script to align selected objects to artboard

[velocitygraphix]

Hello, I was wondering if anyone had a simple solution to aligning selected items to the artboard. I was going to create an action but then realized it would be more convenient for me to include it in my script file....I have a script to align objects with each other but they dont align to the artboard. Any suggestions?

[pixxxelschubser]

Hi volocitygraphics,

I think there isn't a simple solution for all possibilities.

But you can select one item and run this (selected item will be centered):

// AlignSelectedItem2Artboard.jsx
// ab CS5
// http://forums.adobe.com/thread/1336506?tstart=0
// (title: script to align selected objects to artboard)
// one selected item will be centered
// regards pixxxelschubser
var aDoc = app.activeDocument;
app.coordinateSystem = CoordinateSystem.ARTBOARDCOORDINATESYSTEM;
var abIdx = aDoc.artboards.getActiveArtboardIndex();
var actAbBds = aDoc.artboards[abIdx].artboardRect;
var obj2move = aDoc.selection[0];
obj2move.position = new Array ((actAbBds[2]-actAbBds[0])/2 - obj2move.width/2, (actAbBds[3]-actAbBds[1])/2  + obj2move.height/2);

This is a variant. Another way is e.g. to align the artboard rectangle to your item.

Have fun

[velocitygraphix]

Hello, thanks for replying! Yes, this works for only one selected item. If I had many selected, it still only aligns the first one. I cannot figure out how to align all selected items to artboard either (other than manually)...you would think it would be more simple to align all selected if one can be aligned.....are there any other possibilities? Thanks again!

[pixxxelschubser]

.

I'm not sure what you really want.

Do you want to align the artboard around all selected items? Or do you want align all selected items in one artboard (how? each item or all items as one „group“ topleft, top, topright, left, center, right, bottomleft, bottom, bottomright???)

What for items do you have in your artboard? Only simple paths or grouped items or compound paths or clipped paths or all together or all together in grouped grouped grouped (deep nested) groups at many several toplevel layers?

Perhaps you can show two sceenshots: what you have (with visible opened layers palette) and a second one: what you want.

Regards

pixxxelschubser

[velocitygraphix]

Hello, basically all my items are eps files that I has been imported. They have been resized proportionally to fit within the artboard. The next part of the script I am trying to figure out is a way to center them all on the artboard both vertical and horizontal. I have attached two screeshots, one two show how they look now, and one I need them after I use the script. The manual alignment tools at the top work perfectly but I need them to be scripted.

Before.....

After....

Thanks!

[velocitygraphix]

Anyone with any suggestions?

[Larry G. Schneider]

You might look at this from the Extendscript PDF and use the placed file instead of the selection in pixxel's script.

Importing a PDF as a group item

The following script shows how you can import a PDF document using the createFromFile function.

Before running this script you must create a one page PDF file and put it in the location

/temp/testfile1.pdf.

// Embeds a new group item in to the current

// document from a file specified by dest

// dest should contain the full path and file name

function embedPDF(dest) {

var embedDoc = new File(dest);

if ( app.documents.length > 0 && embedDoc.exists ) {

var doc = app.activeDocument;

var placed = doc.groupItems.createFromFile( embedDoc );

}

}

[velocitygraphix]

Thanks for responding. The objects are already imported and selected from a script file. I just need them all respositioned centered on the artboard, prior to coding the next step of exporting each layer. I wanted it scripted since it was a waste of time for the script to stop, I manually align to artboard, then start the export script. It would be nice to run one continuous script without interuptions. Thanks again

[pixxxelschubser]

Hello volocitygraphics,

here is a quick&dirty solution.

Note that the result may be different, if clipping masks are exists in the document.

Please test it at first on copies of your documents. Use it on your own risk.

// ArtboardCenterAroundSelectedPaths.jsx
// works with CS5 
// http://forums.adobe.com/thread/1336506?tstart=0
// (title: script to align selected objects to artboard)
// quick & dirty, all selected items will be centered at the active artboard  
// (include clipping paths  !visible result can be different)
// regards pixxxelschubser  19.Nov. 2013
var aDoc = app.activeDocument;
var Sel = aDoc.selection;
if (Sel.length >0 ) {
    var abIdx = aDoc.artboards.getActiveArtboardIndex();
    var actAbBds = aDoc.artboards[abIdx].artboardRect;
    var vBounds = Sel[0].visibleBounds;
    vBounds_Li = vBounds[0];
    vBounds_Ob = vBounds[1];
    vBounds_Re = vBounds[2];
    vBounds_Un = vBounds[3];
if (Sel.length >1 ) {    
    for (i=1; i<Sel.length ; i++) {
        vBdsI = Sel.visibleBounds;
        if( vBounds_Li > vBdsI[0] ) {vBounds_Li = vBdsI[0]};
        if( vBounds_Ob < vBdsI[1] ) {vBounds_Ob = vBdsI[1]};
        if( vBounds_Re < vBdsI[2] ) {vBounds_Re = vBdsI[2]};
        if( vBounds_Un > vBdsI[3] ) {vBounds_Un = vBdsI[3]};
        }
    aDoc.artboards[abIdx].artboardRect = [vBounds_Li +((vBounds_Re - vBounds_Li)/2-(actAbBds[2]-actAbBds[0])/2), vBounds_Ob -((vBounds_Ob - vBounds_Un)/2+(actAbBds[3]-actAbBds[1])/2), vBounds_Li +((vBounds_Re - vBounds_Li)/2-(actAbBds[2]-actAbBds[0])/2)+(actAbBds[2]-actAbBds[0]), vBounds_Ob -((vBounds_Ob - vBounds_Un)/2+(actAbBds[3]-actAbBds[1])/2)+(actAbBds[3]-actAbBds[1])];
    }
    } else {
        alert ("No selection");
        }

I hope so, the document coordinatesystem is the same as in CS6+

Have fun

[velocitygraphix]

Works like a charm!

[wombatnostril]

Is there an easy way to adapt this to just aligning one item to the bottom left of the artboard? I'm trying to automate part of a font creation and need to scale and position each character (one per artboard) consistently. I can scale the character but I'm having trouble aligning it to the bottom left corner, thanks for any help!

[futuremotion]

This script doesn't seem to be working for me on Illustrator CC 2022. I get:

Error in Line 23:
vBounds_Li = vBdsI[0];
Undefined is not an object.

I did a little testing and it looks like on line 20 where you have:

vBdsI = Sel.visibleBounds;

 vBdsI evaluates to `Undefined`. I tested it by adding a single alert to the script:

alert("vBdsI: " + "\"" + vBdsI + "\"");

and it alerts that the variable is undefined.

Any chance of a fix? 🙂

[femkeblanco]

Change the line

vBdsI = Sel.visibleBounds;

to

vBdsI = Sel[i].visibleBounds;

[Comments added to PDF]

Thank you so much! That's so helpful.

[velocitygraphix]

Bump!