Convert arboards to objects

[ferdi_]

Hi! I want to make arboards to objects to transform sizes. I don't know if I can do it... Can you help me?

Thank you!

[Kurt Gold]

Which version of Illustrator are you using?

In case it's a recent version, why don't you just use the Artboard tool to change the size of your artboards?

[ferdi_]

Hi Kurt! I'm using CC 2015 *Mac.

I'm doing some planners in different sizes and I like to use objetcs to move it or change a colour, for example.

I forgot to copy the object (rectangle) and paste it in front before convert to artboard and close the file. So I have to draw the rectangles again. I think in these cases, it would be very useful and fast if we can convert artboards to objects.

Thank you very much for your reply!

[CarlosCanto]

use this script, it will draw a rectangle the size of the active artboard.

var idoc = app.activeDocument;

var r = idoc.artboards[idoc.artboards.getActiveArtboardIndex()].artboardRect;

idoc.pathItems.rectangle(r[1], r[0], r[2]-r[0], r[1]-r[3]);

[ferdi_]

I have not idea how to use script... But thanks!

[CarlosCanto]

Paste those 3 lines of code to a text file, save the file with a jsx extension. To use, go to File, Scripts, Other Scripts....and navigate to where you saved the jsx file

[nienekee12130452]

This is awesome! Is it also possible to cover the bleed too?

[CarlosCanto]

hmm, let me see, I'm not sure if I can get the bleed box coordinates.

[Kathryn30641874ueqa]

So, keeping in mind that I know very little about coding and even less about mac, is there a reason why this script will not work on my computer?

First, I was annoyed that I couldn't use notepad to export the file as you instructed, and I had to find some special program specifically for scripts on here, and then when I pasted the text and attempted to save, it kept giving this error:

If I switched it from applescript to javascript, it was able to save, but if I go into illustrator and run the script, it just throws this onto the screen:

It doesn't do anything. If I attempt to run the script from the script program thing, it doesn't know which app to use or something, and it doesn't work that way, either. It just says this:

This would be a very useful script for me.

Any help is appreciated, and I apologize for my ignorance regarding these topics.

[Kathryn30641874ueqa]

Adding larger format of last image so it is readable:

[Kathryn30641874ueqa]

Oh, now it lets me click the original image to enlarge. Lovely. Not sure why it didn't do that when I clicked on it originally, before I responded to my own post with a larger version of the image. Amazing.

[Ton Frederiks · Accepted solution]

Kathryn, 

just use the default text editor on your Mac; TextEdit

Create a new document in TextEdit and choose Format > Make Plain Text

Paste the 3 lines of code and save the file on your desktop with a .js or .jsx extention.

To use it select the file in Illustrator from File > Scripts > Other Scripts

Or first copy it to your Illustrator Application folder > Presets > Your Language folder > Scripts 

to make it accessible in the File > Scripts menu.

[Kathryn30641874ueqa]

I just saw this now, because the alert went to my junk folder, but THANK YOU!

This worked perfectly!

[Ton Frederiks]

Good to hear that helped.

[ferdi_]

Hi Kurt! I'm using CC 2015 *Mac.

I'm doing some planners in different sizes and I like to use objetcs to move it or change a colour, for example.

I forgot to copy the object (rectangle) and paste it in front before convert to artboard and close the file. So I have to draw the rectangles again. I think in these cases, it would be very useful and fast if we can convert artboards to objects.

Thank you very much for your reply!