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Incremental numbering for multiple objects

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
November 8, 2018
4 replies
4184 views

Hi,

I create graphics which are basically just shapes but a lot of them on one page. Some of these are changed so for ease I number each individual item and provide this to the customer. Is there a way like a script that could add numbers to to these?

Any help on this would be absolutely amazing!

Thank you all in advance

Ricky

illustrator numbering

This topic has been closed for replies.

Myra Ferguson

Community Expert

Here's another non-scripting option for you.

1. Use Excel to automatically create a list of numbers however long you want--hundreds, if necessary. (You only have to start the first 2 numbers to set a pattern. The drag out that selection down to however many numbers you want to generate).

2. Export that Excel document as a .txt file.

3. Place the text file in Illustrator, but when the text is loaded, only draw it out large enough for one line of text (You can select all in the first placed text box and set the font and size to affect all the numbers.)

4. Switch to the Direct Select Tool and click on the red plus (that indicates overflow text) and draw out your next text box wherever you want it.

5. When you click to place that linked text box, Illustrator will automatically switch back to the Selection Tool, so switch back to the Direct Selection Tool by clicking A on your keyboard to place the next text box repeating step 4 as needed.

S

ShivSpace

Participant

Thanks a lot for this one. Totally saves time. Best solution if all you need is just to place numbers incrementally.

Shiva

rickyg969515Author

Participating Frequently

A list of numbers and dragging these in place is the current method which is very time consuming especially with hundreds.

ryan_edwards

Inspiring

I would recommend looking into scripting... there is another section in the Adobe Community boards
Illustrator Scripting

Most folks there will be able to assist (if you post code you are editing) or know of good close fixes for your needs

The beauty of scripting is that it can be made one time and used over and over... and it will be scalable (i.e. I can do 10 things, I can do 100 things, I can do 10,000 things) and its also going to do it 100x faster than the human eye/hand can poking around the gui.

CarlosCanto

Community Expert

please give more details, include screen shots if possible.

ryan_edwards

Inspiring

that's more in the realm of scripting... you will just need to run a script that 'sees' the content/doc objects and append something to what is already there (example 'layer+num'.... 'rectangle+letter')

Here's something online:

Does anyonw have a script for adding sequential numbers (as a prefix) to layer names in Illustrator - Graphic Design Sta…

if the idea of running/editing scripts terrifies you --

a more lofi quick an dirty approach is to just through them all into layer containers (that will auto increment)

each 'thing' will be in a sub layer folder

Myra Ferguson

Community Expert

If you're not a scripter (or for others on the Forum who aren't scripters), here's one way you could do it by using Place Multiple Files Place multiple files | Illustrator CC

I don't know how many icons you're talking about, so this method would kind of depend on that. It's not exactly dynamic, because you'd need to prep your numbers in advance and you'd be limited to the number of numbers you made. But if this is something you'd use a lot and you don't want to script, it might be worth trying.

1. Make your numbers to use in separate text boxes. (These would be reused every time you need to number your graphics.)

2. Select all the text boxes and drag them to the Asset Export panel. (Rename them so that they are just the number or at least to make sure the Asset # matches the number.)

3. Export the assets as PDF, so it's still text and not converted to a graphic. (Maybe put them in a folder called Numbers for placement.)

4. Then, when you need a bunch of numbers place them (Go to File > Place and navigate to that folder). You can select multiple files to place at once. Illustrator puts them in a place gun. You just click where you want to place them.

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