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jeffbottom
Inspiring
May 17, 2024
Question

peristent ScriptUI panel in Illustrator, is it possible?

  • May 17, 2024
  • 1 reply
  • 842 views

hi All

 

so this is a question I've been meaning to ask for ages. Persistent scriptUI panels in Illustrator, is it possible?

Most of my scripting energy goes into in After Effects scripts and I'm so used to persistant dockable script panels that it is always a bit jarring when I move to illustrator and have to keep closing and opening the panels I'm using just to select stuff or zoom. 

I don't need the panels to be dockable or open at startup or any o f that jazz,  I just want to have afloating panel/window that allows me to switch focus to the document  and operate teh UI as normal , without having to close panel.

Is it possible without moving to CEP extensions ?

any pointers very greatly appreciated.

    1 reply

    pixxxelschubser
    Community Expert
    pixxxelschubserCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 17, 2024

    Try "palette" instead of dialog.

    var win = new Windows ("palette", "title");
win.show ();
    J
    jeffbottomAuthor
    Inspiring
    May 17, 2024

    hey pixexxelscubser, thanks for the suggestion.

    I tried "palette" and almost fell over when it worked, could it really be that simple?  ...sadly no.
    I can switch focus between the panel and the document like magic, but as soon as I click one of the buttons in my scriptUI panel to do something everything goes to hell in a bucket,  VSC reports 'there is no document' and then illustrator crashes.

    I now have a very very vague memory of going through this a few years when i first started scripting for illustrator and perhaps that is why i've been using dialog in the first place.

     

    is there something else more genral with the script to consider when using "palette" ?

    pixxxelschubser
    Community Expert
    pixxxelschubserCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 17, 2024

    "so simple"? No.

     

    I've been using a palette as a "container" for my most important scripts for years. These exist separately in the scripts folder and are controlled via the palette using a button via BridgeTalk. This works well for me. 

     

    What exactly are you planning to do?

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