Import Files To layers

Report · Oct 15, 2018

I'm using this script below, but i want to place the eps files in the active open document not create a new document for them to be placed in. i see the line "myDocument = app.documents.add();" as the line to be changed to something like ActiveDocument or something but not sure what is right. can you help with this small adjustment?

// Import Folder's Files as Layers - Illustrator CS3 script

// Description: Imports a series of images (from the designated folder) as named layers into a new document

// Author: Nathaniel V. KELSO (nathaniel@kelsocartography.com)

// Version: 1.0.0 on 10/March/2009

// Global script setting

var placement9pointAlignment = "mm";

function getFolder() {

return Folder.selectDialog('Please select the folder to be imported:', Folder('~'));

}

function importFolderAsLayers(selectedFolder) {

// if a folder was selected continue with action, otherwise quit

var myDocument;

if (selectedFolder) {

myDocument = app.documents.add();

var firstImageLayer = true;

var newLayer ;

var thisPlacedItem;

// create document list from files in selected folder

var imageList = selectedFolder.getFiles();

for (var i = 0; i < imageList.length; i++) {

// open each document in file list

if (imageList instanceof File) {

// get the file name

var fName = imageList.name.toLowerCase();

// check for supported file formats

if( (fName.indexOf(".eps") == -1) ) {

//if( (fName.indexOf(".eps") == -1) && (fName.indexOf(".gif") == -1) && (fName.indexOf(".jpg") == -1) && (fName.indexOf(".png") == -1) && (fName.indexOf(".bmp") == -1) && (fName.indexOf(".tif") == -1) && (fName.indexOf(".psd") == -1)) {

// skip unsupported formats

continue;

} else {

if( firstImageLayer ) {

newLayer = myDocument.layers[0];

firstImageLayer = false;

} else {

newLayer = myDocument.layers.add();

}

// Give the layer the name of the image file

newLayer.name = fName.substring(0, fName.indexOf(".") );

// Place the image on the artboard

thisPlacedItem = newLayer.placedItems.add()

thisPlacedItem.file = imageList;

switch( placement9pointAlignment ) {

default :

break;

case "ul" :

thisPlacedItem.top = myDocument.height;

thisPlacedItem.left = 0;

break;

case "ml" :

thisPlacedItem.top = myDocument.height / 2 + thisPlacedItem.height / 2;

thisPlacedItem.left = 0;

break;

case "ll" :

thisPlacedItem.top = thisPlacedItem.height;

thisPlacedItem.left = 0;

break;

case "ur" :

thisPlacedItem.top = myDocument.height;

thisPlacedItem.left = myDocument.width - thisPlacedItem.width;

break;

case "mr" :

thisPlacedItem.top = myDocument.height / 2 + thisPlacedItem.height / 2;

thisPlacedItem.left = myDocument.width - thisPlacedItem.width;

break;

case "lr" :

thisPlacedItem.top = thisPlacedItem.height;

thisPlacedItem.left = myDocument.width - thisPlacedItem.width;

break;

case "um" :

thisPlacedItem.top = myDocument.height;

thisPlacedItem.left = myDocument.width / 2 - thisPlacedItem.width / 2;

break;

case "mm" :

thisPlacedItem.top = myDocument.height / 2 + thisPlacedItem.height / 2;

thisPlacedItem.left = myDocument.width / 2 - thisPlacedItem.width / 2;

break;

case "lm" :

thisPlacedItem.top = thisPlacedItem.height;

thisPlacedItem.left = myDocument.width / 2 - thisPlacedItem.width / 2;

break;

}

if( firstImageLayer ) {

// alert("The action has been cancelled.");

// display error message if no supported documents were found in the designated folder

alert("Sorry, but the designated folder does not contain any recognized image formats.\n\nPlease choose another folder.");

myDocument.close();

importFolderAsLayers(getFolder());

}

} else {

// alert("The action has been cancelled.");

// display error message if no supported documents were found in the designated folder

alert("Rerun the script and choose a folder with images.");

//importFolderAsLayers(getFolder());

}

// Start the script off

importFolderAsLayers( getFolder() );

Report · Oct 15, 2018

try replacing this line:

myDocument = app.documents.add();

with this one:

myDocument = app.activeDocument;

in the full updated code below, the above change is reflected on lines 21 and 22:

