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Prepopulate layers with simple object (i.e. rectangle)

Community Beginner ,
Apr 20, 2021 Apr 20, 2021

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Hi, I am working with very heavy files that I need to merge. In order to do so I manually split up the file based on the objects colours from a printed PDF (the file is too large and the save PDF compatible is too buggy to link an Illustrator file). I then copy over simple objects to retain the layer names and structure prior to embedding the PDF and relocating the objects back to their original layer.

 

I was therefore wondering, can I prepopulate all my layers/ only selected layers with a simple object to be able to copy the simple objects and thereby the layer structure over to another Illustrator file? Is there a script for this?

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

Community Expert , Apr 20, 2021 Apr 20, 2021

Here you go. I think this does what you want. Check line 44 if you want to predefine which layers to use instead of just copying all of them. 

 

github link: https://github.com/wdjsdev/public_illustrator_scripts/blob/master/copy_layers_to_new_doc.js

 

code:

/*
	Script Name: copy layers to new doc
	Author: William Dowling
	Email: illustrator.dev.pro@gmail.com
	Forum Post: https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator/prepopulate-layers-with-simple-object-i-e-rectangle/td-p/11981726

	If you find thi
...

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Community Expert ,
Apr 20, 2021 Apr 20, 2021

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i'm not really sure what you're trying to do here. are you creating rectangles on the layers so you can copy all the artwork and then paste it (with paste remembers layers turned on) into a new document to get the same layer structure in the new document? And you're asking for a function to create a rectangle on every layer so that you can do the copy paste?

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Community Beginner ,
Apr 20, 2021 Apr 20, 2021

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Correct, that's exactly what I am aiming at.

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Community Expert ,
Apr 20, 2021 Apr 20, 2021

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if you're not copying any actual artwork over, how about doing a saveAs() on the active document to make a duplicate of it, then delete all the artwork out of it so you're just left with a file with the same layer structure?

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Community Beginner ,
Apr 20, 2021 Apr 20, 2021

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That is because I need to merge multiple documents into one, though each document needs to be on seperate layer 😉
The files contain different maps from different times.

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Community Expert ,
Apr 20, 2021 Apr 20, 2021

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Here you go. I think this does what you want. Check line 44 if you want to predefine which layers to use instead of just copying all of them. 

 

github link: https://github.com/wdjsdev/public_illustrator_scripts/blob/master/copy_layers_to_new_doc.js

 

code:

/*
	Script Name: copy layers to new doc
	Author: William Dowling
	Email: illustrator.dev.pro@gmail.com
	Forum Post: https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator/prepopulate-layers-with-simple-object-i-e-rectangle/td-p/11981726

	If you find this free script useful,
	please consider buying me a cup of coffee to say thanks. =)
	Paypal: paypal.me/illustratordev

	Description: Create a new document with a layer structure matching
		the current active document. Since layers cannot be directly copied
		the following "workaround" is used:

		create a rectangle in each layer and sublayer of
		document, then copy/paste all rectangles into new document
		with "pasteRemembersLayers" turned on to recreate layer
		structure in new document. Then remove all the temp rectangles
		so that the original file is unchanged, and the new file just
		has empty layers matching the original document.

		Alternatively you can define an array of layers if you only
		want to bring in certain top level layers. See comment in code below

		All child sublayers will come in along with any layer you copy.

*/


#target Illustrator
function copyLayersToNewDoc()
{
	var doc = app.activeDocument;
	var layers = doc.layers;


	//copy all layers and sublayers 
	var layersToCopy = layers;

	//alternatively, you could feed in a specific
	//set of layers if you only want to copy some of them.
	//you can get layers by index or by name
	// 
	// var layersToCopy = [layers[0], layers["My Layer"]];
	


	function addRects(layers)
	{
		for(var x=0;x<layers.length;x++)
		{
			rects.push(layers[x].pathItems.rectangle(0,0,50,50));
			if(layers[x].layers.length)
			{
				addRects(layers[x].layers);
			}
		}
	}

	function copyRects(rects)
	{
		doc.selection = null;
		for(var x=0;x<rects.length;x++)
		{
			rects[x].selected = true;
		}
		app.copy();
	}

	function removeRects(rects)
	{
		for(var x= rects.length-1;x>=0;x--)
		{
			rects[x].remove();
		}
	}

	var rects = [];
	addRects(layersToCopy);
	

	copyRects(rects);

	app.pasteRemembersLayers = true;
	var newDoc = app.documents.add();
	app.executeMenuCommand("pasteInPlace");
	app.pasteRemembersLayers = false;

	removeRects(newDoc.selection);
	removeRects(rects);
	

	
}
copyLayersToNewDoc();

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Community Expert ,
Apr 20, 2021 Apr 20, 2021

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If you turn on Paste Remembers Layers in the Layers panel, layers will be created after copying if they don't exist in the target document and existing layers with the same name will be populated with the copied content.

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