Adobe Illustrator CC 2015 Scripting Reference (2017) Reference: VBScript Cc2017 Ref En
User Manual: adobe Illustrator - CC (2017) - Scripting Reference: VBScript Free User Guide for Adobe Illustrator Software, Manual
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ADOBE® ILLUSTRATOR® CC 2017
ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR CC 2017
SCRIPTING REFERENCE:
VBSCRIPT
2016 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved.
Adobe Illustrator CC 2017 Scripting Reference: VBScript
If this guide is distributed with software that includes an end user agreement, this guide, as well as the software
described in it, is furnished under license and may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of such license.
Except as permitted by any such license, no part of this guide may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written
permission of Adobe Systems Incorporated. Please note that the content in this guide is protected under copyright law
even if it is not distributed with software that includes an end user license agreement.
The content of this guide is furnished for informational use only, is subject to change without notice, and should not be
construed as a commitment by Adobe Systems Incorporated. Adobe Systems Incorporated assumes no responsibility or
liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in the informational content contained in this guide.
Please remember that existing artwork or images that you may want to include in your project may be protected under
copyright law. The unauthorized incorporation of such material into your new work could be a violation of the rights of
the copyright owner. Please be sure to obtain any permission required from the copyright owner.
Any references to company names in sample templates are for demonstration purposes only and are not intended to
refer to any actual organization.
Adobe, the Adobe logo, Acrobat, Flash, Illustrator, Macromedia, and Photoshop are either registered trademarks or
trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.
Macintosh is a trademark of Apple Computer, Incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries. Windows
is either a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.
JavaScript and all Java-related marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Incorporated in the
United States and other countries.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Adobe Systems Incorporated, 345 Park Avenue, San Jose, California 95110, USA. Notice to U.S. Government End Users.
The Software and Documentation are “Commercial Items,” as that term is defined at 48 C.F.R. §2.101, consisting of
“Commercial Computer Software” and “Commercial Computer Software Documentation,” as such terms are used in 48
C.F.R. §12.212 or 48 C.F.R. §227.7202, as applicable. Consistent with 48 C.F.R. §12.212 or 48 C.F.R. §§227.7202-1 through
227.7202-4, as applicable, the Commercial Computer Software and Commercial Computer Software Documentation are
being licensed to U.S. Government end users (a) only as Commercial Items and (b) with only those rights as are granted
to all other end users pursuant to the terms and conditions herein. Unpublished-rights reserved under the copyright
laws of the United States. Adobe Systems Incorporated, 345 Park Avenue, San Jose, CA 95110-2704, USA. For U.S.
Government End Users, Adobe agrees to comply with all applicable equal opportunity laws including, if appropriate, the
provisions of Executive Order 11246, as amended, Section 402 of the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act
of 1974 (38 USC 4212), and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the regulations at 41 CFR
Parts 60-1 through 60-60, 60-250, and 60-741. The affirmative action clause and regulations contained in the preceding
sentence shall be incorporated by reference.
Contents
1
VBScript Object Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Artboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Artboards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
AutoCADFileOptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Brush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Brushes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
CharacterAttributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
CharacterStyle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
CharacterStyles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
CMYKColor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Color info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
CompoundPathItem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
CompoundPathItems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
DataSet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
DataSets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
DocumentPreset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
EPSSaveOptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
ExportOptionsAutoCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
ExportOptionsFlash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
ExportOptionsGIF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
ExportOptionsJPEG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
ExportOptionsPhotoshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
ExportOptionsPNG8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
ExportOptionsPNG24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
ExportOptionsSVG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
ExportOptionsTIFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
FreeHandFileOptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
FXGSaveOptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Gradient . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
GradientColor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
3
Contents
4
Gradients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
GradientStop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
GradientStops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
GraphicStyle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
GraphicStyles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
GraphItem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
GraphItems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
GrayColor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
GroupItem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
GroupItems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
IllustratorSaveOptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
ImageCaptureOptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Ink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
InkInfo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
InsertionPoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
InsertionPoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
LabColor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
LegacyTextItem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
LegacyTextItems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
MeshItem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
MeshItems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
NoColor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
NonNativeItem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
NonNativeItems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
OpenOptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
PageItem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
PageItems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
PaperInfo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
ParagraphAttributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Paragraphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
ParagraphStyle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
ParagraphStyles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
PathItem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Contents
5
PathItems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
PathPoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
PathPoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
PatternColor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
PDFFileOptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
PDFSaveOptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
PhotoshopFileOptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
PlacedItem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
PlacedItems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
PluginItem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
PluginItems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
PPDFile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
PPDFileInfo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
PrintColorManagementOptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
PrintColorSeparationOptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
PrintCoordinateOptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
PrinterInfo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
PrintFlattenerOptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
PrintFontOptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
PrintJobOptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
PrintOptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
PrintPageMarksOptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
PrintPaperOptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
PrintPostScriptOptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
RasterEffectOptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
RasterItem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
RasterItems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
RasterizeOptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
RGBColor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
ScreenInfo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
ScreenSpotFunction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Spot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
SpotColor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Contents
6
Spots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Swatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Swatches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
SwatchGroup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
SwatchGroups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
SymbolItem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
SymbolItems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
TabStopInfo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Tag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
TextFont . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
TextFonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
TextFrame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
TextFrames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
TextPath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
TextRange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
TextRanges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
TracingObject . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
TracingOptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
2
Enumerations Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
1
VBScript Object Reference
This reference section describes the objects and methods in the Illustrator VBScript type library. All of the
classes in the type library are presented alphabetically. The chapter concludes with an enumerations
reference which lists all of the enumerations in the Illustrator type library.
Each class listing includes the following:
Properties of the class — These include value type, read-only status, and an explanation.
Methods for the class — Value types needed by the method are shown in bold face. Enumerated
values are linked to the Chapter 2, “Enumerations Reference.” Required terms are shown in plain face.
All items surrounded by brackets ([ ]) are optional.
Script examples — These example are intended to illustrate concepts, and do not necessarily
represent the best or most efficient way to construct a VBScript script. They contain little error
checking, and assume that the proper context exists for the scripts to execute in (for instance, that
there is a document open or items selected).
Each script contains a single subroutine that can be pasted into any event in a VBScript form if you are
using the VBScript development environment. A standard button click event is used for all examples. If
you are using a built-in VBScript editor in a VBA application, you can paste the script into a macro
routine. In either case, modify the Sub statement in the example to work with your situation.
For an overview of how the Illustrator object model is structured, see Adobe Illustrator CC 2017 Scripting
Guide.
7
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Application
Application
The Adobe Illustrator application object, which contains all other Illustrator objects.
Application properties
Property
Value type
What it is
ActionIsRunning
Boolean
Read-only. If true, an action is still running.
ActiveDocument
Document
The active (frontmost) document in Illustrator.
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
BrowserAvailable
Boolean
Read-only. If true, a Web browser is available.
BuildNumber
String
Read-only. The application’s build number.
ColorSettingsList
Variant
Read-only. The list of color-settings files
currently available for use.
CoordinateSystem
AiCoordinateSystem The coordinate system currently in use,
document or artboard.
DefaultColorSettings
String
Read-only. The default color-settings file for the
current application locale.
Documents
Documents
Read-only. The documents in the application.
FlattenerPresetsList
Variant
Read-only. The list of flattener style names
currently available for use.
FreeMemory
Long
Read-only. The amount of unused memory (in
bytes) within the Illustrator partition.
Locale
String
Read-only. The application’s locale.
Name
String
Read-only. The application’s name (not related to
the filename of the application file).
PasteRememberLayers
Boolean
Read-only. If true, the paste operation
maintains the layer structure.
Path
String
Read-only. The file path to the application.
PDFPresetsList
Variant Array of
String
Read-only. The list of preset PDF-options names
available for use.
PPDFileList
Variant Array of
Strings
Read-only. The list of PPD files currently available
for use.
Preferences
Preferences
Read-only. The application preferences.
PrinterList
Variant
Read-only. A list of available printers.
PrintPresetsList
Variant
Read-only. The list of preset printing-options
names currently available for use.
8
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Application
Property
Value type
What it is
ScriptingVersion
String
Read-only. The version of the Scripting plug-in.
Selection
Variant Array of
All currently selected objects in the active
(frontmost) document.
objects
StartupPresetsList
Variant
Read-only. The list of presets available for
creating a new document.
TextFonts
TextFonts
Read-only. The installed fonts.
TracingPresetList
Variant Array of
String
Read-only. The list of preset tracing-options
names available for use.
UserInteractionLevel
AiUserInteractionL The allowed level of interaction with users in the
evel
form of dialogs and message boxes.
Version
String
Read-only. The version of the Illustrator
application.
Visible
Boolean
Read-only. If true, the application is visible.
Application methods
Method
Returns
What it does
ConcatenateMatrix
(matrix as Matrix,
secondMatrix as Matrix)
Matrix
Concatenates two
matrices.
ConcatenateRotationMatrix
(matrix as Matrix,
angle as Double)
Matrix
Concatenates a rotation to
a transformation matrix.
ConcatenateScaleMatrix
(matrix as Matrix,
[, scaleX as Double]
[, scaleY as Double])
Matrix
Concatenates a scale to a
transformation matrix.
ConcatenateTranslationMatrix
(matrix as Matrix,
[, deltaX as Double]
[, deltaY as Double])
Matrix
Concatenates a translation
to a transformation matrix.
ConvertSampleColor
(SourceColorSpace as AiImageColorSpace,
SourceColor as ColorComponents,
DestColorSpace as AiImageColorSpace,
ColorConvertPurpose as AiColorConvertPurpose
[,SourceHasAlpha as Boolean]
[,DestHasAlpha as Boolean])
array of
ColorCom
ponents
Converts a
sample-component color
from one color space to
another.
Copy
()
Nothing
Copies the current
selection to the clipboard.
Cut
()
Nothing
Cuts the current selection
to the clipboard.
9
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Application
Method
Returns
What it does
DeleteWorkspace
(workspaceName as String)
Boolean
Deletes a workspace.
DoJavaScript
String
(JavaScriptCode as String,
[, Arguments as Variant Array]
[, ExecutionMode as AiJavaScriptExecutionMode])
Executes the specified
JavaScript® code.
String
DoJavaScriptFile
(JavaScriptFile as File,
[, Arguments as Variant Array]
[, ExecutionMode as AiJavaScriptExecutionMode])
Executes the specified
JavaScript file.
DoScript
(Action as String,
From as String
[, dialogs as Boolean])
Nothing
Plays an action from the
Actions palette.
GetIdentityMatrix
()
Matrix
Returns an identity matrix.
GetIsFileOpen
(filePath)
String
Returns if the specified file
path is open.
GetPPDFileInfo
(Name as String)
PPDFileI
nfo
Gets detailed file
information for specified
PPD file.
GetPresetFileOfType
(PresetType as AiDocumentPresetType)
String
Returns the full path to the
default document profile
for the specified preset
type.
GetPresetSettings
(Preset as String)
Document
Preset
Retrieves the
tracing-option settings
from the template with a
given preset name.
NOTE: Use DoScript only if
you intend to run your
script from an application
external to Illustrator, such
as the Windows® Script
Host. Calling DoScript
when running a script
from Illustrator’s File >
Scripts menu may yield
unexpected results.
10
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Application
Method
Returns
What it does
GetRotationMatrix
([Angle as Double])
Matrix
Returns a transformation
matrix containing a single
rotation.
NOTE: Requires a value in
degrees. For example, 30
rotates the object 30
degrees counterclockwise;
-30 rotates the object 30
degrees clockwise.
GetScaleMatrix
([scaleX as Double]
[, scaleY as Double])
Matrix
Returns a transformation
matrix containing a single
scale.
NOTE: Requires a value in
percentage. For example,
60 scales the object to
60% of its original size; 200
doubles the object’s
bounds.
GetScriptableHelpGroup
()
variant
Gets the scriptable help
group object that
represents the search
widget in the app bar.
GetTranslationMatrix
([deltaX as Double]
[, deltaY as Double])
Matrix
Returns a transformation
matrix containing a single
translation.
NOTE: Requires a value in
points. For example,
{100,200} moves the
object 100 pt. to the right
and 200 pt. up; a minus
before each number
moves the object left and
down.
InvertMatrix
(matrix as Matrix)
Matrix
Inverts a matrix.
IsEqualMatrix
(matrix as Matrix,
secondMatrix as Matrix)
Boolean
Checks whether two
matrices are equal.
IsSingularMatrix
(matrix as Matrix)
Boolean
Checks whether a matrix is
singular and cannot be
inverted.
11
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Application
Method
Returns
What it does
LoadColorSettings
(fileSpec as String)
Nothing
Loads color settings from
specified file, or, if file is
empty, turns color
management off.
Open
(file as String,
[documentColorSpace as AiDocumentColorSpace],
[options as Object])
Document
Opens the specified file
document.
Paste
()
Nothing
Pastes the clipboard
content into the current
document.
Quit
Nothing
Quits Illustrator.
Redo
()
Nothing
Redoes the most recently
undone transaction.
Redraw
()
Nothing
Forces Illustrator to redraw
all its windows.
ResetWorkspace
()
Boolean
Resets the current
workspace.
SaveWorkspace
(workspaceName as String)
Boolean
Saves a new workspace.
ShowPresets
(fileSpec as String)
Nothing
Gets the presets from the
file.
SwitchWorkspace
(workspaceName as String)
Boolean
Switches to a workspace.
TranslatePlaceholderText
(text as String)
Nothing
Translates the placeholder
text to regular text; a way
to enter unicode points in
hex values.
Undo
()
Nothing
Undoes the most recent
transaction.