// Import Folder's Files as Layers - Illustrator CS3 script
// Description: Imports a series of images (from the designated folder) as named layers into a new document
// Author: Nathaniel V. KELSO (nathaniel@kelsocartography.com)
// Version: 1.0.0 on 10/March/2009
// Global script setting
var placement9pointAlignment = "mm";
function getFolder()
{
    return Folder.selectDialog('Please select the folder to be imported:', Folder('~'));
}
function importFolderAsLayers(selectedFolder)
{
    // if a folder was selected continue with action, otherwise quit
    var myDocument;
    if (selectedFolder)
    {
        // myDocument = app.documents.add();
        myDocument = app.activeDocument;
        var firstImageLayer = true;
        var newLayer;
        var thisPlacedItem;
        // create document list from files in selected folder
        var imageList = selectedFolder.getFiles();
        for (var i = 0; i < imageList.length; i++)
        {
            // open each document in file list
            if (imageList instanceof File)
            {
                // get the file name
                var fName = imageList.name.toLowerCase();
                // check for supported file formats
                if ((fName.indexOf(".eps") == -1))
                {
                    //if( (fName.indexOf(".eps") == -1) && (fName.indexOf(".gif") == -1) && (fName.indexOf(".jpg") == -1) && (fName.indexOf(".png") == -1) && (fName.indexOf(".bmp") == -1) && (fName.indexOf(".tif") == -1) && (fName.indexOf(".psd") == -1)) {
                    // skip unsupported formats
                    continue;
                }
                else
                {
                    if (firstImageLayer)
                    {
                        newLayer = myDocument.layers[0];
                        firstImageLayer = false;
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        newLayer = myDocument.layers.add();
                    }
                    // Give the layer the name of the image file
                    newLayer.name = fName.substring(0, fName.indexOf("."));
                    // Place the image on the artboard
                    thisPlacedItem = newLayer.placedItems.add()
                    thisPlacedItem.file = imageList;
                    switch (placement9pointAlignment)
                    {
                        default: break;
                        case "ul":
                                thisPlacedItem.top = myDocument.height;
                            thisPlacedItem.left = 0;
                            break;
                        case "ml":
                                thisPlacedItem.top = myDocument.height / 2 + thisPlacedItem.height / 2;
                            thisPlacedItem.left = 0;
                            break;
                        case "ll":
                                thisPlacedItem.top = thisPlacedItem.height;
                            thisPlacedItem.left = 0;
                            break;
                        case "ur":
                                thisPlacedItem.top = myDocument.height;
                            thisPlacedItem.left = myDocument.width - thisPlacedItem.width;
                            break;
                        case "mr":
                                thisPlacedItem.top = myDocument.height / 2 + thisPlacedItem.height / 2;
                            thisPlacedItem.left = myDocument.width - thisPlacedItem.width;
                            break;
                        case "lr":
                                thisPlacedItem.top = thisPlacedItem.height;
                            thisPlacedItem.left = myDocument.width - thisPlacedItem.width;
                            break;
                        case "um":
                                thisPlacedItem.top = myDocument.height;
                            thisPlacedItem.left = myDocument.width / 2 - thisPlacedItem.width / 2;
                            break;
                        case "mm":
                                thisPlacedItem.top = myDocument.height / 2 + thisPlacedItem.height / 2;
                            thisPlacedItem.left = myDocument.width / 2 - thisPlacedItem.width / 2;
                            break;
                        case "lm":
                                thisPlacedItem.top = thisPlacedItem.height;
                            thisPlacedItem.left = myDocument.width / 2 - thisPlacedItem.width / 2;
                            break;
                    }
                }
            }
        }
        if (firstImageLayer)
        {
            // alert("The action has been cancelled.");
            // display error message if no supported documents were found in the designated folder
            alert("Sorry, but the designated folder does not contain any recognized image formats.\n\nPlease choose another folder.");
            myDocument.close();
            importFolderAsLayers(getFolder());
        }
    }
    else
    {
        // alert("The action has been cancelled.");
        // display error message if no supported documents were found in the designated folder
        alert("Rerun the script and choose a folder with images.");
        //importFolderAsLayers(getFolder());
    }
}
// Start the script off
importFolderAsLayers(getFolder());

Report · Jun 07, 2024

Hi @Disposition_Dev ,

I'm trying to use the above script on a bunch of png images, however for some reason it's not working. I keep getting the alert below. Does that mean that the script doesn't support images lile PNG and JPG?

