Relink pictures

[robertor29549131]

We have several Illustrator files with huge embedded pictures (.jpg and .eps). What I need to do is to relink those pictures to some .psd files with the same file name. Doing this manually takes ages so I’m trying to write a script, but being a complete beginner I have no clue about how to do that.

Basically loop through the pictures and relink all of them to a psd file that has the same file name.

Example: picture.jpg -> relink to /images/picture.psd

I hope someone can help me out! Thanks.

[Silly-V]

Try to run this little snippet on a test file which contains a couple .jpg and .eps links.. and let's see if it works!

#target illustrator

function test(){

  var doc = app.activeDocument;

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

       doc.placedItems.file = File(doc.placedItems.file.replace(/(\.jpg|\.eps)/, ".psd"));

  };

};

test();

[robertor29549131]

Thank you!

I will test it Friday when I get back to work.

Cheers

[robertor29549131]

Hello,

I tried to use the code but nothing happens, so I tried to add an alert to see what's actually going on; the alert(doc.placedItems.length) returns 0.

function test(){

  alert('hello');

  var doc = app.activeDocument;

  alert(doc.placedItems.length);

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

       alert(i);

       doc.placedItems.file = File(doc.placedItems.file.replace(/(\.jpg|\.eps)/, ".psd"));

   };

};

test();

[Silly-V]

Oh sorry, I didn't read carefully: you said the images you have are embedded.

Here's what you can do: open up your variables panel and do this for each of your images: click image, then use the Lego®-looking button at the bottom of the Variables panel to 'make content dynamic'. After all your images are made into variables, use the camera button at the top to capture a single dataset. Now, export an XML file using the 'save variables library' menu item in the Variables panel's fly-out menu. At this point you can open up the XML file and use text-replace to change all '.jpg' to .psd and so forth. Then when you're done text-replacing, save this XML file and re-import it inside of your Illustrator document. Now, if it does not happen instantly, selecting the first dataset after this new import will change all the image variables to get images from the new paths- relinking the files to .psd.

Let me know if you have questions.

[robertor29549131]

Hello,

Thank you for your reply.

I tried to follow your instructions but after I select the image and bring up the variables panel, the icon for 'make content dynamic' it's greyed out, the other button 'make visibility dynamic' it's working.

[Silly-V]

DOH! Once again, I did the same thing last year! ( File Location of Pasted Image  )

Okay, try to run this script and see if it's going to work:

#target illustrator

function test(){

var errorFiles = [];

var newPath = "~/Desktop"; // change this to your path

  var doc = app.activeDocument;

  var thisRaster, newPlaced, newFilePath;

  for (var i = doc.rasterItems.length - 1; i > -1; i--) {

  thisRaster = doc.rasterItems;

  try {

  if(thisRaster.hasOwnProperty('file') && thisRaster.file != ""){

  newFilePath = newPath + "/" + decodeURI(thisRaster.file.name).replace(/(\.jpg|\.eps|\.png)/, ".psd");

  if(!File(newFilePath).exists){

  throw new Error("File not found");

  }

  newPlaced = doc.placedItems.add();

  newPlaced.file = ( File(File(newFilePath).fsName) );

  newPlaced.move(thisRaster, ElementPlacement.PLACEBEFORE);

  newPlaced.top = thisRaster.top;

  newPlaced.left = thisRaster.left;

  newPlaced.width = thisRaster.width;

  newPlaced.height = thisRaster.height;

  thisRaster.remove();

  }

  } catch(e) {

  errorFiles.push(decodeURI(thisRaster.file.name));

  }

  }

  if(errorFiles.length > 0){

  alert("The following files had problems:\r" + errorFiles.join("\n"));

  }

};

test();

[robertor29549131]

I really appreciate your help, but unfortunately after playing with the script for a while I had to give up and start doing the job manually because of a lack of time.

All the best.

Rob

[Silly-V]

Oh no! Sorry I couldn't help you.