Participating Frequently

Question

Relinking files in Illustrator

Forum|Forum|14 years ago
July 12, 2011
10 replies
137121 views

Greetings all;

I am experiencing a problem with relinking files. I often place images in Illustrator documents and then find that I need to move the file that the placed image draws from. After moving the file to another folder, I of course have to show Illustrator where it can find the file.

The problem I am experiencing is that when I select "Apply to all", I still have to select the file for each placed instance. Does anyone know how I can fix this?

O

onq-3

Participant

More than a decade since this question was asked and Adobe still hasn't implemented this simple and obviously important feature. Absolutely ridiculous!

ColbyFulton

Known Participant

This seems like a bug. Once you find one file, Illustrator should re-link all other instances automatically, and even find other missing files if they are in the same folder. Like Premiere and After Effects do.

schroef

Inspiring

That actually used to work, it would also ask if you wanted to relink all the same instance of a certain file.

Big issue still is, when using layercomps in a pas file, the active layercomps will be reset which is super annoying

oitent

Participating Frequently

When opening the Illustrator file for the first time after moving your links to a different path on your computer a prompt to replace one of your links will pop up.

Steps

1. Just select "replace".

2. Find and select the corresponding file in the file browser window provided after selecting "replace".

Illustrator will find and replace all or part of your missing links after you show it where to find that first one.

Note: Illustrator won't find links that have their filenames changed even if they are the same file as before.

3. Save your file

If you moved your files to different locations (eg. "Icons Folder", "Background Folder" etc.):

Close your file after going through Steps 1, 2 and 3 and repeat for each folder location. Illustrator will always try to find your missing links in the path you select.

alpinemice

schroef

Inspiring

Sorry but point 2 is not true, I got linked files over a couple folders and it doesn't update the those in the same folder. Illustrator is still very dumb in terms of rethinking. All other Adobe products can relink recursively and also automatically find ALL broken links.

When are dev teams going to do global meetings instead of doing all separate. Sometimes some adobe apps feel like different companies handling different upgrading terms

A

Andy Swift

Inspiring

This may not be a help in your case, but by far the easiest way to relink files in Illustrator is:

put all place images in a folder called "Links" in the same directory as the Illustrator file

Note the capital L
The Illustrator document should be closed when you move the placed files

If you open an Illustrator document and it can't find the original linked files, it will look for a "Links" folder in the same directory as the Illustrator document.

D

d0nut247

Inspiring

My issue with this method is it

a) means you need know where the files are to start with, (I'm too messy hence the need to relink in the first place!) and

b) requires you to move them to a layout specific folder, or copy them.

When you have source images from a client with hundreds of files from camera with sequential file names and or Huge Gb sized files you don't really want them moved or copied.

For my needs, the Wills house script is great as it just scours a client folder and finds all the links in one go, that are in that folder or sub folders within.

A

Andy Swift

Inspiring

Yes of course, it's not the solution for everybody.

I mainly posted it because it's not widely known and when you can use it it's a life saver.

D

d0nut247

Inspiring

i keep looking to see if illustrator has been updated to work like InDesign does with file relinking, not sure why it doesnt yet! seems crazy. but in the mean time you should look up willshouse, it will save you some serious annoyance!

discussed here amongst other forum posts>

Any way to update lost links?

Rich Winnie

Inspiring

Here are two videos for AI CC 2017 regarding working with linked images and working with the Links panel that might be helpful:

Placing linked images into Illustrator from Illustrator CC 2017 Essential Training by Tony Harmer

Working with the Links panel from Illustrator CC 2017 Essential Training by Tony Harmer

B

BobbyBen

Participant

As I am retired now, I am accountable only to myself so to speak. So... I have piled several(!!) image files onto my desktop due to my laziness, which have been placed in many different AI files...but the AI files are properly stored in the Documents folder according to job. I have learned that if I clean away the image files from off their home on my Desktop, that when reopening the AI file they do not show up and have that question mark (which was discussed in a previous message). MY QUESTION IS, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WHEN I "ARCHIVE" THOSE AI FILES ON TO AN "EXTERNAL DISK", THAT AI MIGHT HAVE AUTOMATICLLY RETAINED THE PLACED IMAGES (or possibly embedded them) WITHIN IT (IN THE ARCHIVED FILES) EVEN THOUGH THE AI FILE IN MY DOCUMENTS FOLDER HAS LOST THE LINK? COMPRENDE? THANK YOU, ROBERT

A

Andy Swift

Inspiring

After experimenting with Packages, I found that Illustrator will always look for a "Links" or "links" folder with placed files.

