[Javascript] How to choose gray stroke with the script?

[Otrembu]

Hi all,

I'm writing an automatic dieline converter and I stuck on this part:

CMYK document, a line colored as [GrayColor] / 100%K (not CMYK 0 / 0 / 0 /100 !) like this: .

The command:

alert (Math.round (app.activeDocument.pathItems[0].strokeColor.gray)) returns 100,

but the line:
if ( Math.round(sourceDoc.pathItems[x].strokeColor.gray) == 100 ) { ... 

changes nothing at all.

Any ideas what's wrong with my code?

cheers, RobWu

[Mylenium]

Well, how is the x variable filled/ enumerated? Seems like you simply assume that AI would somehow magically iterate through all your paths and change them, which of course isn't the case. Unless there is a ton of extra code already that you haven't posted you need to write a specific loop an determine the criteria for the paths, e.g. based on a name, a specific style definition or an object selection state.

Mylenium

[Otrembu]

Hi Mylenium, thanks for answering. There is no magical thinking, I've just posted only a problematic line. Here is the whole loop:

for (x=0; x<sourceDoc.pathItems.length; x++) {
for (y= 0; y < cmykColArrLen; y++){

if(Math.round(sourceDoc.pathItems[x].strokeColor.cyan) == cmykColorArray[y][0] &&
Math.round(sourceDoc.pathItems[x].strokeColor.magenta) == cmykColorArray[y][1] &&
Math.round(sourceDoc.pathItems[x].strokeColor.yellow) == cmykColorArray[y][2] &&
Math.round(sourceDoc.pathItems[x].strokeColor.black) == cmykColorArray[y][3] ) {

if ( Math.round(sourceDoc.pathItems[x].strokeColor.cyan) == cmykColorArray[0][0] && // black defined as CMYK in the array: C = 91,
Math.round(sourceDoc.pathItems[x].strokeColor.magenta) == cmykColorArray[0][1] && // M = 79
Math.round(sourceDoc.pathItems[x].strokeColor.yellow) == cmykColorArray[0][2] && // Y = 62
Math.round(sourceDoc.pathItems[x].strokeColor.black) == cmykColorArray[0][3]) // K = 97

{ sourceDoc.pathItems[x].strokeColor = sourceDoc.swatches.getByName('Dieline - cut').color; // chooses and changes CMYK black strokes to the spot color }

else if ( Math.round(sourceDoc.pathItems[x].strokeColor.gray) == 100) {
sourceDoc.pathItems[x].strokeColor = sourceDoc.swatches.getByName('Dieline - cut').color; // chooses and changes nothing, why? } 

sourceDoc.pathItems[x].strokeWidth = 0.5;
sourceDoc.pathItems[x].strokeOverprint = true;
sourceDoc.pathItems[x].move(dieLyr, ElementPlacement.PLACEATBEGINNING); } } }

This loop compares each pathItem with the array of CMYK colors, if there is a match it changes the stroke color to one of the spot swatches created before that loop. This condition works perfectly when the initial stroke is a CMYK color, but it does nothing when the stroke is a grayColor. I have no idea how to choose those pathItems which are grayColor'ed.

[CarlosCanto]

I don't see anything wrong with your code. Can you share a file where you can consistently replicate the problem?

[Otrembu]

Hi Carlos,

thank you for your reply. Here is a sample dieline.

If there is a bug in the AI, can the problem be worked around by changing the color space in the Illustrator's color palette before trying to access problematic pathItem?

[CarlosCanto · Accepted solution]

I don't see anything wrong with your file either. 

after running your script look closely, did some of your paths change? and others didn't?

can you test your script with only 1 grayColor pathItem? it should work.

I suspect your dyeLyr is below your pathItems and the problem is due to stacking order. Some of you paths should be changed.

I changed my die color to green

[Otrembu]

I was able to change single pathItem using script, so after few tries I discovered that the conditon for grayColor should be moved out from the second loop to the first one, like this:

for (x=0; x<sourceDoc.pathItems.length; x++) {    
  if (  Math.round(sourceDoc.pathItems[x].strokeColor.gray) == 100 ) { 
    sourceDoc.pathItems[x].strokeColor = sourceDoc.swatches.getByName('Dieline - cut').color; 
     } 
  for (y= 0; y <  cmykColArrLen; y++){ 
    if(Math.round(sourceDoc.pathItems[x].strokeColor.cyan) == // here goes the rest of the code

I don't know why the second loop messed this condition, but it works now. Thank you Carlos for your help.