Replace multiple objects in illustrator?

[telma_abc]

I have a plan with circles representing trees with differents sizes. So, I want to replace all of these circles by another shape (circle with peaks) while keeping the size of the originals circles. That it possible? help plz. Thanks

[kglad]

[moved from Adobe Creative Cloud to Illustrator]

[SJRiegel]

Create a Graphic Style from your circle with peaks. Then select one of your round shapes, and Choose Select Same Appearance from the Menu. 

You can then apply the Graphic Style to all of your circle at once. 

This will work best if nothing else had the same combination of fill and stroke color, and stroke-size as your circle shapes.

[telma_abc]

Thanks SJRiegel. Almost worked!! I tried to crate a Graphic Style from my circle with peaks but only recorded fill and stoke and the peaks didn't appear there. So, the problem is to create a Graphic Style from my circle with peaks. Can you tell me the steps?

[SJRiegel]

If the peaks are not a live effect, they would not be part of the style. 

Having seen Mike's post for the script that uses symbols, I now know that the script is the better way to do this.

[Mike_Gondek · Accepted solution]

There is a script to change selected shapes to your selected symbol.

http://ftp.kaleidoscopechicago.com/_aJYjgsPJ1TfnCR

FILENAME:   SYMBOLS_Swap Shapes.jsx 

1000 Bytes

The URL will expire on Oct 29.

download and install here

Applications/Adobe Illustrator CC 2015.3/Presets.localized/en_US/Scripts/SYMBOLS_Swap Shapes.jsx

The script is really amazing as this will resize all you items. For maps you should be using symbols anyway, to make your file run faster.

[telma_abc]

Thanks you all!

Mike, I've installed the script but when I will use, says to "enter the number of the symbol you want to replace each selected object". What does it mean? I saved the symbol but asks to put a name and not a number. Sorry I don't understand a lot of it.

[telma_abc]

Thanks you all!

Mike, I've installed the script but when I will use, says to "enter the number of the symbol you want to replace each selected object". What does it mean? I saved the symbol but asks to put a name and not a number. Sorry I don't understand a lot of it.

[SJRiegel]

Count from the top (or the left) of the symbols pallet to get the number.

[telma_abc]

Now, appears this error...even putting any number

[SJRiegel]

I did a quick google of this error  - it seems to occur if other layers of your document are not visible, are locked, or any combination of the above. 

It it's not feasible to unlock all of your document layers and make them visible, then try cutting the objects out of a copy of your file (in case something goes wrong), pasting them into a new document, running the script there, and then pasting them back -- as suggested here:

Error 8705 target layer cannot be modified | Techyv

[telma_abc]

Finnaly! Copy paste through a new document work!! Thank you all for your help. Resolved issue

[SJRiegel]

Be sure to mark Mike's response as correct so future users searching the question will know that this one contains a correct solution to the issue.

[Delayar]

Hi!

Could you reup this script somewhere? It is exactly the thing I am looking for, but the download link has expired.

Thank you very much,

Markus

[Guest]

I second the motion! Might be easier just to put it on Pastebin or something permanent.

[Ton Frederiks]

You can also try the Zamena script from post #4

It is in my opinion easier to use, it just takes the topmost object in a selection (which can be a Symbol) and applies it to the other selected objects (which must be ungrouped).

[Sir-GEE-O]

I really need this script! Could you please share a new link with me?

[cc1a23041677]

Hi MikeGondek,

I could really use this script, could you upload it once more?

Thanks a lot!

[Monika Gause]

You can get a replacement script from here: Kelso Cartography

[Ton Frederiks]

A script is the way to go.

I like this one:

This script replaces all objects with the topmost object of the current selection. The size of the object that replaces will be modified according to the size of the objects that are being replaced.

zamena_size [Illustrator Praxis]

[kdoersch]

I realize this is an old thread, but I'm a landscape architecture student and ran into the same exact problem. I was able to select same appearance to grab them all (even though they're grouped!) and then apply the Roughen effect under Effect > Distort & Transform. It even makes them all slightly different, which is great for my conceptual plan.