Script to automatically create fill colors combination

[happy_Lark157F]

Good evening everyone,

I'll try to be as clear as I can      I am a noob in scripting and even worse at coding.

I need to automatically create all the possible pattern combinations with 6 shapes and 6 colors.

I have an Excell file with assigned color combinations (values from 1 to 6) in the rows, and the shape name (A to F) in the columns.  Column 7 is a string containin the color combination names (i.d. 123456, 123345 etc...) so that I can output each combination with the color/numbers in the name.

I'd like Illustrator to pick every row and assign the contained colors to each shape of the column and to export a .png with the name from column 7 content.

Just simple as that!  But to me it sounds pretty hard! 

Is there a script that makes it already posted somewhere? - i couldn't find any -  or something simliar to start coding from?

Thanks in advance for any help 

Pippo

[Muppet Mark]

I doubt very much you will find a script that meets these requirements off the peg… Yes it's all possible with script may even be doable with variable data…? Reading Excel data is simple enough as long as you 'save as' to either TDT or CSV first… then script can then read the text file and slice up the text to work with… There are plenty of samples in this forum if you can script? else you are asking others to do this for you… 36 items is hardly worth the time… How offen do you need do this kind of work? 36 times 100's or 1000's is worth the time…

[happy_Lark157F]

Hey Muppet Mark,

thanks for replying.

It's something that should be used many times (with different amounts of shapes and colors) and will need to output around 500 combinations everytime!

Therefore it's vital for me to have something that does it in automatic every time.

Thanks for helping.

[Muppet Mark]

Then yes thats worth looking at script for the job… We sometimes get non-scriters who want to cut down 2 UI clicks to 1… So I had to ask first… Depending on your situation you may be able to use variable data which is an in-built function of AI… Unfortunatly in AI it wants a vaild xml file where as in PS you could use CSV… If what you want is not doable in variable data or you don't know how to do this then script may be a better option for you… ( i don't use xml myself so can't help with that ) on the todo list like so many other things… Do you script?

[happy_Lark157F]

Thanks dude for taking your time to reply!

I am a noob at scripting, the only times I "scripted" was taking pieces of scripts here and there to create a routine I needed (things like batch resize, scale, change format, trim and so on..very easy stuff!).

And I don't know about variable data, even if I am going to read about it straight away.

I found this http://forums.adobe.com/message/3327902 and I thought it'd be the way, but I then realized I am too noob and the time is short so I thought maybe I could find something half-way ready to start from

Cheers!

[Muppet Mark]

If this is doable with AI variable data is a question best asked in the general forum far more experts of this using that forum… I don't bother with this as I script… Kind of two steps forward missed out that bit… ID's datamerge I think is similar… If you can basic script you've stepped over it…? and can do more… Your link was based on using VB which performs outside of AI and communicates between apps… AppleScript can do the same on the mac… The ESTK ( adobe's javascript ) can't interact with app's outside the suite like this… It's much easier if you save as from Excel and let a script read the plain exported text… I find this to be faster anyhows less back and forth with snippets between app's just read the whole array of data in one go very fast…

[happy_Lark157F]

I am reading about variable data and it seems a lot easier for newbies like me, even though I'd need to learn how to create a taylored xml file!  I'll ask in the forum if it's actually doable first, maybe I am underextimating something.

Anyway, in the case I wanna use the excel way, you say to export as text from Excel and let the script read, instead of running VB, is that right? Thansk for that suggestion.

I still need to find the script top do it , i'll keep digging!

Thanks dude!

edit: actually it seems that variables are just for showing/hiding stuff, not for changing between values... if I got it right!

[Muppet Mark]

If you wanted to read Excel data live from the open book then you would need VB on the PC or AppleScript on the Mac… If variable data can do this and quick then it's a free in-built solution… Shout back if it don't fit the bill…

[happy_Lark157F]

Thanks very much again dude, I just wrote you a P.M. about it!

Cheers