If called to open a
pre-Illustrator 9 document
that contains both RGB
and CMYK colors, supply
DocumentColorSpace in
order to convert all colors
to the specified color
space. If not supplied,
Illustrator displays a dialog
to the user.
12
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Application
13
Opening a document
' Open a document and get the reference to it
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set docRef = appRef.Open("C:\temp\aFile.ai")
Accessing the selection
In Illustrator, the application’s Selection can be accessed as well as modified. The selection will contain
Empty when there are no selected objects. To deselect all objects in the current document, set the
selection to Empty, as the following example shows.
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
appRef.activeDocument.Selection = Empty
A reference to a text range is returned when there is an active insertion point in the contents of a
TextFrame. Similarly, a reference to a range of text is returned when characters are selected in the
contents of a TextFrame.
Executing an action
You can run an action from the Action Palette from a script by using the DoScript method. When you do
this, the control returns to your script before the action has completed. Use the ActionIsRunning
property to test for when the action has completed before executing any other VBScript methods (see the
Windows.DoAction example). You can also use the Sleep method defined on the WScript object to insert
a pause to test this property, as in the following example:
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
appRef.DoScript "Opacity 60 (selection)", "Default Actions"
WHILE(appRef.ActionIsRunning)
WScript.sleep 1000
WEND
msgbox "Done"
Invoking JavaScript
DoJavaScript and DoJavaScriptFile can be used to invoke scripts written in JavaScript for Illustrator.
The first argument to DoJavaScript is a string that must evaluate to a valid JavaScript expression. For
example, the following script displays an alert using the JavaScript alert method.
appRef.DoJavaScript "alert( 'Number of open documents: ' + _documents.length);"
This example returns the number of open documents.
Set myNumberOfDocuments = appRef.DoJavaScript("documents.length;")
MsgBox myNumberOfDocuments
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Application
14
Copy and paste between documents
This script uses the application property ActiveDocument to copy the current document’s selection to the
clipboard before pasting it into our new document. This script also demonstrates how to create a new
document with a specific color space and dimensions.
'Duplicates the selected item in the current document to a new document
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
If appRef.Documents.Count > 0 Then
If Not IsEmpty(appRef.ActiveDocument.selection) Then
appRef.ActiveDocument.Copy
Set newDocument = appRef.Documents.Add(aiDocumentCMYKColor,250, 400)
newDocument.Paste
End If
End If
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Artboard
15
Artboard
An Artboard object represents a single artboard in a document. There can be between 1 to 100 artboards
in one document.
Artboard properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
ArtboardRect
Rect
Size and position of the artboard.
Name
String
The unique identifying name of the artboard.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The name of the object that is this Artboard object’s
parent.
RulerOrigin
Point
Ruler origin of the artboard, relative to the left top corner of the
artboard.
RulerPAR
Double
Pixel aspect ratio, used in ruler visualization if the units are pixels.
Range: 0.1 to 10.0
ShowCenter
Boolean
Show center mark.
ShowCrossHairs
Boolean
Show cross hairs.
ShowSafeAreas
Boolean
Show title and action safe areas (for video).
Artboard methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Delete
()
Nothing
Deletes this artboard object. You cannot remove the last
artboard in a document.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Artboards
Artboards
A collection of artboards.
Artboards properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. The number of objects in the collection.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The document that contains this object.
Artboards methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Add
(rect as ArtboardRect)
Artboard
Creates a new Artboard object.
GetActiveArtboardIndex
()
Long
Retrieves the index position of the active artboard in the
document's list. Returns the 0-based index.
GetByName
Artboard
(artboardName as String)
Retrieves an artboard object from the list by its unique
identifying name.
Index
(item as DataSets)
Long
Returns the index position of the object within the
collection.
Insert
(rect as ArtboardRect,
index as Long)
Nothing
Creates a new artboard object and inserts it at the given
index in the list.
Item
(itemKey)
Artboard
Returns an object reference to the object identified by
itemKey (name or index).
Remove
(index as Long)
Nothing
Deletes an artboard object. You cannot remove the last
artboard in a document.
SetActiveArtboardIndex
(index as Long)
Nothing
Makes a specific artboard active and makes it current in
the iteration order.
16
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
AutoCADFileOptions
AutoCADFileOptions
Options for opening an AutoCAD drawing, used with the Open method.
AutoCADFileOptions properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application
object.
CenterArtwork
Boolean
If true, center the artwork that is created
on the artboard. Default is true.
GlobalScaleOption
AiAutoCADGlobalScaleOption
How to scale the drawing on import.
Default is 1 ' aiFitArtboard
GlobalScalePercent
Double
The value when globalScaleOption is
2 ' aiScaleByValue, expressed as a
percentage. Range: 0.0 to 100.0 Default is
100.0
MergeLayers
Boolean
If true, the layers of the artwork are
merged. Default: false
Parent
Document
Read-only. The document that contains
this object.
ScaleLineweights
Boolean
If true, scales line weights by the same
factor as the rest of the drawing. Default is
false.
SelectedLayoutName
String
Name of the layout in the drawing to
import.
Unit
AiAutoCADUnit
The unit to map to. Default is
3 ' aiMillimeters.
UnitScaleRatio
Double
The ratio by which to scale while mapping
units. Default is 1.0
17
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Brush
18
Brush
A brush in an Illustrator document. Illustrator brushes can be accessed, but not created or deleted, from a
script.
Brush properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Name
String
The Brush name.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The container object.
Brush methods
Method
Returns
What it does
ApplyTo
(artItem as PageItem)
Nothing
Applies the brush to a specific art item.
Applying a Brush
'Creates a new group, adds a duplicate of each selected item to the group
'then applies a brush to each item in the group
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
If appRef.Documents.Count > 0 Then
If Not IsEmpty(appRef.Selection) Then
selectedItems = appRef.Selection
startIndex = LBound(selectedItems)
endIndex = UBound(selectedItems)
Set newGroup = appRef.ActiveDocument.GroupItems.Add
For i = startIndex To endIndex
Set artItem = selectedItems(i)
Set dupItem = artItem.Duplicate(newGroup, aiPlaceAtEnd)
appRef.ActiveDocument.Brushes(2).ApplyTo artItem
Next
End If
End If
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Brushes
Brushes
A collection of brushes in a document.
Brushes properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. Long. The number of objects in the collection.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The document that contains this object.
Brushes methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Index
(item as Brush)
Long
Returns the index position of the object within the collection.
Item
(itemKey)
Brush
Returns an object reference to the object identified by itemKey
(name or index).
Get all brushes in a document
'Counts the number of brushes in the current document
'and stores in numBrushes
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
If appRef.Documents.Count > 0 Then
numBrushes = appRef.ActiveDocument.Brushes.Count
End If
19
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
CharacterAttributes
CharacterAttributes
Specifies the properties of a character contained in a text frame. A CharacterStyle object associates
attributes with a text range. See “CharacterStyle” on page 26.
NOTE: Character attributes do not have default values and are undefined until explicitly set.
CharacterAttributes properties
Property
Value Type
What it is
AkiLeft
Double
The amount of inter-glyph space
added to the left side of the
glyph in Japanese text (in
thousandths of an em).
AkiRight
Double
The amount of inter-glyph
spacing added to the right side
of the glyph in Japanese text (in
thousandths of an em).
Alignment
AiStyleRunAlignmentType
The character alignment type.
AlternateGlyphs
AiAlternateGlyphsForm
Specifies which kind of alternate
glyphs are used.
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator
Application object.
AutoLeading
Boolean
If true, automatic leading is
used.
BaselineDirection
AiBaselineDirectionType
The Japanese text baseline
direction.
BaselinePosition
AiFontBaselineOption
The baseline position of text.
BaselineShift
Double
The amount of shift (in points) of
the text baseline.
Capitalization
AiFontCapsOption
Specifies whether the text is
normal, all uppercase, all small
caps, or a mix of small caps and
lowercase.
ConnectionForms
Boolean
If true, OpenType® connection
forms are used.
ContextualLigature
Boolean
If true, contextual ligatures are
used.
DiscretionaryLigature
Boolean
If true, discretionary ligatures
are used.
FigureStyle
AiFigureStyleType
The number style in an
OpenType font.
20
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
CharacterAttributes
21
Property
Value Type
What it is
FillColor
Object
The color of the text fill.
Fractions
Boolean
If true, OpenType fractions are
used.
HorizontalScale
Double
The horizontal scaling factor (as a
percentage).
Italics
Boolean
If true, the Japanese font
supports italics.
KerningMethod
AiAutoKernType
The kerning method.
Language
AiLanguageType
The language of the text.
Leading
Double
The amount of space between
two lines of text, in points.
Ligature
Boolean
If true, ligatures are used.
NoBreak
Boolean
If true, no break is allowed.
OpenTypePosition
AiFontOpenTypePositionOption
The OpenType baseline position.
Ordinals
Boolean
If true, OpenType ordinals are
used.
Ornaments
Boolean
If true, OpenType ornaments are
used.
OverprintFill
Boolean
If true, overprint the fill of the
text.
OverprintStroke
Boolean
If true, overprinting of the stroke
of the text is allowed.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
ProportionalMetrics
Boolean
If true, proportional metrics in
Japanese OpenType are used.
Rotation
Double
The character rotation angle.
Size
Double
The font size in points.
StrikeThrough
Boolean
If true, characters are
struck-through by a line.
StrokeColor
Object
The color of the text stroke.
StrokeWeight
Double
Line width of stroke.
StylisticAlternates
Boolean
If true, OpenType stylistic
alternates are used.
Swash
Boolean
If true, OpenType swash
characters are used.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
CharacterAttributes
22
Property
Value Type
What it is
TateChuYokoHorizontal
Long
The Tate-Chu-Yoko horizontal
adjustment in points.
TateChuYokoVertical
Long
The Tate-Chu-Yoko vertical
adjustment in points.
TextFont
TextFont
The font used for the character.
Titling
Boolean
If true, OpenType titling
alternates are used.
Tracking
Long
The tracking or range kerning
amount in thousandths of an em.
Tsume
Double
The percentage of space
reduction around a Japanese
character.
Underline
Boolean
If true, characters are
underlined.
VerticalScale
Double
Character vertical scaling factor.
WariChuCharactersAfter
Break
Long
Specifies how the characters in
Wari-Chu text (an inset note in
Japanese text) are divided into
two or more lines.
WariChuCharactersBeforeBr
eak
Long
Specifies how the characters in
Wari-Chu text (an inset note in
Japanese text) are divided into
two or more lines.
WariChuEnabled
Boolean
If true, Wari-Chu is enabled.
WariChuJustification
AiWariChuJustificationType
The Wari-Chu justification.
WariChuLineGap
Long
The Wari-Chu line gap.
WariChuLines
Long
The number of Wari-Chu
(multiple text lines fit into a space
meant for one) lines.
WariChuScale
Double
The Wari-Chu scale.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
CharacterAttributes
Setting character attributes
'Opens a document and adds a simple text frame, then
'uses the CharacterAttributes object to increment
'the horizontal and vertical scale of each character.
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set docRef = appRef.Documents.Add()
Set textRef = docRef.TextFrames.Add()
textRef.Contents = "I'd rather be scripting!"
textRef.Top = 500
textRef.Left = 40
dSize = 100
iCount = textRef.Characters.Count
i = 1
Dim charRef
Do While (i < (iCount + 1))
dSize = dSize * 1.1
textRef.TextRange.Characters(i).CharacterAttributes.HorizontalScale = dSize
textRef.TextRange.Characters(i).CharacterAttributes.VerticalScale = dSize
i = i + 1
Loop
23
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Characters
Characters
A collection of TextRange objects in which each represents a single character.
Characters properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. Application that the collection belongs to.
Count
Long
Read-only. Number of elements in the collection.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
Characters methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Add
(contents as String
[, relativeObject as TextFrame]
[, insertionLocation as AiElementPlacement])
TextRange
Adds a new character with
specified text contents at
the specified location in the
current document. If
location is not specified,
adds the new character to
the containing text frame
after the current text
selection or insertion point.
AddBefore
(contents as String)
TextRange
Adds a character before the
current text selection or
insertion point.
Index
(itemPtr as TextRange)
Long
Returns the index position
of the object within the
collection.
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes every element in
the collection.
24
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Counting characters
'Counts the number of characters in the current document
'and stores the result in numChars
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
If appRef.Documents.Count > 0 Then
numChars = 0
For Each textArt In appRef.ActiveDocument.TextFrames
Set textArtRange = textArt.TextRange
numChars = numChars + textArtRange.length
Next
End If
Characters
25
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
CharacterStyle
CharacterStyle
A named style that specifies character attributes. For an example, see CharacterStyles.
CharacterStyle properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. Application to which the collection
belongs.
CharacterAttributes
CharacterAttributes
Read-only. The character properties for the style.
Name
String
The character style’s name.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
CharacterStyle methods
Method
Returns
What it does
ApplyTo
(textItem as Object
[, clearingOverrides as Boolean])
Nothing
Applies the character style to the text object or
objects.
Delete
()
Nothing
Deletes the object.
26
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
CharacterStyles
CharacterStyles
A collection of character styles.
CharacterStyles properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application Read-only. Application to which the collection belongs.
Count
Long
Read-only. Number of elements in the collection.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
CharacterStyles methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Add
(Name as String)
CharacterStyle
Creates a named character style.
Index
Long
(itemPtr as CharacterStyle)
Returns the index position of the object
within the collection.
Item
(itemKey)
CharacterStyle
Returns an object reference to the object
identified by itemKey (name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this collection.