It has to be in the same folder as the AI document.

You can them move the Illustrator file and its placed files where you want and every time you open the AI file the links will be automatically updated.

Illustrator will only look for a "Links" folder if the original, absolute, links are broken.

Festive_experts1587

Participant

It is a plain text file, i used the .jsx extension, but it is not able to be used from illustrator as a script. The only items I see as options for scripts through illustrator end in .js

Mike_Gondek10189183

Community Expert

If you moved the placed images next to the illustrator file , then your file will open without warning.

The other advantage is you will not get broken links when:

Archiving to a dvd
Sending a DVD or ftp to a printer or any other third party

You need a good method for organizing your files, for this to work. What works and is utilized in most of the places I contract for is to put the job number at a the beginning of the file name for your Illustrator files. This helps seperate your .ai files from all your other files. If you do not use job numbers you can use somehting like 2011-06-filename.

I realize everyone has different needs and issues like duplicate images, but wanted to share what works for me and many others incase this is of any use to you.

I also highly recommend a program called Artfiles for gathering your font & images for illustrator files. The new update coming out is loaded with new features.

A

alpinemiceAuthor

Participating Frequently

Mike;

It sounds like you are suggesting that I keep the placed files and the Illustrator file in the same folder. Is that correct?

Personally, I prefer to organize all of the file elements into families with different folders so I can access the files quickly if I need to edit them. Sometimes I reorganize the families part way through the project, which means I need to relink the files. In previous versions of Illustrator, relinking one instance always update the remaining instances.

A

AaronPDX

Known Participant

Hi Aaron, try this version. Select your Embedded images before running. For your sample, I unclipped the dots before running.

// script.name = relinkAllSelected_rasters.jsx;

// script.description = relinks all selected placed images at once;

// script.required = select at least one linked image before running;

// script.parent = CarlosCanto // 7/12/11; Update 7/24/17;

// script.elegant = false;

var idoc = app.activeDocument;

sel = idoc.selection;

if (sel.length>0) {

var file = File.openDialog ("open file");

file = new File(file.fsName.replace("file://","")); // Mac OS Lion fix by John Hawkinson

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

if (sel[i].typename == "PlacedItem") {

var iplaced = sel[i];

iplaced.file = file;

}

if (sel[i].typename == "RasterItem") {

var iplaced = idoc.placedItems.add();

iplaced.file = file;

var fctrx = iplaced.width/2; // get the rectangle's center coordinates

var fctry = iplaced.height/2; // iplaced.position = sel[i].position;

h = sel[i].height;

w = sel[i].width;

x2 = sel[i].left;

y2 = sel[i].top;

iplaced.position = [fctrx-w/2+x2, fctry+y2+h/2];

sel[i].remove();

}

else

{

alert("select at least one placed item before running");

}

Hi Carlos, thanks for taking the time!

I tried the script, following your instructions, but got this error:

This was true whether all clipping masks were released or not.

Like, not a very helpful message!

S

Sia_user

Participant

A workaround can be:

Place a check mark next to Apply To All and then click Ignore.

Now, open Links panel (Windows> Links).

Cmd + click on all the missing links (links having question mark sign) and then click on relink button at the bottom of the Links panel.

Navigate to the folder location where your linked files are.

This will keep the folder open until all the missing files have been linked.

A

alpinemiceAuthor

Participating Frequently

Sia user;

I tried what you suggested, but I still have to link each file individually, which is a lot of work when you have thirty some instances of the file. Thanks for the idea, though.

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