Import variables in Illustrator

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Terkelsen
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Import variables in Illustrator

Post by Terkelsen »

I'm in need of a script to import a xml as variables in Illustrators variables panel.

I have the correct formatted XML and it works as expected when importing manually. I would like to automate this through Switch, which is why I'm looking for at script that can do this.

Anyone?
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Terkelsen
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Posts: 297
Joined: Thu Sep 08, 2011 5:08 pm
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Re: Import variables in Illustrator

Post by Terkelsen »

485 views but 0 replies :? Well, I found help elsewhere so here is the solution if anybody else would need it:

main();

//------------- MAIN CLOSURE -----------------------------
//--------------------------------------------------------

function main() {
var document = app.activeDocument;
var dataFile = new File("<path to the xml file>");;
document.importVariables(dataFile);
var dataSet = document.dataSets.getByName('<name of required data set>');
document.activeDataset = dataSet;
dataSet.display();
redraw();
}
freddyp
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Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2012 3:53 pm

Re: Import variables in Illustrator

Post by freddyp »

There was not much to go by Erik :D And the Illustrator scripting documentation was also not very helpful when looking for XML. Variables is the keyword I see now. A couple of remarks about the code snippet, though.

There is no need to have the main procedure but it is certainly not wrong. As documented here (https://www.enfocus.com/manuals/UserGui ... tions.html) you should use $doc instead of app.activeDocument, and you could make use of the arguments to get cleaner code. Not tested, but this is how I would rewrite it:

Code: Select all

var dataFile = new File($arg1); //place the path to the XML in the first argument of the element
var datasetName = $arg2; //and the dataset name in the second argument

$doc.importVariables(dataFile);
var dataSet = $doc.dataSets.getByName(datasetName);
$doc.activeDataset = dataSet;
dataSet.display();
redraw();
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