Hi everyone, is there a script for batch clipping masks? Thank you

[莫小91371145]

I often use scripts to cut masks in batches in my work. I hope someone can help me. Thank you.

[m1b]

Just to help clarify, could you post screenshot of the expanded layers palette before and after the process? Expand the layer so we can see each page item—one before the action and once again afterwards. Thanks.

[莫小91371145]

Hello m1b, please see the demo GIF picture, thank you

[femkeblanco]

Is the plan to target the items by selecting them?  

[莫小91371145]

Determine the goal by selecting the project Thank you

[femkeblanco]

For the simplest case, where items are path items (i.e. not group items or compound path items), the following makes a clipping mask of each two overlapping selected items:

var selectedItems = app.activeDocument.selection;
var a = [];
var test = function(path1, path2) {
    var b1 = path1.geometricBounds;
    var b2 = path2.geometricBounds;
    return (b1[2] > b2[0] && b1[0] < b2[2]) && (b1[3] < b2[1] && b1[1] > b2[3]);
}
for (var i = 0; i < selectedItems.length ; i++) {
    for (var j = 0; j < selectedItems.length ; j++) {
        if (j != i && test(selectedItems[i], selectedItems[j])) {
            if (!selectedItems[i].done || !selectedItems[j].done) {
                var x = [];
                x.push(selectedItems[i]);
                x.push(selectedItems[j]);
                a.push(x);
                selectedItems[i].done = true;
                selectedItems[j].done = true;
                if (x[0].zOrderPosition < x[1].zOrderPosition) {
                    var temp = x[0];
                    x[0] = x[1];
                    x[1] = temp;
                }
            }
        }
    }
}
for (var i = 0; i < a.length; i ++) {
    var group = app.activeDocument.groupItems.add();
    a[i][0].moveToEnd(group);
    a[i][1].moveToEnd(group);
    group.clipped = true;
}

For a more comprehensive approach, you could try groupOverlappingObjects by John Wundes, adding the following right at the end of the script:

for (var i = 0; i < app.activeDocument.groupItems.length; i++) {
    app.activeDocument.groupItems[i].clipped = true;
}

[莫小91371145]

Hello femke blanco, I don’t know how to write scripts. Will the code of group projects and compound path projects be complicated? Thank you

[femkeblanco · Accepted solution]

I think I overthought things. The following should make a clipping mask of each two overlapping selected items, whatever the masked artwork is (group, compound path, et cetera).  See if it works for you.

var selectedItems = app.activeDocument.selection;
var a = [];
var test = function(path1, path2) {
    var b1 = path1.geometricBounds;
    var b2 = path2.geometricBounds;
    return (b1[2] > b2[0] && b1[0] < b2[2]) && (b1[3] < b2[1] && b1[1] > b2[3]);
}
for (var i = 0; i < selectedItems.length ; i++) {
    if (!selectedItems[i].done) {
        for (var j = 0; j < selectedItems.length ; j++) {
            if (j != i && test(selectedItems[i], selectedItems[j])) {
                var x = [];
                x.push(selectedItems[i]);
                x.push(selectedItems[j]);
                a.push(x);
                selectedItems[j].done = true;
            }
        }
    }
}
for (var i = 0; i < a.length; i ++) {
    var group = app.activeDocument.groupItems.add();
    a[i][0].moveToEnd(group);
    a[i][1].moveToEnd(group);
    group.clipped = true;
}

[莫小91371145]

Thank you femkeblanco, this is exactly what I want, very good

[rozuja]

Your approach is what im looking for. Just got over this post been looking this for allmost 10 years work arround, but the script doesn't seem to work. Tried to click paths, images in a batch way but it isn't working. I have now 2022, hope this can be fixed or other wise explain how to use it. Litteraly is a must on Illustrator.

GEtting this error https://postimg.cc/NLQJf8kM

Thanks for the script.

[femkeblanco]

The script does not manage layers.  The error message implies a layer, presumably the first, is either locked or invisible.  Try changing the fifth line from the bottom from

var group = app.activeDocument.groupItems.add();

to

var group = a[i][0].parent.groupItems.add();

 To use, just select the items in question and run. 

[rozuja]

Works perfect... This script is gold man ❤️

[Kurt Gold]

It may be pretty useful if you were providing a couple of Illustrator sample files including some clear instructions that may explain what exactly you are going to do.

Also, which version of Illustrator are you using?