migrating freehand 9 and freehand mx files to illustrator with an apple script

[someguyinnw]

I need an apple script that works in illustrator cs3 that will open a folder of fh9 files and save them as illustrator cs3 files, can be into same folder.

need similar apple script that can take folder of freehand mx files and make them into either fh9 files or save them as .eps files, then open and save as illustrator cs3 files.

Others graphic artist must be dealing with this issue of migrating native Freehand 9 and Freehand MX to illustrator and not have to do each file individually. I have not been able to find a resource with apple scripts to accomplish this.

[JETalmage]

Have you tried doing it with an Action running in Batch Mode instead of with a script? AI CS3 can open FHMX files. You don't have to save them back to FH9.

Any conversion of FH files is going to involve caveats regarding the native FH objects that AI does not understand.

JET

[Carl_Stawicki]

Bump...Hi. I'm working on my first Illustrator AppleScript that needs to open Freehand MX files. I did a search and found this thread, so I thought I would just add to it.

We have a HUGE archive of FH designs to convert. Batching with an Action isn't an option because the Action will try to open all files that can open in Illustrator (like text files) that are including in our design folders along with the FH files.

With the script, I'm missing the basic syntax to get the files to open without an options dialog. Here are a few versions I tried:

set theFHfile to alias "Path:to:theFHfile"

tell application "Adobe Illustrator"



  -- These lines stop at the FH options dialog despite the 'without dialogs' clause:

  open theFHfile without dialogs

  open theFHfile with options {convert text to outlines:false, import single page:true} without dialogs



   -- This line errors and says it can't get the alias:

  open theFHfile with options {class:FreeHand options, convert text to outlines:false, import single page:true} without dialogs



 end

Can anyone help? Thanks.

Carl Stawicki

[Carl_Stawicki]

I received and answer to this that I'll share is case anyone else needs it. The credit goes to Shane Stanley.

tell application "Adobe Illustrator"

  set properties of FreeHand file options of settings to {convert text to outlines:false, import single page:true}

   set user interaction level to never interact

  open theFHfile without dialogs

  -- Continue...

  set user interaction level to interact with all

end tell