Remove Selection not working in Action List

[prepressman_ntsf]

I am attempting to create an action list that removes a set of cropmarks after the dimension of the trim box has been changed in a previous set of action steps. It also finds and selects a transparent clipping object.

After selecting, I would like it to delete first the crop marks which are no longer needed and then the transparent clipping object which serves no purpose.

I can see the selection is successful, but am bewildered as to why the selection will not delete.

The Action List:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/tlmgmaqa ... s043q&dl=0

The File:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/qu28fm0s ... 8byln&dl=0

action list.JPG (84.14 KiB) Viewed 601 times

remove selection_image 1.JPG (83.2 KiB) Viewed 601 times

[loicaigon]

There is a "select trim and bleed marks" that should do the trick, but it doesn't operate on your file immediately as the marks are in a clipping mask. I will add this to our backlog.

In the meantime, you can use:
- Select line art
- Select color All
- AND
- Remove selection

And if you need to be more picky, you can certainly add more restrictions (width, height, not a close path…) but having All used for a content object should not be accepted anyway.

Hope that helps.

Loic

[prepressman_ntsf]

Hi Loic,

Thanks for the help.

With the action steps I provided previously, it also would not remove the clipping mask. I could see it being selected when using the Action List Visualizer, but no removal.

I did try to select trim and bleed marks, but thought it wasn't working because of the location of the marks.

As for the suggestion, I do not seem to have the ability to perform "Select color All" with my version of Pitstop. I only see under select color "separation," but it does not work when I use it in the action list.

[loicaigon]

Hi,
So I was confused by something, but it appears "Select trim and bleed marks" works just fine on your file.


So that shoud normally just what you need.

[prepressman_ntsf]

Hi Loic,

It appears that you are right. I noticed that I have to "start fresh" in order for it to work. If I experiment with the Action List Visualizer and then undo the changes and then try it ... it won't work. But when I closed out the file and started afresh it did work. Very odd.

Thank you for helping me solve that.

I would still like to remove the Clipping Object. I know that it is being selected with my actions, however, it refuses removal.

Action List to remove clipping object.JPG (42.61 KiB) Viewed 493 times

Object Selected.JPG (32.03 KiB) Viewed 493 times

[loicaigon]

I think that the construction of your selection is the issue. Note that you get a log of a clipping mask because, you actually have.
Yet you are using a AND. And for PitStop here it means, please select objects that are both clipping objects and also without fill or stroke.
That combination is likely to not be found. Hence why you are failing.

Ok, let's rewind a bit. I believe your need is to get the marks out of the clip mask. And to remove that clipping objects.

If that so, I believe the following approach should help:

- Select trim and bleed marks
- Select objects that have a clipping path
- AND
- Release Mask
- Select last added objects
- Remove selection

[prepressman_ntsf]

Hi Loic,

I swear that I saw this work the first time I tried it, but thereafter it does not remove anything. I have closed Acrobat and restarted repeatedly to get the same results:

[loicaigon]

Here it just works fine. Can you please maybe contact support?

[bens]

I would still like to remove the Clipping Object. I know that it is being selected with my actions, however, it refuses removal.

Your Action List looks like this:
1. Select objects without fill and stroke
2. Select clipping objects
3. Log selection
4. AND
5. Remove selection

Step 3 will log the current selection - which is the clipping objects from step 2. This works, and logs all clipping objects.
Then, in step 4, you change the current selection to anything that is a clipping object AND has no fill nor stroke. This is a different selection than what you just logged. In fact, it's most likely empty. So then in step 5, you remove the empty selection, which does nothing.

To remove all clipping objects, you don't need step 1 and 4. But be careful, removing clipping objects can of course change what the page looks like.

[prepressman_ntsf]

Hi Loic + Bens,

Thanks again for the help.

I noticed that if I do the crop mark removal only that that works A-OK.
I then created a separate action list for the clipping object removal.

For some odd reason, they do not work jointly when in the same list as Loic created, at least for me.

I then dragged these two action lists to an existing action list. That existing action list is performed on a No10 Regular Envelope file that may or may not have crop marks. What it does is change the page dimensions to 11x8.5, then imposes the other graphics around the envelope. If there are crop marks, I must manually delete them. That is why I wanted to add these further actions. I noticed on a new job I just performed this on that there was no clipping object to delete, only the crop marks.

I did consider what Bens mentioned that I needed to be careful about unintentionally selecting clipping objects besides the one I am targeting. That is why in the action list I just created, I had it select only a clipping object with a specific width because existing artwork on envelopes may have other clipping objects on them.

Lastly, I don't understand how "select last added objects" works in this instance, but I noticed that the action list would not work without it.

Remove Clipping Object.JPG (39.15 KiB) Viewed 132 times

[loicaigon]

When you release the clip mask, you actually add a new object. As you want to remove that objet, you need to select it first.
Hence the "Select last added objects"

https://cdn-www.enfocus.com/manuals/Ext ... t/230.html

[prepressman_ntsf]

Hi Loic,

Yes, you're right. It makes sense now.

Thanks!