27
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Create and apply character styles
'Opens a document, adds 3 text frames,
'creates a new character style and applies it to
'each of the text frames
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
'Create a new document add a 3 simple text items
Set docRef = appRef.Documents.Add()
Set textRef1 = docRef.TextFrames.Add()
textRef1.Contents = "Scripting is fun!"
textRef1.Top = 700
textRef1.Left = 50
Set textRef2 = docRef.TextFrames.Add()
textRef2.Contents = "Scripting is easy!"
textRef2.Top = 625
textRef2.Left = 100
Set textRef3 = docRef.TextFrames.Add()
textRef3.Contents = "Everyone should script!"
textRef3.Top = 550
textRef3.Left = 150
appRef.Redraw
'Create a new character style
Set charStyle = docRef.CharacterStyles.Add("BigRed")
'Create a red color
Set colorRed = CreateObject("Illustrator.RGBColor")
colorRed.Red = 255
'Set character attributes of the new style
With charStyle.CharacterAttributes
.Size = 40
.Tracking = -50
.Capitalization = 0 'aiNormalCaps
.FillColor = colorRed
End With
'Apply style to each textFrame in the document
charStyle.ApplyTo textRef1.TextRange
charStyle.ApplyTo textRef2.TextRange
charStyle.ApplyTo textRef3.TextRange
CharacterStyles
28
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
CMYKColor
29
CMYKColor
A CMYK color specification, used to apply a CMYK color to a layer or art item.
If the color space of a document is RGB and you specify the color value for a page item in that document
using CMYK, Illustrator translates the CMYK color specification into an RGB color specification. The same
thing happens if the document’s color space is CMYK and you specify colors using RGB. Since this
translation can lose information, you should specify colors using the class that matches the document’s
actual color space.
CMYKColor properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Black
Double
The black color value. Range: 0.0 to 100.0
Cyan
Double
The cyan color value. Range: 0.0 to 100.0
Magenta
Double
The magenta color value. Range: 0.0 to 100.0
Yellow
Double
The yellow color value. Range: 0.0 to 100.0
Setting CMYK colors
'Creates a new CMYK color and applies it to the first path item
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set newCMYKColor = CreateObject("Illustrator.CMYKColor")
'Get a reference to the frontmost path in the document
Set frontPath = appRef.ActiveDocument.PathItems(1)
'Set color values for the CMYK objects
newCMYKColor.Black = 0
newCMYKColor.Cyan = 30.4
newCMYKColor.Magenta = 32
newCMYKColor.Yellow = 0
frontPath.Filled = True
frontPath.fillColor = newCMYKColor
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Color info
An abstract parent class for all color classes used in Illustrator. Subclasses are:
CMYKColor
GradientColor
GrayColor
LabColor
NoColor
PatternColor
RGBColor
SpotColor
Color info
30
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
CompoundPathItem
31
CompoundPathItem
Compound paths are objects composed of multiple intersecting paths, resulting in transparent interior
spaces where the original paths overlapped. The PathItems property provides access to the paths that
make up the compound path.
All paths in a compound path share property values. Therefore, if you set the value of a property of any one
of the paths in the compound path, all other paths’ matching property will be updated to the new value.
Paths contained within a compound path or group in a document are returned as individual paths when a
script asks for the paths contained in the document. However, paths contained in a compound path or
group are not returned when a script asks for the paths in a layer which contains the compound path or
group.
CompoundPathItem properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
ArtworkKnockout
AiKnockoutState
Is this object used to create a knockout? If so, what
kind of knockout?
BlendingMode
AiBlendModes
The mode used when compositing an object.
ControlBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The bounds of the object including stroke
width and controls.
Editable
Boolean
Read-only. If true, the object is editable.
GeometricBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The bounds of the object excluding
stroke width.
Height
Double
The height of the object, excluding stroke width,
calculated from the GeometricBounds.
Hidden
Boolean
If true, this object is hidden.
IsIsolated
Boolean
If true, this object is isolated.
Layer
Layer
Read-only. The layer to which this object belongs.
Left
Double
The position of the left side of the item (in points,
measured from the left side of the page).
Locked
Boolean
If true, the object is locked.
Name
String
The name of this object.
Note
String
The note assigned to this object.
Opacity
Double
The opacity of the object. Range: 0.0 to 100.0
Parent
Document
Read-only. The document that contains this object.
PathItems
PathItems
Read-only. The path art items in this compound
path.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
CompoundPathItem
Property
Value type
What it is
Position
Variant Array of
2 Doubles
The position (in points) of the top left corner of the
item, in the format [x, y]. Does not include stroke
weight.
Selected
Boolean
If true, the object is selected.
Sliced
Boolean
If true, the CompoundPathItem is sliced. Default:
false
Tags
Tags
Read-only. The tags contained in this object.
Top
Double
The position of the top of the item (in points,
measured from the bottom of the page).
URL
String
The value of the Adobe URL tag assigned to this
object.
VisibilityVariable
Variable
The VisibilityVariable bound to this object.
VisibleBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The visible bounds of the object
including stroke width.
Width
Double
The width of the object, excluding stroke width,
calculated from the GeometricBounds.
WrapInside
Boolean
If true, the text frame object are wrapped inside this
object.
WrapOffset
Double
The offset to use when wrapping text around this
object.
Wrapped
Boolean
If true, wrap text frame objects around this object
(text frame must be above the object).
ZOrderPosition
Long
Read-only. The position of this art item within the
stacking order of the group or layer (Parent) that
contains the art item.
CompoundPathItem methods
Method
Returns What it does
Copy
()
Nothing
Copies the compound path to the
clipboard. The associated
document must be the frontmost
document.
Cut
()
Nothing
Cuts the compound path onto the
clipboard. The associated
document must be the frontmost
document.
Delete
()
Nothing
Deletes the object.
32
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
CompoundPathItem
Method
Returns What it does
Duplicate
([relativeObject as Object],
[insertionLocation as AiElementPlacement])
Object
Duplicates the compound path,
optionally specifying the location
and position for the copy.
Move
(relativeObject as Object,
insertionLocation as AiElementPlacement)
Nothing
Moves the object, specifying the
new location and position.
Resize
(scaleX as Double,
scaleY as Double,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, changeLineWidths as Double]
[, scaleAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Rotate
(angle as Double,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, rotateAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Rotates the art item relative to the
current rotation. The object is
rotated counter-clockwise if the
Angle value is positive, clockwise
if the value is negative.
Transform
(transformationMatrix as Matrix,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, changeLineWidths as Double]
[, transformAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Transforms the compound path by
applying the specified
transformation matrix.
Translate
([deltaX as Double]
[, deltaY as Double]
[, transformObjects as Boolean]
[, transformFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, transformFillGradients as Boolean]
[, transformStrokePatterns as Boolean])
Nothing
Repositions the compound path
relative to the current position,
where deltaX is the horizontal
offset and deltaY is the vertical
offset.
ZOrder
(zOrderCmd as AiZOrderMethod)
Nothing
Arranges the compound path’s
position in the stacking order of
the group or layer (Parent) that
contains the object.
Scales the compound path where
scaleX is the horizontal scaling
factor (as a percentage) and
scaleY is the vertical scaling
factor; 100.0 = 100%
33
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
CompoundPathItem
34
Selecting paths in a document
This example demonstrates how to select all of the paths in a document that are not part of a compound
path or a group by testing the type of the Parent property with a TypeName function.
'Selects path items in the current document that are not
'compound paths
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
counter = 0
If appRef.Documents.Count > 0 Then
If appRef.ActiveDocument.PathItems.Count > 0 Then
For Each pathArt In appRef.ActiveDocument.PathItems
If (Not TypeName(pathArt.Parent) = "CompoundPathItem") Then
pathArt.Selected = True
counter = counter + 1
Else
pathArt.Selected = False
End If
Next
End If
End If
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
CompoundPathItem
35
Creating a compound path
This example demonstrates how to create a new compound path containing three PathItems. The
example then modifies the stroke of the paths in the compound path. Note that when you modify the
properties of a PathItem inside a compound path you affect all paths contained in the compound path.
The example also shows how to access swatches in a document by name.
'Creates a new compound path item, adds 3 new
'path items, then sets the stroke of the compound path
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set frontDocument = appRef.ActiveDocument
Set activeLayer = frontDocument.activeLayer
Set newCompoundPath = activeLayer.CompoundPathItems.Add
'Create the path items
Set newPath = newCompoundPath.PathItems.Add
newPath.SetEntirePath Array(Array(30, 50), Array(30, 100))
Set newPath = newCompoundPath.PathItems.Add
newPath.SetEntirePath Array(Array(40, 100), Array(100, 100))
Set newPath = newCompoundPath.PathItems.Add
newPath.SetEntirePath Array(Array(100, 110), Array(100, 300))
'Set the stroke of the compound path
newPath.Stroked = True
newPath.StrokeWidth = 3.5
newPath.StrokeColor = frontDocument.Swatches(8).Color
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
CompoundPathItems
CompoundPathItems
A collection of compound paths.
CompoundPathItems properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. The number of objects in the collection.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The document that contains this object.
CompoundPathItem methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Add
()
CompoundPathItem
Creates a new CompoundPathItem object.
Index
(item as CompoundPathItem)
Long
Returns the index position of the object
within the collection.
Item
(itemKey)
CompoundPathItem
Returns an object reference to the object
identified by itemKey (name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this collection.
Counting compound paths
'Counts the compound path items in the current document and
'stores in numCPaths
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
If appRef.Documents.Count > 0 Then
numCPaths = appRef.ActiveDocument.Layers(1).CompoundPathItems.Count
End If
36
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
DataSet
37
DataSet
A set of data used for dynamic publishing. A dataset allows you to collect a number of variables and their
dynamic data into one object. To create a DataSet object, you must have at least one variable bound to an
art item.
For more information, see the Variable class and the section on “Dynamic Objects and Symbols” in
Adobe Illustrator CC 2017 Scripting Guide.
For a sample script that uses a DataSet object, see DataSets.
DataSet properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Name
String
The name of the DataSet.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The name of the object that is this DataSet object’s
parent.
DataSet methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Delete
()
Nothing
Deletes the object.
Display
()
Nothing
Displays the DataSet.
Update
()
Nothing
Updates the DataSet.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
DataSets
DataSets
A collection of DataSet objects.
DataSets properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. The number of datasets in the collection.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The name of the object that is this DataSet object’s
parent.
DataSets methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Add
()
DataSet
Creates a new DataSet object.
Index
(item as DataSets)
Long
Returns the index position of the object within the collection.
Item
(itemKey)
DataSet
Returns an object reference to the object identified by itemKey
(name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this collection.
38
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Creating datasets
'Creates two variables (visibility and text),
'creates two datasets using different variable
'values then displays each dataset
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set docRef = appRef.Documents.Add()
'Create a visibility variable
Set itemRef = docRef.PathItems.Rectangle(600, 200, 150, 150)
Set colorRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.RGBColor")
colorRef.Red = 255
itemRef.FillColor = colorRef
Set visibilityVar = docRef.Variables.Add()
visibilityVar.Kind = 2 'aiVisibility
itemRef.VisibilityVariable = visibilityVar
'Create a text variable
Set textRef = docRef.TextFrames.Add
textRef.Contents = "Text Variable, dataset 1"
textRef.Top = 400
textRef.Left = 200
Set textVar = docRef.Variables.Add
textVar.Kind = 3 'aiTextual
textRef.ContentVariable = textVar
'Create dataset 1
Set ds1 = docRef.DataSets.Add()
'Change data and create dataset 2
itemRef.Hidden = True
textRef.Contents = "Text Variable, dataset 2"
Set ds2 = docRef.DataSets.Add()
'Display datasets
ds1.Display
ds2.Display
DataSets
39
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Document
40
Document
An Illustrator document. Documents are contained in the Application object.
The default document settings—those properties starting with the word “Default”—are global settings
that affect the current document. Be sure to modify these default properties only when a document is
open. Note that if you set default properties to desired values before creating new objects, you can
streamline your scripts, eliminating the need to specify properties such as FillColor and Stroked that
have analogous default properties.
A document’s DocumentColorSpace, Height, and Width can be set only when the document is created.
Once a document is created, these properties cannot be changed.
The frontmost document can be referred to as either AppRef.ActiveDocument or AppRef.Documents(1).
Document properties
Property
Value type
What it is
ActiveDataSet
DataSet
The active DataSet object in the
document.
ActiveLayer
Layer
The active Layer in the document.
ActiveView
View
Read-only. The document’s current View.
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application
object.
Artboards
Artboards
Read-only. All artboards in the document.
Brushes
Brushes
Read-only. The Brushes contained in the
document.
CharacterStyles
CharacterStyles
Read-only. The list of character styles in
this document.
CompoundPathItems
CompoundPathItems
Read-only. The CompoundPathItems
contained in the document.
CropBox
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
The boundary of the document’s cropping
box for output.
A document does not have a default
CropBox. In order to read this property you
have to set the CropBox first.
CropStyle
AiCropOptions
The style of the document’s cropping box.
DataSets
DataSet
Read-only. A DataSets collection in the
document.
DefaultFillColor
Color info
The Color to fill new paths if default filled
is true.
DefaultFilled
Boolean
If true, a new path are filled.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Document
Property
Value type
What it is
DefaultFillOverprint
Boolean
If true, the art beneath a filled object are
overprinted by default.
DefaultStrokeCap
AiStrokeCap
Default type of line capping for paths
created.
DefaultStrokeColor
Color info
The stroke color for new paths if default
stroked is true.
DefaultStroked
Boolean
If true, the new path are stroked.
DefaultStrokeDashes
Variant Array of
Doubles
The default lengths for dashes and gaps in
dashed lines, starting with the first dash
length, followed by the first gap length,
and so on.
DefaultStrokeDashOffset
Double
The default distance into the dash pattern
at which the pattern are started for new
paths.
DefaultStrokeJoin
AiStrokeJoin
Default type of joints in new paths.
