Illustrator Script to move artwork from every artboard to new corresponding layers

[dat.IanGuy]

I'm the design side on a motion design pipeline. At the end of each project I'm required to move the artwork of each artboard to it's own layer with the corresponding screen number (layer "screen 01", layer "screen 02" and so on). I wish to automate this process.

Ideally, the script would:

• create and name the layers, based on the number of artboards and it's index;
• move the artwork of each artboard to it's corresponding layer.

I've seen scripts moving objects to specific layers, however most are dealing with selected artboard or selected items, which would not be the case here, since running the script for each individual artboard would make the whole thing kinda pointless. 

I'm pretty sure this is doable, however my knowledge on scripting is pretty limited to say the least, so any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Kurt Gold · Accepted solution]

There is a beautiful script provided by Alexander Ladygin that will do exactly what you are going to do.

https://github.com/alexander-ladygin/illustrator-scripts#artboarditemsmovetonewlayer

[dat.IanGuy]

Wow, this is precisely what I was looking for!
Thank you so much for your response

[Rogerio5C09]

Hi @Kurt Gold,

I know this an old post, but It's indeed a beautiful script :)! Is it possible to simplify it? I mean, I don't need the dialog window, I just need the action/code to move all items into layer name from the artboard name and clear empty layers & sub layers. Would that be possible by any chance? Thanks in advance.

/* 

  Program version: Adobe Illustrator CS5+
  Name: artboardItemsMoveToNewLayer.jsx;

  Author: Alexander Ladygin, email: i@ladygin.pro

  Copyright (c) 2018
  www.ladyginpro.ru

*/
Object.prototype.removeItemsWithArray = function (items) {var obj = [];for (var i = 0; i < this.length; i++) {if (!check(this[i])) {obj.push(this[i]);}}function check(e) {for (var j = 0; j < items.length; j++) {if (e === items[j]) {return true;}}return false;}return obj;};
Object.prototype.emptyLayers = function () {var arr = [];function check(layers) {var obj = [];for (var i = 0; i < layers.length; i++) {if (!layers[i].layers.length && !layers[i].pageItems.length) { obj.push(layers[i]); continue;} var subLayers = layers[i].subLayers(),emptySubLayers = layers[i].emptySubLayers(),count = subLayers.removeItemsWithArray(emptySubLayers).length;if (!count && !layers[i].pageItems.length) {obj = obj.concat(layers[i]);}}return obj;}var doc = this;for (var i = 0; i < doc.length; i++) {arr = arr.concat(check(doc[i].layers));}return arr;};
Object.prototype.subLayers = function (level) {var arr = [], count = 0;if (level !== undefined) {level = level - 1;}function subLayers(layer) {var obj = [], sub = layer.layers;for (var j = 0; j < sub.length; j++) {obj = obj.concat(sub[j]);if ((level === undefined) || (sub[j].layers.length > 0 && count < level)) {obj = obj.concat(subLayers(sub[j], count++));count--;}}return obj;}var obj = this;for (var j = 0; j < obj.length; j++) {arr = arr.concat(subLayers(obj[j]));}return arr;};
Object.prototype.emptySubLayers = function (level) {var arr = [], obj = this;function process(sub) {var sub_arr = [];sub = sub.subLayers(level).reverse();for (var i = 0; i < sub.length; i++) {if (sub[i].pageItems.length > 0) {var parents = sub[i].pageItems[0].getAllParents();parents.pop();sub_arr = sub_arr.concat(parents);}}return sub.removeItemsWithArray(sub_arr).reverse();}for (var i = 0; i < obj.length; i++) {arr = arr.concat(process(obj[i]));}return arr;};
Array.prototype.remove = function(){var i = this.length; if (i > 0) while (i--) this[i].remove();}

var scriptName = 'AIMTNL',
    copyright = ' \u00A9 www.ladyginpro.ru',
    settingFile = {
        name: scriptName + '__setting.json',
        folder: Folder.myDocuments + '/LA_AI_Scripts/'
    };

if (app.documents.length) {
    function getCustomNumbers ($str, items, returnItems) {
        var __num = $str.replace(/ /g, '').replace(/[^-0-9^,]/gim,'').split(','),
            $maxItems = items.length,
            l = __num.length,
            arr = [];

        function getNumbersBetweenMinMax (min, max) {
            var numbers = [];
            for (var n = min; n <= max; n++) {
                if (n < $maxItems) {
                    numbers.push(returnItems ? items[n] : n);
                }
            }
            return numbers;
        }

        for (var j = 0; j < l; j++) {
            if (__num[j].indexOf('-') > -1) {
                var values = __num[j].split('-'),
                    min = parseInt(values[0]),
                    max = parseInt(values[1]);

