Illustrator Script to Extract File Properties

[webtrix2]

Hi Folks,

I'm looking to find a script that can extract illustrator file property information such as file name, length, height, pantone colors, etc. 

Does anyone know of an existing script or have examples of how to do this?  I would really appreciate your help! 

Thank you in advance!

[Muppet Mark]

There are numerous ways of doing this… What is the purpose of this info extraction?

[webtrix2]

We need to extract this information from a large number of files into a CSV so we can import the file data into a database.  Thank you for your help!

[Muppet Mark]

Much of what you want is probably in the metadata so you could use Bridge to get that without opening the files… Some of the other stuff can also be gotten from parsing the file itself… Writing a CSV file is straight forward enough…

[webtrix2]

Thanks for the info Mark, would you be interested in writing a script like what we need?  We'd be willing to compensate you, we just don't have the Illustrator Scripting experience.

[Muppet Mark]

If you can give me a better idea of whats wanted then I will see what we can do… I would have a half dozen questions like…

1. Are all the files created/saved by Illustrator

2. Are the files mixed versions and formats?

3. Where are they one directory and or substructure?

4. Mixed with other files?

5. Are the above the only properties you need? ( I guess by length you mean width? length would be file size in bytes )

6. What system and app version you are using?

These have a large bearing on how much scripting time is need…

[webtrix2]

Thanks for your help Mark.  Here are the answers to your questions above.

1. Some are older ones that were created with Corel.

2. Some are AI files and some are EPS files.

3. They would be in a single directory.

4. No, they are all either AI or EPS files.

5. File Name, Image Height (px), Image Width (px), Pantone Colors

     i.e. (file123,8.5,6.5,Black,130C,310C)

6. Using Illustrator CS5 (15.1.0) on Mac OS X (10.7.3)

Thank you again!

[Muppet Mark]

Webtrix2, To answer 1… 'created with Corel' I've never used this package were the files created originally with Coral but have since be opened and re-writen by AI? To answer 5 so you want measurement units in pixels ( I forgot about that one ) thats fine… Illustartor will write some info in file that can be parsed with reasonable ease… I have no idea about Coral if AI has not opened and resaved you may be out of luck with those ones… Otherwise couple of samples always helps if you are allowed? ( I can dig about in them). Mac is fine but Im not a Lion user yet… Only up to Snow Leopard here… Do you have Bridge too?

[webtrix2]

Mark, I was just told we can ignore the Corel files and that the files will just be Adobe Illustrator created AI and EPS files.  Yes, we do have Bridge as well.  Thank you again!

[Muppet Mark]

Then I should be able to do it… It's the unknown that causes all the issues… I did a Bridge inspector panel that does most of this…

[webtrix2]

Great!  What's next step?