Help with removing "<Compound Path>" from illustrator with scripts.

[Brian5F93]

Hello,

I am writing out a script where I am trying to delete a comound path from my first layer. I have spent some time already on and off this problem for the past 5 hours. Some document directions, expanations, and or example code is appriciated. Below I will attach what my layer looks like.

Much love to this community,

Brian Almaguer

[m1b · Accepted solution]

Hi Brian,

Does this help:

var items = app.activeDocument.layers.getByName('Layer 1').compoundPathItems;
for (var i = items.length - 1; i ==0 ; i--) {
    items[i].remove();
}

If you want to target the first layer, change the first line to:

var items = app.activeDocument.layers[0].compoundPathItems;

Edit: by the way, I ran the for loop backwards deliberately. Deleting items from an array-like object, eg. [CompoundPathItems], seems to invalidate the array indices, so if you delete the first one, the second one won't be accessible in the second place anymore.

[Brian5F93]

This works perfectly. I also tried rewriting for my self to make this more readable for my self and this is what I came up with:

var doc = app.activeDocument;
doc.activeLayer = doc.layers.getByName('Layer 1');
layer = doc.activeLayer;
layer.compoundPathItems[0].remove();

 I'll refine it later but thanks for your help! I am reading up on the compoundPathItems documentation right now.

[m1b]

Nice one!

[pixxxelschubser]

Hi @Brian5F93 

your rewritten code can be shortened as:

app.activeDocument.layers.getByName('Layer 1').compoundPathItems[0].remove();

It can be useful to add a try-catch clause if your level 'Layer 1' does not exist or does not contain a compound path element (keyword: error management).

for example:

try {
app.activeDocument.layers.getByName('Layer 1').compoundPathItems[0].remove();
}
catch (e) { alert ("nothing happened") };