                if (!isNaN(min) && !isNaN(max)) arr = arr.concat(getNumbersBetweenMinMax(min - 1, max - 1));
            }
                else {
                    var __val = parseInt(__num[j]);
                    if (!isNaN(__val) && __val <= $maxItems) {
                        arr.push(returnItems ? items[__val - 1] : __val - 1);
                    }
                }
        }

        return arr;
    }


    function __artboardItemsMoveToNewLayer (__artNumbers) {
        var arts = activeDocument.artboards,
            l = __artNumbers.length;

        selection = null;

        function __move (items, __index) {
            var layer = activeDocument.layers.add(),
                j = items.length;

            if (layerNameCheckbox.value) layer.name = arts[__index].name;

            if (j > 0) while (j--) {
                items[j].moveToBeginning(layer);
            }
        }

        for (var i = 0; i < l; i++) {
            activeDocument.artboards.setActiveArtboardIndex(__artNumbers[i]);
            activeDocument.selectObjectsOnActiveArtboard();
            __move(selection, __artNumbers[i]);
            selection = null;
        }
    }

    var selectionBak = selection;

    var win = new Window('dialog', 'Artboards items move to new layer \u00A9 www.ladyginpro.ru', undefined);
        win.orientation = 'column';
        win.alignChildren = ['fill', 'fill'];

    var panel = win.add('panel', undefined, 'Artboards:');
        panel.orientation = 'column';
        panel.alignChildren = ['fill', 'fill'];
        panel.margins = 20;

    var groupRadio = panel.add('group');
        groupRadio.orientation = 'row';

    var allArtboardsRadio = groupRadio.add('radiobutton', undefined, 'All'),
        customArtboardsRadio = groupRadio.add('radiobutton', undefined, 'Custom');
        allArtboardsRadio.value = true;
        allArtboardsRadio.onClick = function () { customArts.enabled = false; };
        customArtboardsRadio.onClick = function () { customArts.enabled = true; };

    var customArts = panel.add('edittext', undefined, activeDocument.artboards.getActiveArtboardIndex() + 1);
        customArts.enabled = false;

    var panelCheckbox = win.add('panel');
        panelCheckbox.orientation = 'column';
        panelCheckbox.alignChildren = ['fill', 'fill'];
        panelCheckbox.margins = 10;

    var removeEmptyLayersCheckbox = panelCheckbox.add('checkbox', undefined, 'Clear empty layers & sub layers'),
        layerNameCheckbox = panelCheckbox.add('checkbox', undefined, 'Layer name from the artboard name');

    var winButtons = win.add('group');
        winButtons.orientation = 'row';
        winButtons.alignChildren = ['fill', 'fill'];

    var cancel = winButtons.add('button', undefined, 'Cancel');
        cancel.helpTip = 'Press Esc to Close';
        cancel.onClick = function () { win.close(); }

    var ok = winButtons.add('button', undefined, 'OK');
        ok.helpTip = 'Press Enter to Run';
        ok.onClick = startAction;
        ok.active = true;

    function startAction() {
        var __arts = [];

        __arts = getCustomNumbers((customArtboardsRadio.value ? customArts.text : ('1-' + activeDocument.artboards.length)), activeDocument.artboards);

        __artboardItemsMoveToNewLayer(__arts);

        if (removeEmptyLayersCheckbox.value) [activeDocument].emptyLayers().remove();
        // selection = selectionBak;

        win.close();
    }

    selection = null;
    function saveSettings() {
        var $file = new File(settingFile.folder + settingFile.name),
            data = [
                allArtboardsRadio.value,
                customArtboardsRadio.value,
                removeEmptyLayersCheckbox.value,
                layerNameCheckbox.value
            ].toString() + '\n' + customArts.text;
        $file.open('w');
        $file.write(data);
        $file.close();
    }
    function loadSettings() {
        var $file = File(settingFile.folder + settingFile.name);
        if ($file.exists) {
            try {
                $file.open('r');
                var data = $file.read().split('\n'),
                    $main = data[0].split(','),
                    $arts = data[1];
                allArtboardsRadio.value = ($main[0] === 'true');
                customArtboardsRadio.value = ($main[1] === 'true');
                removeEmptyLayersCheckbox.value = ($main[2] === 'true');
                layerNameCheckbox.value = ($main[3] === 'true');

                customArts.text = $arts;
                customArts.enabled = customArtboardsRadio.value;
            } catch (e) {}
            $file.close();
        }
    }

    function checkSettingFolder() {
        var $folder = new Folder(settingFile.folder);
        if (!$folder.exists) $folder.create();
    }

    win.onClose = function () {
        saveSettings();
        return true;
    }

    checkSettingFolder();
    loadSettings();
    win.center();
    win.show();

}
    else {
        throw new Error('Create document!');
    }