The answer to your second question is almost certainly NO. I think the biggest problem is knowing how many pages the PDF file has to open. There are ways to get this info on the mac os but I don't know for pc. ... View more

You should be able to read these from the file head of the File object before opening the file then write into text frame. ... View more

What Version of Illustrator are you working with? The artboard of versions CS1-CS3 is read only. In CS4 with the introduction of multi-artboards you can now read/write to sizes. I don't have this and Im mac so I can't help with the vb either. ... View more

Im using CS2 and don't think that you can alter the stroke in the way you want. With path items in the GUI you have 3 options for strokes inside, outside & on centre. You can't do this with type but you can do in appearance pallet is something similar moving single/multi strokes behind the fills. Im almost certain that you don't have access to this via script? You could duplicate your text frame and just add the stroke to the text at the back (which is basically what the appearance thing does) ... View more

With an open CMYK doc containing 1 text frame with 3 paragraphs of chunky 120 pt type I was able to add both stroke and color like so… #target illustrator var docRef = app.activeDocument; with (docRef) { with (textFrames[0]) { for (var i = 0; i < characters.length; i++) { randCMYK = new CMYKColor(); randCMYK.cyan = Math.round(Math.random() * 100); randCMYK.magenta = Math.round(Math.random() * 100); randCMYK.yellow = Math.round(Math.random() * 100); randCMYK.black = Math.round(Math.random() * 100); characters.characterAttributes.strokeWeight = Math.round(Math.random() * 10); characters.characterAttributes.strokeColor = randCMYK; } } } ... View more

See if this works for you… Just some very basic AppleScript with a call to 'do javascript' in this case the variable 'Solid_Fill' this is a cleaned up piece of scriptlistener output (done very nicely by X's tools you will see a post below to the latest release of this) The scriptlistener output has been turned into a function that javascript can call. Inside of the function call I have put a list arguments passed from AppleScript. So the values 0, 0, 0, 0 in the AppleScript list end up as arguments passed to the functions C, M, Y, K variables. AppleScript objects are 1 based Javascript are 0 based & values the same. set Solid_Fill to "function solidFillCMYK(C, M, Y, K) { function cTID(s) { return app.charIDToTypeID(s); }; function sTID(s) { return app.stringIDToTypeID(s); }; var desc8 = new ActionDescriptor(); var ref4 = new ActionReference(); ref4.putClass( sTID('contentLayer') ); desc8.putReference( cTID('null'), ref4 ); var desc9 = new ActionDescriptor(); var desc10 = new ActionDescriptor(); var desc11 = new ActionDescriptor(); desc11.putDouble( cTID('Cyn '), C ); desc11.putDouble( cTID('Mgnt'), M ); desc11.putDouble( cTID('Ylw '), Y ); desc11.putDouble( cTID('Blck'), K ); desc10.putObject( cTID('Clr '), cTID('CMYC'), desc11 ); desc9.putObject( cTID('Type'), sTID('solidColorLayer'), desc10 ); desc8.putObject( cTID('Usng'), sTID('contentLayer'), desc9 ); executeAction( cTID('Mk  '), desc8, DialogModes.NO ); }; solidFillCMYK(arguments[0], arguments[1], arguments[2], arguments[3]);" tell application "Adobe Photoshop CS2" activate set User_Rulers to ruler units of settings set ruler units of settings to pixel units set Doc_Ref to the current document tell Doc_Ref set background layer of last layer to false do javascript Solid_Fill with arguments {0, 0, 0, 0} show debugger on runtime error move first layer to end set Doc_Height to height -- set Doc_Width to width did NOT need this resize canvas height Doc_Height + 200 anchor position top center flatten end tell set ruler units of settings to User_Rulers end tell ... View more

I would expect something like this to be close although I've NOT looked into colored placed items yet… #target illustrator var docRef = app.activeDocument; with (docRef) { var replaceColor = swatches.getByName('PANTONE 101 C').color; for (var i = 0; i < pathItems.length; i++) { with (pathItems) { if (filled == true && fillColor instanceof SpotColor) { if (fillColor.spot.name == 'PANTONE 133 C') fillColor = replaceColor; } if (stroked == true && strokeColor instanceof SpotColor) { if (strokeColor.spot.name == 'PANTONE 133 C') strokeColor = replaceColor; } } } for (var j = 0; j < stories.length; j++) { with (stories ) { for (var k = 0; k < characters.length; k++) { with (characters .characterAttributes) { if (fillColor instanceof SpotColor) { if (fillColor.spot.name == 'PANTONE 133 C') fillColor = replaceColor; } if (strokeColor instanceof SpotColor) { if (strokeColor.spot.name == 'PANTONE 133 C') strokeColor = replaceColor; } } } } } } ... View more

This is straight top level layers only… #target illustrator var docRef = app.activeDocument; with (docRef) { for (var i = 0; i < layers.length; i++) { layers.name = i + 1; } } ... View more

Im busy at work at the mo… but have a script that I was working on last night (learning JS @ home) that should do this for you. I'll post it L8R… ... View more

Jay, any chance you could post a sample file? It need not be a work file but set up in the same way… Would need to be CS2 Im stuck with being behind the times… I have not gotten as far as JavaScript that is PC compatible yet either (never had the need just yet). ... View more

I will have to go check this as I have my PMS swatches set to persistent in the app but these are separate from each documents swatch pallet and Im almost certain that scripting does NOT have access to these. (Not everything that is available to an app in the GUI is accessible thru script). If your artwork files are NOT too complex it may be possible to iterate thru the objects and change the color, but I don't have a great deal of experience with this (still doing the learning bit). ... View more