DefaultStrokeMiterLimit
Double
When a default stroke join is set to
mitered, this property specifies when the
join will be converted to beveled
(squared-off ) by default. The default miter
limit of 4 means that when the length of
the point reaches four times the stroke
weight, the join switches from a miter join
to a bevel join. Range: 1 to 500; a value of 1
specifies a bevel join.
DefaultStrokeOverprint
Boolean
If true, the art items beneath a stroked
object are overprinted by default.
DefaultStrokeWidth
Double
The default width of stroke for new paths.
DocumentColorSpace
AiDocumentColorSpace
Read-only. The color specification system
to use for this document’s color space.
FullName
String
Read-only. The file associated with the
document, which includes the complete
path to the file.
GeometricBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The bounds of the illustration
excluding the stroke width of any objects
in the document.
Gradients
Gradients
Read-only. The Gradients collection
contained in the document.
GraphicStyles
GraphicStyles
Read-only. The GraphicStyles contained
in the document.
GraphItems
GraphItems
Read-only. The GraphItems collection
contained in the document.
41
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Document
42
Property
Value type
What it is
GroupItems
GroupItems
Read-only. The GroupItems collection
contained in the document.
Height
Double
Read-only. The height of the document,
calculated from the GeometricBounds.
InkList
Variant Array
Read-only. The list of inks in this document.
KinsokuSet
Object
Read-only. The Kinsoku set of characters
that cannot begin or end a line of Japanese
text.
Layers
Layers
Read-only. The layers contained in the
document.
LegacyTextItems
LegacyTextItems
Read-only. The legacy text items in the
document.
MeshItems
MeshItems
Read-only. The mesh art items contained in
the document.
MojikumiSet
Object
Read-only. A list of predefined Mojikumi
sets that specify the spacing for the layout
and composition of Japanese text.
Name
String
Read-only. The document’s name (not the
complete file path to the document).
NonNativeItems
NonNativeItems
Read-only. The non-native art items in this
document.
OutputResolution
Double
Read-only. The current output resolution
for the document in dots per inch (dpi).
PageItems
PageItems
Read-only. The PageItems (contains all art
item classes) contained in the document.
PageOrigin
Variant Array of
2 Doubles
The zero-point of the page in the
document without margins, relative to the
overall height and width.
ParagraphStyles
ParagraphStyles
Read-only. The list of paragraph styles in
this document.
Parent
Application
Read-only. The application that contains
this document.
Path
String
Read-only. The file associated with the
document, which includes the complete
path to the file.
PathItems
PathItems
Read-only. The PathItems contained in
this document.
Patterns
Patterns
Read-only. The patterns contained in this
document.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Document
Property
Value type
What it is
PlacedItems
PlacedItems
Read-only. The PlacedItems contained in
this document.
PluginItems
PluginItems
Read-only. The PluginItems contained in
this document.
PrintTiles
Boolean
Read-only. If true, this document is tiled
when printed.
RasterEffectSettings
RasterEffectOptions
The document’s raster effect settings.
RasterItems
RasterItems
Read-only. The raster items contained in
this document.
RulerOrigin
Variant Array of
2 Doubles
The zero-point of the rulers in the
document relative to the bottom left
corner.
RulerUnits
AiRulerUnits
Read-only. The default measurement units
for the rulers in the document.
Saved
Boolean
If true, the document has not been
changed since the last time it was saved.
Selection
Variant Array of
The array of references to the objects in
this document’s current selection.
objects
ShowPlacedImages
Boolean
Read-only. If true, placed images are
displayed in the document.
SplitLongPaths
Boolean
Read-only. If true, long paths are split
when printing.
Spots
Spots
Read-only. The SpotColors contained in
this document.
Stationery
Boolean
Read-only. If true, the file is a stationery
file.
Stories
Stories
Read-only. The story items in this
document.
Swatches
Swatches
Read-only. The swatches in this document.
SwatchGroups
SwatchGroups
Read-only. The swatch groups in this
document.
SymbolItems
SymbolItems
Read-only. The symbol items in this
document.
Symbols
Symbols
Read-only. The symbols in this document.
Tags
Tags
Read-only. The tags in this document.
TextFrames
TextFrames
Read-only. The text frames in this
document.
43
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Document
Property
Value type
What it is
TileFullPages
Boolean
Read-only. If true, full pages are tiled
when printing this document.
UseDefaultScreen
Boolean
Read-only. If true, the printer’s default
screen is used when printing this
document.
Variables
Variables
Read-only. The variables in this document.
VariablesLocked
Boolean
If true, the Variables in this document
are locked.
Views
Views
Read-only. The views in this document.
VisibleBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The visible bounds of the
document, including stroke width of any
objects in the illustration.
Width
Double
Read-only. The width of this document,
calculated from the GeometricBounds.
XMPString
String
The XMP metadata packet associated with
this document.
Document methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Arrange
([layoutStyle as AiDocumentLayoutStyle])
Nothing
Arranges multiple documents in
the given layout style.
Activate
()
Nothing
Brings the first window
associated with the document to
the front.
Close
([Saving as AiSaveOptions])
Nothing
Closes the document.
CloseNoUI
Nothing
Closes the specified non-UI
document.
Capture
(ImageFile as File,
windowSize as Point)
Nothing
Captures the current document
window to the target TIFF image
file.
ConvertCoordinate
(Coordinate as Point,
Source as AiCoordinateSystem,
Destination as AiCoordinateSystem)
Nothing
Converts the coordinate system
used for a single point between
artboard and document
coordinate systems.
Copy
()
Nothing
Copies the current selection in
the document to the clipboard;
the associated document must
be the frontmost document.
44
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Document
Method
Returns
What it does
Cut
()
Nothing
Cuts the current selection in the
document to the clipboard; the
associated document must be
the frontmost document.
Export
(ExportFile as String,
ExportFormat as AiExportType,
[Options as Object])
Nothing
Exports the document to the
specified file using one of the
export file formats. Options for
various formats are collected in
ExportOptionsFormat objects.
The appropriate file extension is
automatically appended to the
file name, except for Photoshop®
documents. For these, you must
include the file extension (.psd)
in the file specification.
ExportPDFPreset
(File as String)
Nothing
Exports the current PDF preset
values to the file.
ExportPerspectiveGridPreset
(File as String)
Nothing
Exports the current perspective
grid preset values to the file.
ExportPrintPreset
(File as String)
Nothing
Exports the current print preset
values to the file.
ExportVariables
(Filename as String)
Nothing
Exports the current variables
from this document to the file.
FitArtboardToSelectedArt
([Index as Long])
boolean
Resizes the artboard at the given
index to fit currently selected art.
Index default is 0. Returns true
on success.
GetPerspectiveActivePlane
()
AiPerspe Retrieves the active plane of the
ctiveGri active perspective grid of the
dPlaneTy document.
pe
HidePerspectiveGrid
()
boolean
Hides the current active grid for
the document. If no grid is visible,
does nothing. Returns true if a
grid is hidden.
ImageCapture
(ImageFile as File,
[ClipBounds as Rect],
[Options as ImageCaptureOptions])
Nothing
Captures the artwork content
within the clipping boundaries in
this document as a raster image,
and writes the image data to a
specified file.
If the bounds parameter is
omitted, captures the entire
artwork.
45
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Document
Method
Returns
What it does
ImportCharacterStyles
(FileSpec as String)
Nothing
Loads the character styles from
the Illustrator file.
ImportParagraphStyles
(FileSpec as String)
Nothing
Loads the paragraph styles from
the Illustrator file.
ImportPDFPreset
(FileSpec as String
[, ReplacingPreset as Boolean])
Nothing
Loads all PDF presets from a file.
ImportPerspectiveGridPreset
(FileSpec as String
[, PerspectivePreset as String])
Nothing
Loads a named perspective-grid
preset from a file, or, if no name is
given, all presets in the file.
ImportPrintPreset
(PrintPreset as String
FileSpec as String)
Nothing
Loads the named print preset
from the file.
ImportVariables
(Filename as String)
Nothing
Imports Variables from the
specified file into this document.
Paste
()
Nothing
Pastes the contents of the
clipboard into the current layer of
the document; if the document is
the frontmost then all pasted
objects remain selected after the
paste.
PrintOut
(Options as PrintOptions)
Nothing
Prints the document.
Rasterize
(SourceArt as Variant,
[, ClipBounds as Rect,]
[,Options as RasterizeOptions])
PageItem Rasterizes the source art(s) within
RearrangeArtboards
([ArtboardLayout as AiDocumentArtboardLayout,
ArtboardRowsOrCols as Long,
ArtboardSpacing as Long,
ArtboardMoveArtwork as Boolean])
boolean
the specified clip bounds. The
source art(s) is disposed of as a
result of the rasterization.
Rearranges artboards in the
document. All arguments are
optional. Default layout style is
aiGridByRow.
The second argument specifies
the number of rows or columns,
as appropriate for the chosen
layout style, in the range
[1..DocNumArtboards-1], or 1
(the default) for single
row/column layouts.
Spacing is a number of pixels,
default 20.
When last argument is true (the
default), artwork is moved with
the artboards.
46
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Document
Method
Returns
What it does
Save
()
Nothing
Saves the document in its current
location.
SaveAs
([SaveIn as String]
[, Options as:
EPSSaveOptions/
IllustratorSaveOptions/
PDFSaveOptions])
Nothing
Saves the document in the
specified file as an Illustrator, EPS,
or PDF file.
SaveNoUI
([SaveIn as File]
Nothing
Saves the non-UI document at
the specified path.
SelectObjectsOnActiveArtboard
()
boolean
Selects the objects on the
currently active artboard. Returns
true on success.
SelectPerspectivePreset
(PresetPreset as String)
boolean
Selects a predefined preset to
define grid for the current
document. Returns true on
success.
SetPerspectiveActivePlane
(PerspectiveGridPlane as
AiPerspectiveGridPlaneType)
boolean
Sets the active plane of the active
perspective grid of the
document. Returns true on
success.
ShowPerspectiveGrid
()
boolean
Shows the current active grid for
the document, or if no grid is
active, shows the default grid.
Returns true on success.
WindowCapture
(ImageFile as String,
WindowSize as Point)
Nothing
Captures the current document
to the target TIFF image file.
Closing documents
If you close the document, you should set your document reference to Nothing to prevent your script
accidentally trying to access closed documents.
'Closes the frontmost document without saving
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set docRef = appRef.Documents(1)
docRef.Close 2' aiDoNotSaveChanges
Set docRef = Nothing
Creating a document with defaults
'Sets the default stroke and fill in the current document to false
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
47
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
If (appRef.Documents.Count = 0) Then
Set frontDocument = appRef.Documents.Add
Else
Set frontDocument = appRef.Documents(1)
End If
frontDocument.DefaultFilled = False
frontDocument.DefaultStroked = False
Document
48
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Documents
Documents
A collection of documents.
Documents properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. The number of objects in the collection.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The parent of this object.
Documents methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Add
([documentColorSpace As AiDocumentColorSpace]
[, width as Double]
[, height as Double]
[, numArtBoards as Long]
[, artboardLayout as AiDocumentArtboardLayout]
[, artboardSpacing as Double]
[, artboardRowsOrCols as Long])
Document
Creates a new document
using optional parameters
and returns a reference to
the new document.
AddDocument
(startupPreset as String
[, presetSettings as DocumentPreset]
[, showOptionsDialog as Boolean)
Document
Creates a document from
the preset, replacing any
provided setting values, and
returns a reference to the
new document.
AddDocumentNoUI
(startupPreset as String)
Document
Creates a new document
without showing in UI.
Index
(item as Document)
Long
Returns the index position
of the object within the
collection.
Item
(itemKey)
Document
Returns an object reference
to the object identified by
itemKey (name or index).
Creating a document with a color space
'Creates a new RGB document
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
appRef.Documents.Add 1
'aiDocumentRGBColor
49
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
DocumentPreset
50
DocumentPreset
A preset document template to use when creating a new document with AddDocument.
DocumentPreset properties
Property
Value type
What it is
ArtboardLayout
AiDocumentArtboardLayout
The layout of artboards in the new
document. Default: AiGridByRow
ArtboardRowsOrCols
Long
The number of rows (for rows layout) or
columns (for column layout) of artboards.
Range: 1 to (NumArtboards - 1) or 1 for
single row or column layouts. Default: 1
ArtboardSpacing
Double
The spacing between artboards in the
new document. Default: 20.0
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application
object.
AiDocumentBleedLink
Boolean
The document link for bleed values.
AiDocumentBleedOffse
tRect
Rectangle
The document bleed offset rectangle.
DocumentColorSpace
AiDocumentColorSpace
The color space for the new document.
DocumentPreviewMode
AiDocumentPreviewMode
The preview mode for the new document.
DocumentRasterResolu
tion
AiDocumentRasterResolution
The raster resolution for the new
document.
DocumentTitle
String
The document title.
DocumentTransparency
Grid
AiDocumentTransparencyGrid
The transparency grid color for the new
document.
DocumentUnits
AiRulerUnits
The ruler units for the new document.
Height
Double
The height in points. Default is 792.0
NumArtboards
Long
The number of artboards for the new
document. Range: 1 to 100. Default: 1
Width
Double
The width in points. Default is 612.0
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
EPSSaveOptions
51
EPSSaveOptions
Options that may be supplied when saving a document as an Illustrator EPS file. EPSSaveOptions can be
supplied only in conjunction with the document SaveAs method. All properties are optional.
EPSSaveOptions properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator
Application object.
ArtboardRange
string
If SaveMultipleArtboards is true,
this is considered for multi-asset
extraction, which specifies the
artboard range. An empty string
extracts all the artboards.
Default: empty string
CMYKPostScript
Boolean
If true, CMYK PostScript® is used.
Compatibility
AiCompatibility
Illustrator version compatibility for the
EPS file format.
