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Inspiring
January 14, 2025
Question

[Q] Automatically launching Illustrator 29.1 from Visual Studio Code Universal for MacOSX?

  • January 14, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 230 views

Dear All,

 

I recently switched from Mac Intel to Apple Silicon. I'm trying to launch Illustrator automatically from Visual Studio Code Universal (so Rosetta). However, I keep getting a popup asking me to specify which Adobe app to connect to. I'm sure I had it working on Intel without having to click a popup menu. My script runs fine otherwise, but I would like it to run without the popup.

 

Can anyone help? My Illustrator version is 29.1.

 

launch.json:

 

{
  "type": "extendscript-debug",
  "request": "attach",
  "name": "Run in Transient Engine",
  "hostAppSpecifier": "illustrator-29.064",
  "engineName": "transient",
  "hiddenTypes": ["builtin"]
}

keybindings.json:

[
  {
    "key": "cmd+r",
    "command": "extension.extendscript-debug.evalInAttachedHost",
    "args": {
      "debugLevel": 1,
      "bringToFront": false,
      "hostAppSpecifier": "illustrator-29.064"
    }
  },
  {
    "key": "cmd+shift+r",
    "command": "extension.extendscript-debug.evalInAttachedHost",
    "args": {
      "debugLevel": 1,
      "bringToFront": true,
      "hostAppSpecifier": "illustrator-29.064"
    }
  }
]

 

1 reply

m1b
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 15, 2025

Hi @tomd75724979, your config seems okay. The only thing different to mine is I don't use "hostAppSpecifier" in the keybindings:

{
    "key": "cmd+r",
    "command": "extension.extendscript-debug.evalInAttachedHost",
    "args": {
        "debugLevel": 1,
        "bringToFront": false
    }
},
{
    "key": "cmd+shift+r",
    "command": "extension.extendscript-debug.evalInAttachedHost",
    "args": {
        "debugLevel": 1,
        "bringToFront": true
    }
},

 

If that doesn't help, can you confirm that your VSCode project (folder) is finding the launch.json? Test by showing the debug panel and clicking the gear icon (or the 3 dots and choose Edit launch.json):

Inspiring
January 16, 2025

Many thanks for your reply, m1b.

 

I think I first need to understand what normal behaviour is. The first time I press SHIFT-COMMAND+R, VSCode always asks me what Adobe app I want to target (see screenshot). Once it's attached, I don't need to do that anymore and SHIFT-COMMAND+R immediately triggers Illustrator and brings it to the front. Is that normal behavior? I was hoping it would be able to find Illustrator also the first time round without me having to click the popup menu with the various Adobe apps every time.

 

I think the debug panel looks ok (screenshot attached).