Best way to replace image in an AI file 100 times?

[ZakSingle]

Hi all!

This is driving me crazy...

So I have my A4 AI document with a QR code at the bottom (don't ask why I'm using QR codes, client work) and need to replace it and export the A4 poster as a PDF. I need to do this 100 times with 100 different QR codes and save 100 PDFs.

To summarise I need to,

1. Open A4 document (that has artwork already).
2. Drop in QR code A near the bottom.
3. Export as PDF A.

Repeat..

1. Open main document.
2. Drop in QR code B.
3. Export as PDF B.

And so on x100....

I have a experience with actions in Photoshop but not batch actions or scripts, and obviously need to run it in Illustrator...

Can anyone help?

Thank you!

[Muppet Mark]

Yeah script can do this… Is QR code a placed link…?

AI will let you have 100 artboards so you could make use those… and export 1 PDF

or

Loop a folder of QR codes and just replace the file path to the links…?

There is NO need to keep opening and closing the original AI doc…

Do you need to save each doc with said code…?

[ZakSingle]

Thanks for your help Mark!

You're right, yeah the QR code is a placed link, probably would be easiest to have the document open and relink and save out as a PDF 100 times. The files obviously need to have different names but they DO NOT need to relate to the file name of the QR code (codes/web addresses will be scanned manually by the client after printing for reference).

So now I just need help to figure out how to 'Relink' and 'Save As' 100 times. I've never used scripts before, is it something I can do myself or would I need to get someone to write it? Or can I just set up a regular or batch action?

Thanks again!

[Muppet Mark]

I don't 'think' a batch action is going to work for what you want…

Im NOT a big user of action so I may be wrong. Have they been improved in recent versions (CC)

Your choices are the built-in to AI variable data and data sets… You can make a liked file variable…

You will need to get your replacement file paths into an XML document and import…

A script can do this but wether you commision someone or dig about this forum for previous examples

there should be plenty of snippets and knock it up yourself…

[ZakSingle]

After your suggestion I did some googling and found this:

http://hypertransitory.com/blog/2014/05/27/use-adobe-illustrator-variable-data-xml/#comment-17854

Hopefully this will get me started! Thanks for your help Mark, I will report back soon!