I will have to take a look at this as I get an 'PARM' error and crash when ever I've tried to deal with Pattern Fill objects. Won't draw the screen then fold… no matter how simple the pattern. ... View more

Jay, Larry posted an AppleScript but you also mention a JavaScript. Just to clear things up are you on Mac OS where either language solution 'should' work? The only method that I've been able to this with Illustrator is to save a clean .ai document like those used for symbols, graphic styles, brushes etc. containing the pantone color swatches that I want to bring in and duplicate an object with style/color applied from one document to another. Unfortunately Illustrator does NOT have a swatches merge like ID or import color books. (Unless Im overlooking something in my guides?) Are the docs in question simple n clean? ... View more

Rectangles/Squares is pretty easy to deal with. Polygons require trigonometry that I have NOT used since school and that was some years ago (a few beers have rinsed my mind since then). Shapes with béziers to control curves would possibly wreck a weekend… I have been trying to use trig but have nothing sorted just yet… ... View more

Joe, I think that this should be pretty close to what you want. It looks for path items in the selection, then should check to see if its a rectangle if it is then inset guides 3mm. I think it needs a check for right & left direction control points but I have NOT the time at the mo. #target illustrator var docRef = app.activeDocument; // Convert mm to points var thisOffset = 3 * 2.834645; with (docRef) { // Get selected items Array if (selection != '') { for (var i = 0; i < selection.length; i++) { // Check if its a path item if (selection instanceof PathItem) { // This might need a better test!!! if (isRectangle(selection)) { // Ignore any stroke values var thisPath = selection.geometricBounds; // Calculate guide box var guideTop = thisPath[1] - thisOffset; var guideLeft = thisPath[0] + thisOffset; var guideWidth = (thisPath[2] - thisPath[0]) - (thisOffset * 2); var guideHeight = (thisPath[1] - thisPath[3]) - (thisOffset * 2); // Make new rectangle var myGuides = pathItems.rectangle(guideTop, guideLeft, guideWidth, guideHeight, false); // Make it guides myGuides.guides = true; } else { alert('A Path Item was NOT a rectangle?'); } } else { alert('An object was NOT a Path Item?'); } } } else { alert('You have NO selected objects?'); } } function isRectangle(pathObject) { with (pathObject) { if (pathPoints.length != 4)  return false; if (pathPoints[0].anchor[0] != pathPoints[3].anchor[0]) return false; if (pathPoints[1].anchor[0] != pathPoints[2].anchor[0]) return false; if (pathPoints[0].anchor[1] != pathPoints[1].anchor[1]) return false; if (pathPoints[2].anchor[1] != pathPoints[3].anchor[1]) return false; return true; } } ... View more

Joe, the following lines set a variable reference to the color of 2 swatches. Like I said using getByName() will fail if its NOT there. You can change the names 'vih' & 'sin' to the names of 2 colors that you do have in your swatches pallet. The rest of the script does a compassion of the CMYK values ONLY so both of your swatches need to be this. var findColor = swatches.getByName('vih').color; var replaceColor = swatches.getByName('sin').color; ... View more

Sorry to say that as far as Im aware there is no option to add new bookcolors in this app like you can in ID. I might be proved wrong but the only way I have been able to do anything like this is to dupe from file to file. You can add custom spots but just not from the color books and you can work with existing ones. Im only CS2 so things may have changed. ... View more

"importAdobeSwatchbookSpotColor" belongs to ID scripting you are in the Illustrator scripting forum. ... View more

And do you have a swatch in the current documents swatches pallet called 'vih' getByName will fail like this if it does NOT exist… ... View more

Both Paul and Mike are correct here you need to include both the action and the set names these are case sensitive so I almost always C&P them out of the double click edit box. I don't however see why you need an action at all? This is directly scriptable like so… tell application "Adobe Photoshop CS2" set Doc_Ref to current document tell Doc_Ref if mode is RGB then change mode to indexed color with options ¬ {class:indexed mode options, palette:Mac OS system} end tell end tell ... View more

You have 2 ways either JavaScript supplied as string or as file. If you are going the route of file then you need to coerce your path string to 'alias' this will fail if it does NOT exist. Here are 2 examples. You also have option to pass arguments as list. -- As String set JavaScript to "myTest(); function myTest() { var docRef = app.activeDocument; var docWidth = docRef.width; var docHeight = docRef.height; var docSize = docWidth + ' x ' + docHeight return docSize }" tell application "Adobe Photoshop CS2" activate set Doc_Ref to the current document tell Doc_Ref do javascript JavaScript ¬ show debugger on runtime error display dialog the result end tell end tell -- As File set ScriptPath to (path to applications folder as text) & "Adobe Photoshop CS2:Presets:Scripts:Hello.jsx" as alias tell application "Adobe Photoshop CS2" activate set Doc_Ref to the current document tell Doc_Ref do javascript ScriptPath ¬ show debugger on runtime error end tell end tell ... View more

You are most likely going to be way out of my depth on this. Bridge can issue command line though app.system() In CS3 & CS4 file.execute() can execute a shell script if its permissions have been set. I only have CS2 so I can't try this out. ... View more

If you wish to avoid the background color route you could possibly go the way of making your layer none background increase canvas then add solid fill white layer below last. This you can do with script listener via do javascript. ... View more

Can I ask what your bash script is for? ... View more

You could just have Applescript get the last word of the whole output of system profiler? This works again only tested on tiger… if (File.fs == 'Macintosh') { var systemProfile = '' + 'set SerialNumber to last word of (do shell script "system_profiler SPHardwareDataType")' + '\n' + 'return SerialNumber' var scriptResult = app.doScript(systemProfile, 1095978087); $.writeln(scriptResult); } ... View more