Thanks for checking,
Rogerio

Report · Jun 07, 2024

When Adobe updated the forum, a lot of text scripts lost an important part of their code. That's why you have a problem starting them. Try the fixed version. I also added a formats variable at the beginning, where each user can list all file formats to be parsed in a folder

// Import Folder's Files as Layers - Illustrator CS3 script
// Description: Imports a series of images (from the designated folder) as named layers into a new document
// Author: Nathaniel V. KELSO (nathaniel@kelsocartography.com)
// Version: 1.0.0 on 10/March/2009
// Version: 1.1.0 on 10/March/2009
// Version: 1.2.0 on 08/June/2024

// Global script setting
var placement9pointAlignment = "mm";
var formats = ['jpeg', 'jpg', 'png']; // Set supported file formats

function getFolder() {
  return Folder.selectDialog('Please select the folder to be imported:', Folder('~'));
}

function importFolderAsLayers(selectedFolder) {
  var regex = new RegExp(formats.join('|'));
  // if a folder was selected continue with action, otherwise quit
  var myDocument;

  if (selectedFolder) {
    // myDocument = app.documents.add();
    myDocument = app.activeDocument;

    var firstImageLayer = true;
    var newLayer;
    var thisPlacedItem;

    // create document list from files in selected folder
    var imageList = selectedFolder.getFiles();

    for (var i = 0; i < imageList.length; i++) {
      // open each document in file list
      if (imageList[i] instanceof File) {
        // get the file name
        var fName = imageList[i].name.toLowerCase();

        // check for supported file formats
        if (regex.test(/\.[^\.]+$/g.exec(fName)[0])) {
          if (firstImageLayer) {
            newLayer = myDocument.layers[0];
            firstImageLayer = false;
          } else {
            newLayer = myDocument.layers.add();
          }

          // Give the layer the name of the image file
          newLayer.name = fName.substring(0, fName.indexOf("."));
          // Place the image on the artboard
          thisPlacedItem = newLayer.placedItems.add()
          thisPlacedItem.file = imageList[i];

          switch (placement9pointAlignment) {
            default: break;
            case "ul":
              thisPlacedItem.top = myDocument.height;
              thisPlacedItem.left = 0;
              break;
            case "ml":
              thisPlacedItem.top = myDocument.height / 2 + thisPlacedItem.height / 2;
              thisPlacedItem.left = 0;
              break;
            case "ll":
              thisPlacedItem.top = thisPlacedItem.height;
              thisPlacedItem.left = 0;
              break;
            case "ur":
              thisPlacedItem.top = myDocument.height;
              thisPlacedItem.left = myDocument.width - thisPlacedItem.width;
              break;
            case "mr":
              thisPlacedItem.top = myDocument.height / 2 + thisPlacedItem.height / 2;
              thisPlacedItem.left = myDocument.width - thisPlacedItem.width;
              break;
            case "lr":
              thisPlacedItem.top = thisPlacedItem.height;
              thisPlacedItem.left = myDocument.width - thisPlacedItem.width;
              break;
            case "um":
              thisPlacedItem.top = myDocument.height;
              thisPlacedItem.left = myDocument.width / 2 - thisPlacedItem.width / 2;
              break;
            case "mm":
              thisPlacedItem.top = myDocument.height / 2 + thisPlacedItem.height / 2;
              thisPlacedItem.left = myDocument.width / 2 - thisPlacedItem.width / 2;
              break;
            case "lm":
              thisPlacedItem.top = thisPlacedItem.height;
              thisPlacedItem.left = myDocument.width / 2 - thisPlacedItem.width / 2;
              break;
          }
        } else {
          // skip unsupported formats
          continue;
        }
      }
    }

    if (firstImageLayer) {
      // alert("The action has been cancelled.");
      // display error message if no supported documents were found in the designated folder
      alert("Sorry, but the designated folder does not contain any recognized image formats.\n\nPlease choose another folder.");
      myDocument.close();
      importFolderAsLayers(getFolder());
    }
  } else {
      // alert("The action has been cancelled.");
      // display error message if no supported documents were found in the designated folder
      alert("Rerun the script and choose a folder with images.");
      //importFolderAsLayers(getFolder());
  }
}

// Start the script off
importFolderAsLayers(getFolder());

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