Script to change links for many files

I think all the proposed solutions suffer from the same, problem, there is no file object assosiated with the placedItem if the link is broken when the .ai is first opened in illustrator. To fix links, you have to inspect the XMP meta data, transform the file path string assosiated with each linked file, and used the transformed file name to recreate the file object assosiated with each placed item. I have a hacky script below that works only for me, but gives an idea of how this could be done, more professionally.

//bring in some environment variables
 var labdir = $.getenv("LABDIR")
 var labdir_smsg = $.getenv("LABDIR_smsg")
 var labdir_lenovo = $.getenv("LABDIR_lenovo")
 var labdir_old = $.getenv("LABDIR_old")
  
 if ( app.documents.length > 0 ) {
var fileReferences = new Array();
}
var sourceDoc = app.activeDocument;
// load the library
if (ExternalObject.AdobeXMPScript == undefined) {
    ExternalObject.AdobeXMPScript = new ExternalObject('lib:AdobeXMPScript');
}
var xmp = new XMPMeta(sourceDoc.XMPString);
var placedFiles = new Array();
        
for (i = 1; i <= xmp.countArrayItems(XMPConst.NS_XMP_MM, "Manifest"); i++){
    var path_name = "xmpMM:Manifest[".concat(i.toFixed(0),"]/stMfs:reference/stRef:filePath");
    var t = xmp.getProperty(XMPConst.NS_XMP_MM, path_name);
    var new_path = t.value;
    if (t.value.indexOf(labdir_lenovo)!=-1){
          new_path = t.value.replace(labdir_lenovo, labdir);
          placedFiles.push(new_path);
          }
    if (t.value.indexOf(labdir_old)!=-1){
        new_path = t.value.replace(labdir_old, labdir);
          placedFiles.push(new_path);
        }
    if (t.value.indexOf(labdir_smsg)!=-1){
        new_path = t.value.replace(labdir_smsg, labdir);
          placedFiles.push(new_path);
        }
}
for ( i = 0; i < sourceDoc.placedItems.length; i++ ) {
    sourceDoc.placedItems.file = new File(placedFiles);
}

Thanks both for your response.

The broader picture includes traversing a folder, opening all .AI files and replacing every placed link reference with its new path which can be predetermined as we are reorganising by removing one folder and adding another.

So going back to my first question, original path is (under /Volumes directory on Mac OS X):

Storage

     Projects
          Client

               AAA001

                    Visuals

                         big_retouch.psd

and the new path...

Projects

      Client

          Brand

               AAA001

                     Visuals

                         big_retouch.psd

So I can replace "/Volumes/Storage/Projects" universally with "/Volumes/Projects".

However, I will be adding a Brand for client projects, which I could look up from a stored array, but don't know how.

Any help on traversing hierarchy and performing string replacements would be hugely appreciated.

Hi,

Some times , i have same problem.

Fisrt i don't use PSD file but EPS files, and i hope that my way works for you:

Manually:

(sorry for this french dialog box)
1) i'm breaking the link by rename or delete old folder (i want that illustrator ask me for file)

2) when illustrator ask me for file, check "apply to all" and "Correct"

3) Choose new folder

4) Save doc

By script: (tested on CS4)

#target illustrator
var newFolder="/Volumes/aFolder/new folder/"; // <-Here your NEW FOLDER PATH
if ( app.documents.length > 0 ) { // if  1 document is open

var sourceDoc = app.activeDocument;  // the active doc

for ( i = 0; i < sourceDoc.pageItems.length; i++ ) {  //  all layers
artItem = sourceDoc.pageItems; 
switch ( artItem.typename ) {  // check for type
case "PlacedItem":  // your Imported item
//alert ("PlacedItem: "+artItem.file.fsName+"\r"+artItem.name);
artItem.file=new File (newFolder+artItem.name); // replace by newfolder and same PSD name
break; 
}
}
sourceDoc.save(); // save it

}

ciao, art.chrome