Default: 19 ' aiIllustrator19
CompatibleGradientPrinting
Boolean
If true, a raster item of the gradient or
gradient mesh are created so the
object can be printed on PostScript
level 2 printers. Default: false
EmbedAllFonts
Boolean
If true, fonts are included in the EPS
file.
EmbedLinkedFiles
Boolean
If true, linked image files are included
in the saved document.
FlattenOuput
AiOutputFlattening
How should transparency be flattened
for file formats older than Illustrator 9
or greater.
IncludeDocumentThumbnails
Boolean
If true, the thumbnail image of the
EPS artwork is included.
Overprint
AiPDFOverprint
The style of overprinting. Default:
1 ' aiPreservePDFOverprint
PostScript
AiEPSPostScriptLevel
Enum
Specifies the PostScript level to use
when saving the file.
Preview
AiEPSPreview
Format for the EPS preview image.
SaveMultipleArtboards
boolean
If true, all artboards or range of
artboards are saved. Default: false
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Saving to EPS
'Saves the current document to dest in EPS format
'dest contains the full path and file name to save to
Sub exportFileAsEPS (dest)
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set newSaveOptions = CreateObject("Illustrator.EPSSaveOptions")
If appRef.Documents.Count > 0 Then
newSaveOptions.CMYKPostScript = True
newSaveOptions.EmbedAllFonts = True
Set frontDocument = appRef.ActiveDocument
frontDocument.SaveAs dest, newSaveOptions
End If
End Sub
EPSSaveOptions
52
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
ExportOptionsAutoCAD
53
ExportOptionsAutoCAD
Options for exporting a document as an AutoCAD file, used with the Document Export method. All
properties are optional.
When you export a document, the default file extension (DWG) is appended automatically. You should not
include a file extension in the file specification. To override the default AutoCAD export format, use the
ExportFileFormat property.
ExportOptionsAutoCAD properties
Property
Value type
What it is
AlterPathsForAppearance
Boolean
If true, paths are altered (if needed)
to maintain appearance.
Default: false
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator
Application object.
Colors
AiAutoCADColors
The number of colors to export into
the AutoCAD file.
ConvertTextToOutlines
Boolean
If true, text is converted to outlines.
Default: false
ExportFileFormat
AiAutoCADExportFileFormat The file format to which to export.
Default: 1 'aiDWG
ExportOption
AiAutoCADExportOption
Whether to preserve appearance or
editability during export. Default:
1 ' aiMaximumEditability
ExportSelectedArtOnly
Boolean
If true, only selected artwork is
exported. Default: false
RasterFormat
AiAutoCADRasterFormat
The format in which to export raster
art.
ScaleLineweights
Boolean
If true, line weights are scaled by the
same scaling factor as the rest of the
drawing. Default: false
Unit
AiAutoCADUnit
Measurement units from which to
map.
UnitScaleRatio
Double
The ratio by which to scale output.
Version
AiAutoCADCompatibility
The release of AutoCAD to export to.
Default: 5 ’aiAutoCADRelease24
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
ExportOptionsFlash
54
ExportOptionsFlash
Specifies options that you can supply when exporting a document as Macromedia® Flash® (SWF) with the
Document Export method.
When you export a document, the appropriate file extension is appended automatically. You should not
include a file extension in the file specification.
Allproperties are optional.
ExportOptionsFlash properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application
object.
ArtboardRange
string
If SaveMultipleArtboards is true, this
is considered for multi-asset extraction,
which specifies the artboard range. An
empty string extracts all the artboards.
Default: empyt string
ArtClipping
AiArtClippingOption
How the art is clipped during the output.
Default: 1 ' aiOutputArtBounds
BackgroundColor
RGBColor
The background color of the exported
Flash frames.
BackgroundLayers
Variant Array of Layer
A list of layers to be included as the static
background of the exported Flash frames.
BlendAnimation
AiBlendAnimationType
How the blend art objects are animated
when exported to Flash frames.
Default: 0 ' aiNoBlendAnimation
Compressed
Boolean
If true, the exported file is compressed
when exported. Default: false
ConvertTextToOutlines
Boolean
If true, all text is converted to outlines.
Default: false
CurveQuality
Long
The amount of curve information that is
preserved. Range: 0 to 10, Default: 7
ExportAllSymbols
Boolean
If true, all symbols defined in the palette
are exported. Default: false
ExportStyle
AiFlashExportStyle
The style in which the exported data are
created in Flash.
Default: 2 ' aiAsFlashFile
ExportVersion
AiFlashExportVersion
The version of the exported SWF file.
Default: 9 ' aiFlashVersion9
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
ExportOptionsFlash
Property
Value type
What it is
FrameRate
Double
The display rate in frames per second.
Range: 0.01 to 120.0; Default: 12.0
IgnoreTextKerning
Boolean
If true, kerning information is ignored in
text objects. Default: false
ImageFormat
AiFlashImageFormat
How the image in the exported Flash file
is compressed. Default: 1 ' aiLossless
IncludeMetadata
Boolean
If true, includes minimal XMP metadata
in the SWF file. Default: false
JPEGMethod
AiFlashJPEGMethod
The JPEG method to use.
Default: 1 ' aiJPEGStandard
JPEGQuality
Long
Level of compression to use.
Range: 0 to 10. Default: 3
LayerOrder
AiLayerOrderType
The order in which layers are exported to
Flash frames. Default: 1 ' aiBottomUp
Looping
Boolean
If true, the Flash file are set to loop when
run. Default: false
PlaybackAccess
AiFlashPlaybackSecurity
The access level for the exported SWF file.
Default: 1 ' aiPlaybackLocal
PreserveAppearance
Boolean
If true, preserve appearance. If false,
preserve editability. Default: false
ReadOnly
Boolean
If true, the file is exported as read-only.
Default: false
Replacing
AiSaveOptions
If a file with the same name already exists,
should it be replaced.
Default: 1 ' aiPromptToSaveChanges
Resolution
Double
The resolution in pixels per inch. Range:
72 to 2400. Default: 72
SaveMultipleArtboards
boolean
If true, all artboards or range of
artboards are saved. Default: false
55
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
ExportOptionsGIF
56
ExportOptionsGIF
Options that may be supplied when exporting a document as a GIF file. See the Document Export method
for additional details.
When you export a document, the appropriate file extension is appended automatically. You should not
include a file extension in the file specification.
ExportOptionsGIF properties
Property
Value type
What it is
AntiAliasing
Boolean
If true, the exported image is anti-aliased.
Default: true
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
ArtBoardClipping
Boolean
If true, the exported image is clipped to the art
board. Default: false
ColorCount
Long
The number of colors in the exported image’s
color table. Range: 2 to 256. Default: 128
ColorDither
AiColorDitherMethod
The method used to dither colors in the exported
image. Default: &H4466736E ' aiDiffusion
ColorReduction
AiColorReductionMethod The method used to reduce the number of colors
in the exported image.
Default: &H536C7476 ' aiSelective
DitherPercent
Long
The amount that the colors of the exported
image are dithered, where 100.0 is 100%
HorizontalScale
Double
The horizontal scaling factor applied to the
exported image, where 100.0 is 100%. Default:
100.0
InfoLossPercent
Long
The level of information loss allowed during
compression, where 100.0 is 100%. Default: 0
Interlaced
Boolean
If true, the exported image is interlaced. Default:
false
Matte
Boolean
If true, the art board is matted with a color.
Default: true
MatteColor
RGBColor
The color to use when matting the art board.
Default: white
SaveAsHTML
Boolean
If true, the exported image is saved with an
accompanying HTML file. Default: false
Transparency
Boolean
If true, the exported image uses transparency.
Default: true
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
ExportOptionsGIF
Property
Value type
What it is
VerticalScale
Double
The vertical scaling factor applied to the
exported image, where 100.0 is 100%. Default:
100.0
WebSnap
Long
How much should the color table be changed to
match the web palette, where 100 is maximum.
Default: 0
Exporting as GIF
'Exports the current document as GIF to dest
'dest contains the full path and file name to save to
Sub exportFileAsGIF (dest)
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set gifExportOptions = CreateObject("Illustrator.ExportOptionsGIF")
If appRef.Documents.Count > 0 Then
gifExportOptions.AntiAliasing = False
gifExportOptions.ColorCount = 64
gifExportOptions.ColorDither = 1147564910'aiDiffusion
Set docRef = appRef.ActiveDocument
Call docRef.Export (dest, 6, gifEportOptions)' 6 = aiGIF
End If
End Sub
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CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
ExportOptionsJPEG
58
ExportOptionsJPEG
Options that may be supplied when exporting a document as a JPEG file. See the Document Export
method for additional details.
When you export a document, the appropriate file extension is appended automatically. You should not
include a file extension in the file specification.
ExportOptionsJPEG
Property
Value type
What it is
AntiAliasing
Boolean
If true, the exported image is anti-aliased. Default: true
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
ArtBoardClipping
Boolean
If true, the exported image is clipped to the art board.
Default: false
BlurAmount
Double
The amount of blur to apply to the exported image. Range: 0.0
to 2.0. Default: 0.0
HorizontalScale
Double
The horizontal scaling factor applied to the exported image,
where 100.0 is 100%. Default: 100.0
Matte
Boolean
If true, the art board is matted with a color. Default: true
MatteColor
RGBColor
The color to use when matting the art board. Default: white
Optimization
Boolean
If true, the exported image is optimized for web viewing.
Default: true
QualitySetting
Long
The quality of the exported image. Range: 0 to 100. Default: 30
SaveAsHTML
Boolean
If true, the exported image is saved with an accompanying
HTML file. Default: false
VerticalScale
Double
The vertical scaling factor applied to the exported image,
where 100.0 is 100%. Default: 100.0
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
ExportOptionsJPEG
Exporting to JPEG
'Exports the current document as JPEG to dest
'dest contains the full path and file name to save to
Sub exportFileAsJPEG (dest)
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set jpegExportOptions = CreateObject("Illustrator.ExportOptionsJPEG")
If appRef.Documents.Count > 0 Then
jpegExportOptions.AntiAliasing = False
jpegExportOptions.QualitySetting = 70
Set docRef = appRef.ActiveDocument
Call docRef.Export (dest, 1, jpegExportOptions) ' 1 = aiJPEG
End If
End Sub
59
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
ExportOptionsPhotoshop
60
ExportOptionsPhotoshop
Options that may be supplied when exporting a document as an Adobe Photoshop® file. See the
Document Export method for additional details.
When you export a document, the appropriate file extension is appended automatically. You should not
include a file extension in the file specification.
All properties are optional.
ExportOptionsPhotoshop properties
Property
Value type
What it is
AntiAliasing
Boolean
If true, the exported image is anti-aliased. Default:
true
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
ArtboardRange
string
If SaveMultipleArtboards is true, this is
considered for multi-asset extraction, which
specifies the artboard range. An empty string
extracts all the artboards. Default: empty string
EditableText
Boolean
If true, text objects are exported as editable text
layers. Default: true
EmbedICCProfile
Boolean
If true, an ICC profile are embedded in the
exported file. Default: false
ImageColorSpace
AiImageColorSpace
The color space of the exported file.
Default: aiImageRGB ' 2
MaximumEditability
Boolean
If true, preserve as much of the original
document’s structure as possible when exporting.
Default: true
Resolution
Double
The resolution of the exported file in dots per inch.
Range: 72 to 2400. Default: 150
SaveMultipleArtboards boolean
If true, all artboards or range of artboards are
saved. Default: false
Warnings
Boolean
If true, a warning dialog are displayed because of
conflicts in the export settings. Default: true
WriteLayers
Boolean
If true, the document layers are preserved in the
exported file. Default: true
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
ExportOptionsPhotoshop
Exporting to Photoshop
This example exports the current document as a Photoshop 5 file with layers.
'Exports the current document as PSD (Photoshop) to dest
'dest contains the full path and file name to save to
Sub exportFileAsPSD (dest)
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set psdExportOptions = CreateObject("Illustrator.ExportOptionsPhotoshop")
If appRef.Documents.Count > 0 Then
psdExportOptions.Resolution = 150
Set docRef = appRef.ActiveDocument
Call docRef.Export (dest, 2, psdExportOptions) ' 2 = aiPhotoshop
End If
End Sub
61
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
ExportOptionsPNG8
62
ExportOptionsPNG8
Options that may be supplied when exporting a document as an 8-bit PNG file. See the Document Export
method for additional details.
When you export a document, the appropriate file extension is appended automatically. You should not
include a file extension in the file specification.
ExportOptionsPNG8 properties
Property
Value type
What it is
AntiAliasing
Boolean
If true, the exported image is anti-aliased.
Default: true
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
ArtBoardClipping
Boolean
If true, the exported image is clipped to the art
board. Default: false
ColorCount
Long
The number of colors in the exported image’s
color table. Range: 2 to 256. Default: 128
ColorDither
AiColorDitherMethod
The method used to dither colors in the exported
image. Default: &H4466736E ' aiDiffusion
ColorReduction
AiColorReductionMethod
The method used to reduce the number of colors
in the exported image.
Default: &H536C7476 ' aiSelective
DitherPercent
Long
Specifies how much the colors of the exported
image are dithered, where 100.0 is 100%
HorizontalScale
Double
The horizontal scaling factor applied to the
exported image, where 100.0 is 100%. Default:
100.0
Interlaced
Boolean
If true, the exported image are interlaced.
Default: false
Matte
Boolean
If true, the art board is matted with a color.
Default: true
MatteColor
RGBColor
The color to use when matting the art board.
Default: white
SaveAsHTML
Boolean
If true, the exported image is saved with an
accompanying HTML file. Default: false
Transparency
Boolean
If true, the exported image uses transparency.
