[SCRIPTING] Place/Open/Load PDF as vector smart object

[lfcorullon]

Hello, there.

Is there a way to open/place a single page pure text PDF to PSD document as vector smart object?

[Bojan Živković]

Not sure what exactly you want/need. You can use File > Open as Smart Object command for example, when recording action step to open file in Photoshop.

Do you want to record and which exactly file or you want different files each time? What are other requirements for your job/task?

[lfcorullon]

Each time a different file. Always pure text PDF.
I'm making this from InDesign. Export a text frame to PDF, then want to place/load it in Photoshop. It's OK. But when I double click the generated smart object, it opens Acrobat. I want Illustrator to be open instead.

[JJMack]

As far as I know vector smart objects are associated with vector file.  *.ai and *.svg.    Photoshop does not have support for vector file types but can import their content as a single pixels layer and Vector graphics will be used in the import process for the canvas size specific in the import dialog. Likewise Vector Smart Objects will be scale  with vector graphics the smart object's  vector file will be imported for size transform being done to  the smart object layer.  So the Image in Photoshop will be the correct size with good quality.  However, the are no vector Paths associated with  the layer in Photoshop.

[JJMack]

I think you need Acrobat to process a pdf well and you may need authorization to edit a PDF.  If just text try some OCR application to see if it can extract the text then feed that text  to  photoshop text tool.

[Bojan Živković]

It seems you want ability to edit text inside placed file?

Using actions you can not change default software to open certain file type inside Smart Object layer.

Have you tried to work with Window > Libraries panel which is available in InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop? You can place linked from Libraries, open that file in Illustrator (should work I haven't tried), modify it, save changes and update Smart Object in Photoshop. This is idea which corosed my mind but I think it is worth to try it.

[lfcorullon]

Thanks for replying guys.

What I want is something like the result we have when simply copy a text frame from InDesign and paste it in a Photoshop document. The smart object created is called "Vector Smart Object", as you can see in the image below.

If I double click this layer, Illustrator opens and the text can be edited.

This is what I am trying to do.

[Bojan Živković]

You can use Libraries to place in Photoshop and edit in InDesign but not in Illustrator, at least I do not know the trick. May we know, why you want to edit text created in InDesign in Illustrator instead of parent/native app?

[lfcorullon]

I'm working on a script. What you are saying will work with CC Libraries, and just CC Libraries.

Because of I'm working on a Javascript for InDesign, I can't/don't want to depend on CC Libraries. Also, I just try to place a text frame in CC Library in InDesign. Photoshop doesn't allow it to be used/draged into a layer.

The reason I'm thinking/talking about Illustrator to edit the texts, is because I can only think in PDF to bring text from InDesign to Photoshop keeping it editable and not convert it to pixes/curves.

As I said, if I copy a text frame in InDesign and paste it in Photoshop, it behaves like I want.

[JJMack]

In Photoshop there are no vector path for Vector Smart Object. The vectors are in the file associated with the smart object layers object. The file is either embedded in the smart object layer  or there is a link to the file in the smart object layer. Application that support the vector file type can edit vector objects.  Photoshop does not have support for Vector Files so Photoshop can not edit vector objects.