How to select Objects outside Artboard ?

[silverserver80]

Hi!

how can I select all Objects outside the Artboard?

ps: I don't want to delete them, so no "removeArtboardFluff" function, I want to use them...

THX!!

[SJRiegel]

Select and lock all the objects that are on the artboard, then select all to grab the rest. 

[silverserver80]

Thanks for your prompt answer!

I meant a Java-script for doing this...

[femkeblanco]

You could do it the conventional way, by comparing the bounds of items with the bounds of the artboard. A shorter script should be (I cannot test it at present)

app.executeMenuCommand ("selectallinartboard");
app.executeMenuCommand ("Inverse menu item");

[silverserver80]

Hello femkeblanko,

using this directly in illustrator, the selection works.

But over my script, t´which is driven by an external script runner, it did not work.

The file gets opened, but nothing gets selected...

thx & kr

[femkeblanco · Accepted solution]

I don't know why it would not work.  Try the conventional way.  (This presumes one artboard and is for items completely outside the artboard.)

app.selection = null;
var doc = app.activeDocument;
var items = doc.pageItems;
for (var i = items.length - 1; i > -1; i--) {
    var b1 = items[i].geometricBounds;
    var b2 = doc.artboards[0].artboardRect;
    if ((b1[2] < b2[0] || b1[0] > b2[2]) || 
        (b1[3] > b2[1] || b1[1] < b2[3])) {
        items[i].selected = true;
    }
}

[silverserver80]

Great! Selecting the object ouside the artboard wirks now! Thank you!!

Now I am losing the connection to the next step - using the selected object for pattern repeat...

Do you see, what's wrong in my script?

Here the script as text:

function main(inputs, outputFolder, params)
{

// Iterate through the list of inputs.
for (i=0; i<inputs.length; i++)
{
var input = inputs[i];

try
{
// Open the input file.
var myDocument = app.open(File(input), DocumentColorSpace.CMYK);

// Select all
app.selection = null;
var doc = app.activeDocument;
var items = doc.pageItems;
for (var i = items.length - 1; i > -1; i--) {
var b1 = items[i].geometricBounds;
var b2 = doc.artboards[0].artboardRect;
if ((b1[2] < b2[0] || b1[0] > b2[2]) ||
(b1[3] > b2[1] || b1[1] < b2[3])) {
items[i].selected = true;
}
}

// TILL HERE IT WORKS FINE, I HAVE AN OPENED DOCUMENT WITH A SELECTED OBJECT OUTSIDE THE ARTBOARD

// BUT HERE I AM LOSING THE CONNECTION TO THE NEXT STEP "make a row"
// THE SELECTED OBJECT SHOULD BE USED FOR IT

for(j=0; j<10; j++)
{
//make a row
for(i=0; i<125; i++)
{
newobject = object.duplicate();
newobject.translate(object.width*(i+1),-object.height*(j+1));
newobject.rotate(Math.floor(Math.random()*4)*90);
}
}

// Close the document without saving.
myDocument.close(SaveOptions.SAVECHANGES);
}
catch (e)
{
// Log problem info and set the return value to "Warning".
$.writeln("Problem while creating pattern " + input);
$.writeln("Name: " + e.name);
$.writeln("Message: " + e.message);
returnValue = "Warning";
}
}
return returnValue;
}

[femkeblanco]

I'm unsure what you are trying to do, but "object" is undefined.  If "object" is one selected item:

var object = app.selection[0];

[silverserver80]

Great, it works!
Now I just need to save the PDF in a certain folder URL and then close the document.