Default: true
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
ExportOptionsPNG8
Property
Value type
What it is
VerticalScale
Double
The vertical scaling factor applied to the exported
image, where 100.0 is 100%. Default: 100.0
WebSnap
Long
Specifies how much the color table are changed
to match the Web palette, where 100 is
maximum. Default: 0
Exporting to PNG8
This example exports the current document as a PNG8 file.
'Exports the current document as PNG8 to dest
'dest contains the full path and file name to save to
Sub exportFileAsPNG (dest)
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set png8ExportOptions = CreateObject("Illustrator.ExportOptionsPNG8")
If appRef.Documents.Count > 0 Then
png8ExportOptions.AntiAliasing = False
png8ExportOptions.Interlaced = True
Set docRef = appRef.ActiveDocument
Call docRef.Export (dest, 4, png8ExportOptions) ' 4 = aiPNG8
End If
End Sub
63
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
ExportOptionsPNG24
64
ExportOptionsPNG24
Options that may be supplied when exporting a document as a 24-bit PNG file. See the Document Export
method for additional details.
When you export a document, the appropriate file extension is appended automatically. You should not
include a file extension in the file specification.
ExportOptionsPNG24 properties
Property
Value type
What it is
AntiAliasing
Boolean
If true, the exported image is anti-aliased. Default: true
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
ArtBoardClipping
Boolean
If true, the exported image is clipped to the art board.
Default: false
HorizontalScale
Double
The horizontal scaling factor applied to the exported image,
where 100.0 is 100%. Default: 100.0
Matte
Boolean
If true, the art board is matted with a color. Default: true
MatteColor
RGBColor
The color to use when matting the art board. Default: white
SaveAsHTML
Boolean
If true, the exported image is saved with an accompanying
HTML file. Default: false
Transparency
Boolean
If true, the exported image uses transparency. Default: true
VerticalScale
Double
The vertical scaling factor applied to the exported image,
where 100.0 is 100%. Default: 100.0
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
ExportOptionsPNG24
Exporting to PNG24
This example exports the current document as a PNG24 file with specific options.
'Exports current document as PNG24 to dest
'dest contains the full path and file name to save to
Sub exportFileAsPNG (dest)
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set png24ExportOptions = CreateObject("Illustrator.ExportOptionsPNG24")
If appRef.Documents.Count > 0 Then
png24ExportOptions.AntiAliasing = False
png24ExportOptions.Transparency = False
Set docRef = appRef.ActiveDocument
Call docRef.Export (dest, 5, png24ExportOptions) ' 5 = aiPNG24
End If
End Sub
65
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
ExportOptionsSVG 66
ExportOptionsSVG
Options that may be supplied when exporting a document as a SVG file. See the Document Export method
for additional details.
When you export a document, the appropriate file extension is appended automatically. You should not
include a file extension in the file specification.
ExportOptionsSVG properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator
Application object.
ArtboardRange
String
A range of artboards to save, if
SaveMultipleArtboards is
true. A comma-delimited list of
artboard names., or the empty
string to save all artboards.
Default: empty string
Compressed
Boolean
If true, the exported file is
compressed. Default: false
CoordinatePrecision
Long
The decimal precision for
element coordinate values.
Range: 1 to 7. Default: 3
CSSProperties
AiSVGCSSPropertyLocation
Specifies how the CSS
properties of the document are
included in the exported file
DocumentEncoding
AiSVGDocumentEncoding
Specifies how the text in the
document is encoded. Default: 1
' aiASCII
DTD
AiSVGDTDVersion
The SVG version to which the file
should conform.
Default: 2 ' aiSVG1_1
EmbedRasterImages
Boolean
If true, all raster images
contained in the document are
embedded in the saved file.
FontSubsetting
AiSVGFontSubsetting
The font glyphs included in the
export file.
FontType
AiSVGFontType
The type of font included in the
exported file. Default: 1 '
aiCEFFont
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
ExportOptionsSVG 67
Property
Value type
What it is
IncludeFileInfo
Boolean
If true, the XMP (Extensible
Metadata Platform) metadata
are included in the output file.
Default: false
IncludeUnusedStyles
Boolean
If true, save unused styles in the
exported file. Default: false
IncludeVariablesAndDatasets
Boolean
If true, Variables and
Datasets are included. Default:
false
OptimizeForSVGViewer
Boolean
If true, the Adobe namespace is
included. Default: false
PreserveEditability
Boolean
If true, preserve Illustrator
editing capability when
exporting the document.
Default: false
SaveMultipleArtboards
boolean
If true, save the artboards
specified by artboardRange in
the exported file. Default: false
Slices
Boolean
If true, preserve slice data in
exported document. Default:
false
SVGAutoKerning
Boolean
If true, SVG automatic kerning
is allowed in the file. Default:
false
SVGTextOnPath
Boolean
If true, the SVG text-on-path
construct is allowed in the file.
Default: false
Exporting to SVG
'Exports the current document as SVG to dest
'dest contains the full path and file name to save to
Sub exportFileAsSVG (dest)
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set svgExportOptions = CreateObject("Illustrator.ExportOptionsSVG")
If appRef.Documents.Count > 0 Then
svgExportOptions.EmbedRasterImages = True
svgExportOptions.FontSubsetting = 7 'aiAllGlyphs
Set docRef = appRef.ActiveDocument
Call docRef.Export (dest, 3, svgExportOptions) ' 3 = aiSVG
End If
End Sub
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
ExportOptionsTIFF
68
ExportOptionsTIFF
Options that may be supplied when exporting a document as a TIFF file. See the Document Export method
for additional details.
When you export a document, the appropriate file extension is appended automatically. You should not
include a file extension in the file specification.
All properties are optional.
ExportOptionsTIFF properties
Property
Value type
What it is
AntiAliasing
boolean
If true, the exported image should be anti-aliased.
Default: true
ArtboardRange
string
If SaveMultipleArtboards is true, this is
considered for multi-asset extraction, which
specifies the artboard range. An empty string
extracts all the artboards. Default: empty string
ByteOrder
AiTIFFByteOrder
The byte order to use in the new file.
ImageColorSpace
AiImageColorSpace
The color space of the exported file.
Default: aiImageRGB ' 2
IZWCompression
boolean
If true, use IZW compression in the new file.
Resolution
number (double)
Resolution of the exported file in dots per inch
(dpi). Range: 72.0 to 2400.0. Default: 150.0
SaveMultipleArtboards
boolean
If true, all artboards or range of artboards are
saved. Default: false
Exporting to TIFF format
'Exports the current document as TIFF to dest
'dest contains the full path and file name to save to
Sub exportFileAsTIFF (dest)
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set tiffExportOptions = CreateObject("Illustrator.ExportOptionsTIFF")
If appRef.Documents.Count > 0 Then
tiffExportOptions.imageColorSpace = 2 'aiImageRGB
tiffExportOptions.resolution = 150
tiffExportOptions.lZWCompression = true
Set docRef = appRef.ActiveDocument
Call docRef.Export (dest, 9, tiffExportOptions) ' 9 = aiTIFF
End If
End Sub
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
FreeHandFileOptions
FreeHandFileOptions
Options for opening a FreeHand file.
FreeHandFileOptions properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Applicatio
n
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
ConvertTextToOutlines
Boolean
If true, converts all text to outlines. Default: false
ImportSinglePage
Boolean
If true, imports only the page specified in the
PageToOpen property. Default: true
PageToOpen
Long
The number of the page to import when opening a
multipage document. Valid only when
ImportSinglePage is true.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The document that contains this object.
69
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
FXGSaveOptions
70
FXGSaveOptions
Specifies options which may be supplied when saving a document as an FXG file. All properties are
optional.
FXGSaveOptions properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator
Application object.
ArtboardRange
string
If SaveMultipleArtboards is
true, this is considered for
multi-asset extraction, which
specifies the artboard range. An
empty string extracts all the
artboards. Default: empty string
BlendsPolicy
AiBlendsExpandPolicy
The policy used by FXG to expand
blends. Default:
AiAutomaticallyConvertBlends
DownsampleLinkedImages
boolean
If true, linked images are
downsampled (at 72 dpi).
Default: false
FiltersPolicy
AiFiltersPreservePolicy
The policy used by FXG to preserve
filters. Default:
3'aiKeepFiltersEditable
GradientsPolicy
AiGradientsPreservePolicy
The policy used by FXG to preserve
gradients. Default:
4'aiAutomaticallyConvertGrad
ients
IncludeUnusedSymbols
boolean
PreserveEditingCapabilities boolean
If true, unused symbols are
included. Default: false
If true, the editing capabilities of
FXG are preserved. Default: true
SaveMultipleArtboards
boolean
If true, all artboards or range of
artboards are saved. Default: false
TextPolicy
AiTextPreservePolicy
The policy used by FXG to preserve
text. Default:
4'aiAutomaticallyConvertText
Version
AiFXGVersion
The version of the FXG file format
to create.
Default: 2'aiVersion2Pt0
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Gradient
Gradient
A gradient definition contained in a document. A script can create new gradients.
Gradient properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
GradientStops
GradientStops
Read-only. The gradient stops contained in this gradient.
Name
String
The gradient’s name.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The document that contains this gradient.
Type
AiGradientType
The kind of the gradient, either radial or linear.
Gradient methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Delete
()
Nothing
Deletes the object.
Creating and applying a gradient
'Creates a new gradient in the current document with 2
'gradient stops, then applies the gradient to the front'most path item
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set frontDocument = appRef.ActiveDocument
'Create a color for both ends of the gradient
Set startColor = CreateObject("Illustrator.RGBColor")
Set endColor = CreateObject("Illustrator.RGBColor")
startColor.Red = 0
startColor.Green = 100
startColor.Blue = 255
endColor.Red = 220
endColor.Green = 0
endColor.Blue = 100
'Create a new gradient
'new gradients always have 2 stops
Set newGradient = frontDocument.Gradients.Add
newGradient.Name = "Gradient created from script"
newGradient.Type = 1
'aiLinearGradient
'Modify the first gradient stop.
Set locationSpecification = newGradient.GradientStops(1)
71
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
locationSpecification.RampPoint = 30
locationSpecification.MidPoint = 60
locationSpecification.Color = startColor
'Modify the last gradient stop.
'The MidPoint for the last gradient stop is ignored
Set locationSpecification = newGradient.GradientStops(2)
locationSpecification.RampPoint = 80
locationSpecification.Color = endColor
'construct an Illustrator.GradientColor object referring to the
'newly created gradient
Set ColorOfGradient = CreateObject("Illustrator.GradientColor")
ColorOfGradient.Gradient = newGradient
'now get the frontmost path item and
'apply the new gradient as its fill
Set topPath = frontDocument.PathItems(1)
topPath.Filled = True
topPath.fillColor = ColorOfGradient
Gradient
72
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
GradientColor
73
GradientColor
A gradient color specification, used in conjunction with the Gradient property of the Color specification.
A script can create a GradientColor using a reference to an existing gradient in the application. If no
existing gradient object is referenced, a default gradient is supplied. An origin is used to specify the center
point of the gradient in this specific gradient color. Single values are used to specify the gradient vector
angles and lengths. A matrix may be specified to further transform the gradient color.
GradientColor properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Angle
Double
The gradient vector angle in degrees.
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Gradient
Gradient
Reference to the object defining the gradient.
HiliteAngle
Double
The gradient hilite vector angle in degrees.
HiliteLength
Double
The gradient hilite vector length.
Length
Double
The gradient vector length.
Matrix
Matrix
An additional transformation matrix to manipulate the
gradient path.
Origin
Variant Array of
2 Doubles
The gradient vector origin.
Changing a gradient color
'Creates a new RGB color then applies it as the color
'at the first gradient stop of the first gradient
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set frontDocument = appRef.Documents.Add(1) ' aiDocumentRGBColor
'Get a reference to the gradient that you want to change
Set firstGradient = frontDocument.Gradients(1)
'Create the new color
Set startColor = CreateObject("Illustrator.RGBColor")
startColor.Red = 0
startColor.Green = 255
startColor.Blue = 0
firstGradient.GradientStops(1).Color = startColor
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Gradients
Gradients
A collection of Gradient objects in a document.
Gradients properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. The number of objects in the collection.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The parent document of this object.
Gradients methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Add
()
Gradient
Creates a new object
Index
(item as Gradient)
Long
Returns the index position of the object within the collection.
Item
(itemKey)
Gradient
Returns an object reference to the object identified by itemKey
(name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this collection.
Removing a gradient
'Deletes the first gradient in the current document
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set frontDocument = appRef.ActiveDocument
'Get a reference to the gradient that you want to delete
Set gradientToDelete = frontDocument.Gradients(1)
'Now delete the gradient using the collection
frontDocument.Gradients.Remove gradientToDelete
74
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
GradientStop
75
GradientStop
A gradient stop definition contained in a specific gradient. Represents a point on a gradient that specifies a
color change. For an example, see GradientColor.
GradientStop properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Color
Color info
The color linked to this gradient stop.
Midpoint
Double
The distance between two GradientStops, in percentage.
Range: 13.0 to 87.0
Opacity
Double
The opacity value for the gradient stop. Range: 0.0 to 100.0
Parent
Document
Read-only. The document that contains this gradient stop.
RampPoint
Double
The location of the color in the blend. Range: 0.0 to 100.0,
where 100.0 is 100%
GradientStop methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Delete
()
Nothing
Deletes the object.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
GradientStops
GradientStops
A collection of GradientStop objects in a specific gradient.
GradientStops properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. The number of objects in the collection.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The document that contains this object.
GradientStops methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Add
()
GradientStop
Creates a new object
Index
(item as GradientStop)
Long
Returns the index position of the object within the
collection.
Item
(itemKey)
GradientStop
Returns an object reference to the object identified by
itemKey (name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this collection.
