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?
@CarlosCanto, I have used your script version for linked images. It works very nicely but I’d like to use it differently.
I have multiple placed images that have clipping masks so when I try to run your script, it won’t work because the selection is not directly the placed image, it is a group.
Hi Robert, let me try if it works. The thing with clipping masks is that once you change the link, the mask might not show what you need. Are your images the same size?
Hey Carlos. My head is exploding. Scripts....wah....I'm a visual person....LOL. Any chance they'll include this code into the actual software someday? They nailed it in InDesign. It sure would be the best improvement to Illustrator since...Freehand replaced Illustrator.
Hi.This is a really fantastic script. Everything works for me, but there is one small drawback.Or rather, very big.Because instead of linking all the missing links based on the name of the original file, the script will link all my links as one image that I show it, which is actually pointless, because I could just as easily click in one place all the time, and a bitIt would take me longer, but it would actually be the same.I thought that the assumption of this script is that I will point to one file, and the script will then replace only the relative path of the file, and for each subsequent object it will leave its original name, location, rotation angle and scale - that would be perfect.Something like this is missing, and I haven't found it anywhere.Even GPT chat cannot help
Hey there! I know this thread is crazy old but I was hoping you could help!
In a single illustrator doc, i'll have like 12 linked documents, they're masked, all 12 link to the same PDF. My goal is to relink all 12 instances with the same PDF without having to go individually link the same PDF over and over again. I thought your script would be perfect for it but when I run the script, it creates an "open" pane and after I select the file, nothing happens. I'm not sure if maybe the script is outdated or something but I thought I'd reach out to you for help.
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
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.
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
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!
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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