndSymbolList

[Muppet_Mark-phjQ9l]

Yup that is the kind of additional info I want to display… My problem is I have CS5 for the foreseeable future… Plus the files will be mixed CS versions and mostly compressed… Oh eek