76
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Adding a new gradient stop
'Adds a new gray gradient stop to an existing gradient
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set frontDocument = appRef.ActiveDocument
'Get a reference to the gradient that you want to change
Set changeGradient = frontDocument.Gradients(1)
'Get a reference to the gradient stop that is the last one
'before you add a new gradient stop
originalCount = changeGradient.GradientStops.Count
Set lastStop = changeGradient.GradientStops(originalCount)
'add the new gradient stop
Set newStop = changeGradient.GradientStops.Add
'Set the values of the new gradient stop. move the original
'last gradient stop a bit to the left, and
'insert the new gradient stop at the old gradient stop's position
newStop.RampPoint = lastStop.RampPoint
lastStop.RampPoint = lastStop.RampPoint - 10
'Create a new color to apply to the newly created gradient stop
'choose a Gray tint value of 70%
Set newStopColor = CreateObject("Illustrator.GrayColor")
newStopColor.Gray = 70
newStop.Color = newStopColor
GradientStops
77
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
GraphicStyle
78
GraphicStyle
Each graphic style defines a set of appearance attributes that you can apply to PageItem objects. Graphic
styles are contained in documents. Scripts cannot create new graphic styles.
GraphicStyle properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Name
String
The GraphicStyle name.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The document that contains this object.
GraphicStyle methods
Method
Returns
What it does
ApplyTo
(artItem as PageItem)
Nothing
Applies the GraphicStyle to a specific art item.
MergeTo
(artItem as PageItem)
Nothing
Merges this style into the current styles of a specified art item.
Delete
()
Nothing
Deletes the object.
Applying a graphic style
This example duplicates and groups the current selection, applying the second graphic style in the
document to the items in the group.
'Creates a new group item, adds a duplicate of each
'selected item to the group then applies a graphic style
'to the group
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
If appRef.Documents.Count > 0 Then
If Not IsEmpty(appRef.Selection) Then
mySelection = appRef.Selection
endIndex = UBound(mySelection)
startIndex = LBound(mySelection)
Set newGroup = appRef.ActiveDocument.GroupItems.Add
For i = startIndex To endIndex
Set artItem = mySelection(i)
Set dupItem = artItem.Duplicate(newGroup, aiPlaceAtEnd)
appRef.ActiveDocument.GraphicStyles(2).ApplyTo dupItem
Next
End If
End If
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
GraphicStyles
GraphicStyles
A collection of graphic styles in a document.
GraphicStyles properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. The number of objects in the collection.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The document that contains this object.
GraphicStyles methods
Method
Returns
Index
Long
(item as GraphicStyle)
What it does
Returns the index position of the object within the
collection.
Item
(itemKey)
GraphicStyle
Returns an object reference to the object identified by
itemKey (name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this collection.
Counting graphic styles
'Counts the number of graphic styles in the current document
'and stores in numStyles
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
If appRef.Documents.Count > 0 Then
numStyles = appRef.ActiveDocument.GraphicStyles.Count
End If
79
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
GraphItem
GraphItem
A graph artwork item. Scripts cannot create new graph items.
GraphItem properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
ArtworkKnockout
AiKnockoutState
Is this GraphItem used to create a knockout, and if
so, what kind.
BlendingMode
AiBlendModes
The mode used when compositing an object.
ContentVariable
Variable
The content variable bound to this GraphItem.
It is not necessary to set the type of the
ContentVariable before binding. Illustrator
automatically sets the type to AiGraph.
ControlBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The bounds of the object including stroke
width and controls.
Editable
Boolean
Read-only. If true, the GraphItem is editable.
GeometricBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The bounds of the GraphItem excluding
stroke width.
Height
Double
The height of the GraphItem, calculated on the
GeometricBounds.
Hidden
Boolean
If true, this GraphItem is hidden.
IsIsolated
Boolean
If true, this GraphItem is isolated.
Layer
Layer
Read-only. The Layer to which this GraphItem
belongs.
Left
Double
The position of the left side of the GraphItem (in
points, measured from the left side of the page).
Locked
Boolean
If true, this GraphItem is locked.
Name
String
The name of this GraphItem.
Note
String
The note assigned to this GraphItem.
Opacity
Double
The opacity of the GraphItem. Range: 0.0 to 100.0
Parent
Layer or
GroupItem
Read-only. The parent of this GraphItem.
Position
Variant Array of
2 Doubles
The position (in points) of the top left corner of the
item in the format [x, y]. Does not include stroke
weight.
Selected
Boolean
If true, this GraphItem is selected.
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CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
GraphItem
Property
Value type
What it is
Sliced
Boolean
If true, this GraphItem is sliced. Default: false
Tags
Tags
Read-only. The collection of Tags contained in this
GraphItem.
Top
Double
The position of the top of the item (in points,
measured from the bottom of the page).
URL
String
The value of the Adobe URL tag assigned to this
GraphItem.
VisibilityVariable
Variable
The visibility variable bound to this GraphItem.
It is not necessary to set the type of the
VisibilityVariable before binding. Illustrator
automatically sets the type to AiVisibility.
VisibleBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The visible bounds of the GraphItem
including stroke width.
Width
Double
The width of the GraphItem, based on the
GeometricBounds.
WrapInside
Boolean
If true, the text frame object is wrapped inside this
object.
WrapOffset
Double
The offset to use when wrapping text around this
object.
Wrapped
Boolean
If true, wrap text frame objects around this object
(text frame must be above the object).
ZOrderPosition
Long
Read-only. The position of this GraphItem within the
stacking order of the GroupItem or Layer (Parent)
that contains the GraphItem.
GraphItem methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Copy
()
Nothing
Copies the GraphItem to the
clipboard; the associated document
must be the frontmost document.
Cut
()
Nothing
Cuts the GraphItem to the clipboard;
the associated document must be
the frontmost document.
Delete
()
Nothing
Deletes the object.
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CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
GraphItem
Method
Returns
What it does
Duplicate
([relativeObject as Object],
[insertionLocation as
AiElementPlacement])
Object
Duplicates the art item, optionally
specifying the location and position
for the copy.
Move
(relativeObject as Object,
insertionLocation as
AiElementPlacement)
Nothing
Moves the art item, specifying the
new location and position.
Resize
(scaleX as Double,
scaleY as Double,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, changeLineWidths as Double]
[,scaleAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Scales the GraphItem where scaleX
is the horizontal scaling factor and
scaleY is the vertical scaling factor.
100.0 = 100%
Rotate
(angle as Double,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, rotateAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Rotates the GraphItem relative to the
current rotation; counter-clockwise if
the Angle value is positive, clockwise
if the value is negative.
Transform
(transformationMatrix as Matrix,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, changeLineWidths as Double]
[, transformAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Transforms the GraphItem by
applying a transformation matrix.
Translate
([deltaX as Double]
[, deltaY as Double]
[, transformObjects as Boolean]
[, transformFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, transformFillGradients as Boolean]
[, transformStrokePatterns as Boolean])
Nothing
Repositions the GraphItem relative
to the current position, where
deltaX is the horizontal offset and
deltaY is the vertical offset.
ZOrder
(zOrderCmd as AiZOrderMethod)
Nothing
Arranges the GraphItem’s position in
the stacking order of the group or
layer (Parent) of this object.
82
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Rotating graph items
'Rotates each graph item in the current document 90 degrees.
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
'Rotate each graph item 90 degrees
For Each graphRef In appRef.ActiveDocument.GraphItems
graphRef.Rotate 90
Next
appRef.Redraw
GraphItem
83
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
GraphItems
GraphItems
A collection of GraphItem objects.
GraphItems properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. The number of objects in the collection.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The document that contains this object.
GraphItems methods
Method
Returns
Index
Long
(item as GraphItem)
What it does
Returns the index position of the object within the collection.
Item
(itemKey)
GraphItem
Returns an object reference to the object identified by
itemKey (name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this collection.
84
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
GrayColor
GrayColor
A grayscale color specification used to apply a gray color to a layer or art item.
GrayColor properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Gray
Double
The tint of the gray. Range: 0.0 to 100.0, where 0.0 is black and
100.0 is white.
Changing word color to gray
'Sets the fill color of the first word in the document to gray
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set textColor = CreateObject("Illustrator.GrayColor")
'Get a reference to the first word in the active document
Set text = appRef.ActiveDocument.TextFrames(1).TextRange
Set firstWord = text.Words(1)
'Create the new color
textColor.Gray = 45
firstWord.CharacterAttributes.fillColor = textColor
85
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
GroupItem
86
GroupItem
A grouped set of art items. Group items can contain all of the same page items that a layer can contain,
including other nested groups.
Paths contained within a group or compound path in a document are returned as individual paths when a
script asks for the paths contained in the document. However, paths contained in a group or compound
path are not returned when a script asks for the paths in a layer which contains the group or compound
path.
GroupItem properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
ArtworkKnockout
AiKnockoutState
Is this object used to create a knockout, and if so,
what kind.
BlendingMode
AiBlendModes
The mode used when compositing an object.
Clipped
Boolean
If true, the GroupItem is clipped to the clipping
mask.
CompoundPathItems
CompoundPathItems
Read-only. The CompoundPathItems contained in
this GroupItem.
ControlBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The bounds of the object including
stroke width and controls.
Editable
Boolean
Read-only. If true, this GroupItem is editable.
GeometricBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The bounds of the object excluding
stroke width.
GraphItems
GraphItems
Read-only. The raster items contained in this
GroupItem.
GroupItems
GroupItems
Read-only. The GroupItems contained in this
GroupItem.
Height
Double
The height of the GroupItem, based on the
GeometricBounds.
Hidden
Boolean
If true, this GroupItem is hidden.
IsIsolated
Boolean
If true, this object is isolated.
Layer
Layer
Read-only. The layer to which this GroupItem
belongs.
Left
Double
The position of the left side of the GroupItem (in
points, measured from the left side of the page).
LegacyTextItems
LegacyTextItems
Read-only. The legacy text items in the group.
Locked
Boolean
If true, this GroupItem is locked.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
GroupItem
Property
Value type
What it is
MeshItems
MeshItems
Read-only. The MeshItems contained in this
GroupItem.
Name
String
The name of this GroupItem.
NonNativeItems
NonNativeItems
Read-only. The non-native art items in this group.
Note
String
The note assigned to this GroupItem.
Opacity
Double
The opacity of the object. Range: 0.0 to 100.0
PageItems
PageItems
Read-only. The PageItems contained in this
GroupItem.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The document that contains this
GroupItem.
PathItems
PathItems
Read-only. The PathItems contained in this
GroupItem.
PlacedItems
PlacedItems
Read-only. The PlacedItems contained in this
GroupItem.
PluginItems
PluginItems
Read-only. The PluginItems contained in this
GroupItem.
Position
Variant Array of
2 Doubles
The position (in points) of the top left corner of the
item in the format [x, y]. Does not include stroke
weight.
RasterItems
RasterItems
Read-only. The RasterItems contained in this
GroupItem.
Selected
Boolean
If true, this GroupItem is selected.
Sliced
Boolean
If true, this GroupItem is sliced. Default: false
SymbolItems
SymbolItems
Read-only. The SymbolItems contained in this
GroupItem.
Tags
Tags
Read-only. The tags contained in this GroupItem.
TextFrames
TextFrames
Read-only. The TextFrame objects contained in this
GroupItem.
Top
Double
The position of the top of the item (in points,
measured from the bottom of the page).
URL
String
The value of the Adobe URL tag assigned to this
GroupItem.
VisibilityVariable
Variable
The Variable bound to this GroupItem.
VisibleBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The visible bounds of the GroupItem
including stroke width.
Width
Double
The width of the GroupItem, based on the
GeometricBounds.
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CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
GroupItem
Property
Value type
What it is
WrapInside
Boolean
If true, the text frame object are wrapped inside
this object.
WrapOffset
Double
The offset to use when wrapping text around this
object.
Wrapped
Boolean
If true, wrap text frame objects around this object
(text frame must be above the object).
ZOrderPosition
Long
Read-only. The position of this group item within
the stacking order of the group or layer (Parent)
that contains this group item.
GroupItem methods
Method
Returns What it does
Copy
()
Nothing Copies the GroupItem to the
clipboard; the associated
document must be the frontmost
document.
Cut
()
Nothing Cuts the GroupItem to the
clipboard; the associated
document must be the frontmost
document.
Delete
()
Nothing Deletes the object.
Duplicate
Object
([relativeObject as Object],
[insertionLocation as AiElementPlacement])
Duplicates the art item, optionally
specifying the location and
position for the copy.
Move
(relativeObject as Object,
insertionLocation as AiElementPlacement)
Nothing Moves the art item, specifying the
new location and position.
Paste
()
Nothing Inserts the contents of the
clipboard at the beginning of the
GroupItem. You may only paste
into a group that is contained in
the active document.
Resize
(scaleX as Double,
scaleY as Double,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, changeLineWidths as Double]
[, scaleAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing Scales the art item where scaleX
is the horizontal scaling factor and
scaleY is the vertical scaling
factor; 100.0 = 100%
88
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
GroupItem
Method
Returns What it does
Rotate
(angle as Double,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, rotateAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing Rotates the art item relative to the
current rotation. The object is
rotated counter-clockwise if the
Angle value is positive, clockwise
if the value is negative.
Transform
(transformationMatrix as Matrix
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, changeLineWidths as Double]
[, transformAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing Transforms the art item by
applying a transformation matrix.
Translate
([deltaX as Double]
[, deltaY as Double]
[, transformObjects as Boolean]
[, transformFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, transformFillGradients as Boolean]
[, transformStrokePatterns as Boolean])
Nothing Repositions the art item relative to
the current position, where
deltaX is the horizontal offset and
deltaY is the vertical offset.
ZOrder
(zOrderCmd as AiZOrderMethod)
Nothing Arranges the art item’s position in
the stacking order of the group or
layer (Parent) of this object.
