Relinking files in Illustrator

Surprisingly (?) this is still an issue in 2024. Here is a ChatGPT script that works wonders. It will list all links in the file grouped by file name, ask you to choose one, ask you to choose a new file, and automatically replace all links with the same name.

/**
 * This script replaces all linked files with the same name at one time in Adobe Illustrator.
 * It allows the user to select the link to replace from a list of current links using a drop-down menu
 * and then choose the new file from a dialog.
 */

function replaceAllLinksWithSameName() {
    var doc = app.activeDocument;
    var placedItems = doc.placedItems;
    var linkNames = [];

    // Collect all unique link names
    for (var i = 0; i < placedItems.length; i++) {
        var placedItem = placedItems[i];
        if (placedItem.file) {
            var fileName = placedItem.file.name;

            // Check if the fileName is already in linkNames
            var isUnique = true;
            for (var j = 0; j < linkNames.length; j++) {
                if (linkNames[j] === fileName) {
                    isUnique = false;
                    break;
                }
            }

            if (isUnique) {
                linkNames.push(fileName);
            }
        }
    }

    if (linkNames.length === 0) {
        alert("No linked files found in the document.");
        return;
    }

    // Create a dialog for link selection
    var dialog = new Window("dialog", "Select Link to Replace");
    dialog.orientation = "column";

    var dropdown = dialog.add("dropdownlist", undefined, linkNames);
    dropdown.selection = 0;

    var okButton = dialog.add("button", undefined, "OK");
    okButton.onClick = function() {
        dialog.close(1);
    };

    if (dialog.show() != 1) {
        return;
    }

    var oldFileName = dropdown.selection.text;
    var newFile = File.openDialog("Select the new file to replace " + oldFileName);

    if (newFile) {
        var count = 0;

        for (var k = 0; k < placedItems.length; k++) {
            var placedItem = placedItems[k];
            if (placedItem.file && placedItem.file.name === oldFileName) {
                placedItem.file = newFile;
                count++;
            }
        }

        alert(count + " links have been replaced.");
    } else {
        alert("Operation cancelled or no file selected.");
    }
}

replaceAllLinksWithSameName();

kalaimanis71535121  wrote

I am experiencing a problem with relinking files. I often place images in Illustrator documents and then Chenge the file name of the linked image (Ex. File name : 123456_filename.psd) it is need the relink on the same illustrator file. It is have more than 50 images. it is taken long time to relink. so i need to relink with the help of script. Illustrator  !

I am finished and tested with my jobs.

if ( app.documents.length == 1 )

{

var myPrepend = prompt("Please enter issue Job Number.\nExample: IND_123456 (or) 123456", "Issue Job Number");

if (!myPrepend) exit();

var myPrepend1 = prompt("How many characters want to be replace?\nExample: 0, 6", "Add=0, Replace=Number of  Characters Replaced");

if (!myPrepend) exit();

var response = confirm("Warning: You are about to rename all images linked to the foremost Illustrator Document - proceed?\n Keep in mind - it is not reversible!", false, "Rename Links Script");

if (!response) exit()

// Rename file name

      function test(){

    var prefix = myPrepend;

var myFolderPath = Folder(app.activeDocument.path + '/../040 Images/043 High Res');

    var myFolder = Folder(myFolderPath);

    var files = myFolder.getFiles();

    for(var x=0,len=files.length;x<len;x++)

    {

        files.rename(prefix + files.name.substring(myPrepend1));

    }

}

test();

//relink renamed files

function linkReplacer() { 

     var orginalUIL = app.userInteractionLevel; 

     app.userInteractionLevel = UserInteractionLevel.DONTDISPLAYALERTS; 

     if (app.documents.length == 0) { 

          alert('Please have an "Illustrator" document open before running this script.'); 

          return; 

     } else { 

          docRef = app.activeDocument; 

     } 

     var defaultFolder = new Folder (Folder(app.activeDocument.path + '/../040 Images/043 High Res')); 

     var psdFolder = defaultFolder; 

     if (psdFolder == null) return; 

     with (docRef) { 

          var placedFiles = new Array(); 

          for (var i = 0; i < placedItems.length; i++) { 

               placedFiles.push(myPrepend+placedItems.file.name.substring (myPrepend1)); 

          } 

          for (var j = 0; j < placedItems.length; j++) { 

               var rePlace = new File(psdFolder.fsName + '/' + placedFiles); 

               if (rePlace.exists) { 

                    placedItems.file = rePlace; 

               } else { 

                    alert('File "' + placedFiles + '" is missing?'); 

               } 

          } 

     } 

     app.userInteractionLevel = orginalUIL; 

} 

linkReplacer();

}

             else

             {

                               alert('Please open an Illustrator document into which to Collect Images.'); 

                  }