Move and Place on Specific Layers

[BryanPagenkopf]

Morning!

Thanks to the helpfulness of everyone on the forums I have a script that will create layers with specific names, locks the bottom Layer!  I am hoping I can take this script even further if possible.

The script creates 5 new layers and I would love it if we could move elements by color to a specific layer

If "Color A" filled objects exist Select All "Color A" and move to Layer "A"

If "Color B" filled objects exist Select All "Color B" and move to Layer "B"

If "Color C" filled objects exist Select All "Color C" and move to Layer "C"

If "Color D" filled objects exist Select All "Color D" and move to Layer "D"

Then Delete all Empty Layers

var main = function(layerCount) {  
var doc, layers;  
if ( !app.documents.length ) {  
alert("This scripts needs an open document !");  
return;  
}  
//The doc  
doc = app.activeDocument;  
//Adding useful layers  
addLayers ( doc );  
}  
// WILL CREATE ANY NUMBER OF NAMED LAYERS === 'NAME', 
var addLayers = function ( doc ) {  
var layers = getLayersDB ( doc );  
var layerNames = [  
'A',  
'B',
'C',
'D',
'BASE',
],  
name;  
while ( name = layerNames.pop() )  !layers[name]  && addLayer ( doc, name );  
};  
var addLayer = function ( doc, name ) {  
doc.layers.add().name = name;  
}  
var getLayersDB = function ( doc ) {  
var db = {}, layers = doc.layers, n = layers.length, layer;  
while ( n-- ) {  
layer = layers;  
db[layer.name] = layer;  
}  
return db;  
} 
main();  
// LOCK BOTTOM LAYER -= ONLY WORKS IF THERE ARE MULTIPLE LAYERS EXIST =-
if (documents.length > 0) { 
countOfLayers = activeDocument.layers.length; 
}
if (countOfLayers > 1) { 
bottomLayer = activeDocument.layers[countOfLayers-1];
}
bottomLayer.locked = true;

As always thank you for your thoughts and support!

[Silly-V]

So are those spot/global spot color names?

[BryanPagenkopf]

V-

The colors used have been given Specific Names: 4-10, 6-32, 10-24, 1/4-20.  

Thanks!

[Silly-V]

Aha, if your layers are named the same names, you can change all the items in the top array where the "Color A" strings are all written, and replace them with your special names "4-40". It should still work just with that edit. Try it out let's see what happens!

[BryanPagenkopf]

so I adjusted the color names but I am getting an error:

function test(){
   var doc = app.activeDocument;
   var searchColors = [
    "4-40",
    "6-32",
    "10-24",
    "1/4-20",
   ];
   var thisSwatchColorSpot, thisSelection, thisSearchColor;
   for(var i = 0; i < searchColors.length; i++) {
       thisSearchColor = searchColors;
       try {
           doc.selection = null;
            thisSwatchColorSpot = doc.spots.getByName(thisSearchColor);
            doc.defaultFillColor = doc.swatches[thisSwatchColorSpot.name].color;
            app.executeMenuCommand("Find Fill Color menu item");
            for(var j = 0; j < doc.selection.length; j++){
                thisSelection = doc.selection;
                thisSelection.move(doc.layers[thisSearchColor.replace("Color ", "")], ElementPlacement.PLACEATEND);
            }
       } catch (e) {
           alert("Error with color '" +  + "'\n" + e);
       }
   }
};
test();

[BryanPagenkopf]

V -

It works!   I missed the Global Spot Color Instruction.

Thank you!

[Silly-V]

The text .replace("Color ", "") is not needed either, although it's not hurting anything, it could be removed for clarity.

[BryanPagenkopf]

Sorry forgot this part, was there a way to delete empty layers?

[Silly-V]

I guess you can add this to the end of the snippet:

for (var i = doc.layers.length - 1; i > -1; i--) {

  if(doc.layers.pageItems.length == 0 && doc.layers.length > 1){

    doc.layers.remove();

  }

}

[Silly-V · Accepted solution]

Well you can give this a try, you have to have global/spot colors named "Color A", etc and layers named with just the letter "A", etc.

#target illustrator

function test(){

   var doc = app.activeDocument;

   var searchColors = [

    "Color A",

    "Color B",

    "Color C",

    "Color D",

    "Color E",

   ];

   var thisSwatchColorSpot, thisSelection, thisSearchColor;

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

       thisSearchColor = searchColors;

       try {

           doc.selection = null;

            thisSwatchColorSpot = doc.spots.getByName(thisSearchColor);

            doc.defaultFillColor = doc.swatches[thisSwatchColorSpot.name].color;

            app.executeMenuCommand("Find Fill Color menu item");

            for(var j = 0; j < doc.selection.length; j++){

                thisSelection = doc.selection;

                thisSelection.move(doc.layers[thisSearchColor.replace("Color ", "")], ElementPlacement.PLACEATEND);

            }

       } catch (e) {

           alert("Error with color '" +  + "'\n" + e);

       }

   }

};

test();

[schroef]

Seems like with the new forum lots of scripts pasted here are broken.

It looks like some parts are missing, this var is declared, but nothing is done with it???

doc.defaultFillColor = doc.swatches[thisSwatchColorSpot.name].color;

[CarlosCanto]

yeah, the new format messed all existing scripts, but not the line you posted.

change this

thisSearchColor = searchColors;

to this

thisSearchColor = searchColors[i];

and this

thisSelection = doc.selection;

to this

thisSelection = doc.selection[j];

[schroef]

Indeed, i was just curious what it was for. Seems to be left-over code