89
Creating a group
It is easy to modify all of the objects contained in a group. This example demonstrates how to simplify your
operations on multiple objects by creating a group to contain them.
'Creates a new group in the current document, containing
'a path item, and a text item
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
'Create a new group in the active document.
'This will be the group that holds the new triangle art
Set triangleGroup = appRef.ActiveDocument.GroupItems.Add
'Create a triangle and add text inside the group
Set trianglePath = triangleGroup.PathItems.Add
trianglePath.SetEntirePath Array(Array(100, 100), Array(300, 100), Array(200,
Tan(1.0471975) * 100 + 100))
Set captionText = triangleGroup.TextFrames.Add
captionText.Position = Array(100, 100)
captionText.Contents = "A triangle"
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
GroupItems
GroupItems
A collection of GroupItem objects.
GroupItems properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. The number of objects in the collection.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The document that contains this object.
GroupItems methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Add
()
GroupItem
Creates a new object.
CreateFromFile
(imagefile as String)
GroupItem
Creates a GroupItem from a vector graphics file.
Index
(item as GroupItem)
Long
Returns the index position of the object within the
collection.
Item
(itemkey)
GroupItem
Returns an object reference to the object identified by
itemkey (name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this collection.
Importing a file using GroupItems
The following script shows how you can import a JPEG document using the CreateFromFile function.
Before running this script you have to create a one-page PDF file and put it in the location.
C:\temp\AiExport.jpg.
'Adds a new group item to the document from a file (dest)
'dest contains the full path and file name of the file
Sub embedPDF (dest)
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set importedGroup = appRef.ActiveDocument.GroupItems.CreateFromFile (dest)
End Sub
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CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
IllustratorSaveOptions
91
IllustratorSaveOptions
Options that can be supplied when saving a document as an Illustrator file with the document SaveAs
method.
IllustratorSaveOptions properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
ArtboardRange
string
If SaveMultipleArtboards is true (which is valid
only for Illustrator 13 or earlier), the document is
considered for multi-asset extraction, which
specifies an artboard range. An empty string
extracts all artboards. Default: empty string
Compatibility
AiCompatibility
Version of the Illustrator file format to create.
Default: 19 ’ aiIllustrator19
Compressed
Boolean
(Illustrator version 10 or later) If true, the saved file
is compressed. Default: true
EmbedICCProfile
Boolean
If true, an ICC profile is embedded in the saved file.
EmbedLinkedFiles
Boolean
If true, linked image files are included in the saved
document (only valid for SaveOptions that specify
an Illustrator compatibility of version 7 or later).
FlattenOutput
AiOutputFlattening
Specifies how transparency is flattened for file
formats older than Illustrator 9.
FontSubsetThreshold
Double
Include a subset of fonts when less than this
percentage of characters is used in the document
(valid for Illustrator 9 or newer file format).
PDFCompatible
Boolean
If true, save as a PDF compatible file (version 10 or
later). Default: true
SaveMultipleArtboards
boolean
If true, all artboards or range of the artboards are
saved. Valid for Illustrator 13 or earlier.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
IllustratorSaveOptions
Saving to Illustrator 8 format
This example illustrates how to save the frontmost document as Illustrator 8 format. Because the
document is saved as a version earlier than 9, the example specifies how to convert opacity by breaking
paths up in to sub-paths to preserve the appearance of the illustration.
'Saves current document in Illustrator format to dest with certain options
'specified in the script, dest contains the full path and file name to save to
Sub exportfileToAi (dest)
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set saveOptions = CreateObject("Illustrator.IllustratorSaveOptions")
saveOptions.Compatibility = 8'aiIllustrator8
saveOptions.FlattenOutput = 1'aiPreserveAppearance
appRef.Documents(1).SaveAs dest, saveOptions
End Sub
92
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
ImageCaptureOptions
ImageCaptureOptions
Options for image capture, used with the ImageCapture method. All properties are optional.
ImageCaptureOptions properties
Property
Value type
What it is
AntiAliasing
Boolean
If true, the image result is anti-aliased. Default: false
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Matte
Boolean
If true, the artboard is matted with a color. Default: false
MatteColor
RGBColor
The color to use for the artboard matte. Default: white
Resolution
Double
The resolution of the captured image file in points-per-inch (PPI),
in the range 72.0 to 2400.0. Default: 150
Transparency
Boolean
If true, the image result is transparent. Default: false
93
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Ink
Ink
Provides information about the ink name and related information.
Ink properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
InkInfo
InkInfo
The ink information.
Name
String
The ink’s name.
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CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
InkInfo
InkInfo
Specifies ink properties.
InkInfo properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Angle
Double
The ink’s screen angle in degrees. Range: -360 to 360
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
CustomColor
Object
The color of the custom ink.
Density
Double
The neutral density. Minimum: 0.0
DotShape
String
The dot shape name.
Frequency
Double
The ink’s frequency. Range: 0.0 to 1000.0
Kind
AiInkType
The ink type.
PrintingStatus
AiInkPrintStatus
The ink printing status.
Trapping
AiTrappingType
The trapping type.
TrappingOrder
Long
The order of trapping for the ink. Range: 1 to 4 for CMYK
95
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
InkInfo
List inks in a document
'Gets the details of each ink in this document
'and displays them in a text frame
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
'create a new document and simple text frame
Set docRef = appRef.Documents.Add()
Set textRef = docRef.TextFrames.Add()
textRef.Top = docRef.Height - 100
textRef.Left = 100
'collect data from
For Each inkRef In
sInks = sInks &
sInks = sInks &
sInks = sInks &
sInks = sInks &
sInks = sInks &
sInks = sInks &
Next
textRef.Contents =
appRef.Redraw
each Ink and InkInfo object
appRef.ActiveDocument.InkList
inkRef.Name
vbCrLf & vbTab
"Frequency = " & inkRef.InkInfo.Frequency
vbCrLf & vbTab
"Density = " & inkRef.InkInfo.Density
vbCrLf
sInks
96
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
InsertionPoint
InsertionPoint
A location between characters, used to insert new text objects. An insertion point is contained in an
InsertionPoints collection.
InsertionPoint properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Characters
Characters
Read-only. All of the characters in the text
range.
Lines
Lines
Read-only. All the lines in this text range.
Paragraphs
Paragraphs
Read-only. All of the paragraphs in this text
range.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
Story
Story
Read-only. The story of the text range.
TextRanges
TextRanges
Read-only. All of the text in this text range.
Words
Words
Read-only. All of the words in this text range.
97
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
InsertionPoints
InsertionPoints
A collection of InsertionPoint objects.
InsertionPoints properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. Number of elements in the collection.
Parent
TextFrame
Read-only. The object’s container.
InsertionPoints methods
Method
Returns
Index
Long
(itemPtr as TextRange)
Item
(itemKey)
InsertionPoint
What it does
Returns the index position of the object within the
collection.
Gets an element from the collection by itemKey
(name or index).
Using insertion point to add spaces
'Creates a new document, adds a text frame then
'uses insertion points to add a space between all characters
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
'create a new document and text frame
Set docRef = appRef.Documents.Add()
Set textRef = docRef.TextFrames.Add()
textRef.Contents = "Wouldn't you rather be scripting?"
textRef.Top = 400
textRef.Left = 100
textRef.TextRange.CharacterAttributes.Size = 20
appRef.Redraw
i = 2
Do While (i < textRef.InsertionPoints.Count)
textRef.InsertionPoints(i).Characters.Add (" ")
i = i + 2
Loop
98
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
LabColor
LabColor
A color specification in the CIE Lab color space, used where a color info object is required.
LabColor properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
A
Double
The a (red-green) color value. Range -128.0–128.0. Default: 0.0
B
Double
The b (yellow-blue) color value. Range -128.0–128.0. Default: 0.0
L
Double
The l (lightness) color value. Range -128.0–128.0. Default: 0.0
99
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Layer
100
Layer
A layer in an Illustrator document. Layers may contain nested layers, which are called sublayers in the user
interface.
Layer object contains all of the page items in the layer as elements. Your script can access PageItems as
elements of either the Layer object or as elements of the Document object. Only those page items in that
layer can be accessed through the Layer object. To see page items in different layers, access them through
the document.
Layer properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
ArtworkKnockout
AiKnockoutState
Is this Layer used to create a knockout, and if so,
what kind.
BlendingMode
AiBlendModes
The mode used when compositing an object.
Color
RGBColor
The Layer’s selection mark color.
CompoundPathItems
CompoundPathItems
Read-only. The CompoundPathItems contained in
this layer.
DimPlacedImages
Boolean
If true, placed images are rendered as dimmed in
this layer.
GraphItems
GraphItems
Read-only. The GraphItems collection contained in
this layer.
GroupItems
GroupItems
Read-only. The GroupItems contained in this layer.
HasSelectedArtwork
Boolean
If true, an object in this Layer has been selected;
setting this property to false deselects all objects in
the layer.
IsIsolated
Boolean
If true, this Layer is isolated.
Layers
Layers
Read-only. The Layers contained in this layer.
LegacyTextItems
LegacyTextItems
Read-only. The legacy text items contained in this
layer.
Locked
Boolean
If true, this layer is editable.
MeshItems
MeshItems
Read-only. The MeshItems contained in this layer.
Name
String
The name of this layer.
NonNativeItems
NonNativeItems
The non-native art items in this layer.
Opacity
Double
The opacity of the layer. Range: 0.0 to 100.0
PageItems
PageItems
Read-only. The PageItems contained in this layer.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Layer
101
Property
Value type
What it is
Parent
Document or Layer
Read-only. The document or Layer that contains this
layer.
PathItems
PathItems
Read-only. The PathItems contained in this layer.
PlacedItems
PlacedItems
Read-only. The PlacedItems contained in this layer.
PluginItems
PluginItems
Read-only. The PluginItems contained in this layer.
Preview
Boolean
If true, this layer is displayed using preview mode.
Printable
Boolean
If true, this layer is printed when printing the
document.
RasterItems
RasterItems
Read-only. The RasterItems contained in this layer.
Sliced
Boolean
If true, this layer is sliced.
SymbolItems
SymbolItems
Read-only. The SymbolItems contained in this layer.
TextFrames
TextFrames
Read-only. The TextFrames contained in this layer.
Visible
Boolean
If true, this layer is visible.
ZOrderPosition
Long
Read-only. The position of this layer within the
stacking order of Layers in the document
Layer methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Delete
()
Nothing
Deletes the object.
Move
(relativeObject as Object,
insertionLocation as AiElementPlacement)
Nothing
Moves the art item, specifying the
new location and position.
Does not change the position of the
object on the art board, but
changes the order in which
Illustrator draws the objects, and
the containment hierarchy. Places
the object in the specified container,
behind all other such objects.
Paste
()
Nothing
Pastes the contents of the clipboard
into the Layer; if the associated
document is the frontmost then all
pasted objects remain selected after
the paste.
ZOrder
(zOrderCmd as AiZOrderMethod)
Nothing
Arranges the Layer’s position in the
stacking order of Layers in this
document
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Count layers in a document
'Counts the number of layers in the current document
'and stores in countOfLayers
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
'Get a reference to the layers, and obtain the total number
Set frontDocument = appRef.ActiveDocument
countOfLayers = frontDocument.Layers.Count
Layer
102
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Layers
Layers
A collection of Layer objects.
Layers properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. The number of objects in the collection.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object that contains this Layer (can be another
Layer).
Layers methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Add
()
Layer
Creates a new object.
Index
(item as Layer)
Long
Returns the index position of the object within the collection.
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this collection.
Deleting layers
'Deletes all layers containing a specified string in their name
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
searchString = "Temp"
'Loop through all open documents
layersDeleted = 0
For Each targetDocument In appRef.Documents
countOfLayers = targetDocument.Layers.Count
'Go through layers from the back to avoid changing the
'index of unvisited layers when we remove a layer
For layerIndex = countOfLayers To 1 Step -1
Set targetLayer = targetDocument.Layers(layerIndex)
layerName = targetLayer.Name
If (InStr(layerName, searchString) = 1) Then
targetDocument.Layers.Remove targetLayer
layersDeleted = layersDeleted + 1
End If
Next
Next
103
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
LegacyTextItem
104
LegacyTextItem
A text object created in Illustrator CS (version 10) or earlier, which is uneditable until converted. To convert
legacy text, see ConvertToNative.
You can view, move, and print legacy text, but you cannot edit it. Legacy text has an “x” through its
bounding box when selected.
LegacyTextItem properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
ArtworkKnockout
AiKnockoutState Is this object used to create a knockout, and if so, what
kind.
BlendingMode
AiBlendModes
The mode used when compositing an object.
ControlBound
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The bounds of the object including stroke
width and controls.
Converted
Boolean
Read-only. If true, the legacy text has been updated to
a native text frame item.
Editable
Boolean
Read-only. If true, this item is editable.
GeometricBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The bounds of the object excluding stroke
width.
Height
Double
The height of the LegacyTextItem excluding stroke
width, based on the GeometricBounds.
Hidden
Boolean
If true, this object is hidden.
IsIsolated
Boolean
If true, this object is isolated.
Layer
Layer
Read-only. The layer to which this LegacyTextItem
belongs.
Left
Double
The position of the left side of the item (in points,
measured from the left side of the page).
Locked
Boolean
If true, this LegacyTextItem is locked.
Name
String
The name of this LegacyTextItem.
Note
String
The note assigned to this LegacyTextItem.
Opacity
Double
The opacity of the object. Range: 0.0 to 100.0
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object that contains this
LegacyTextItem.
Position
Variant Array of
2 Doubles
The position (in points) of the top left corner of the item
in the format [x, y]. Does not include stroke weight.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
LegacyTextItem
105
Property
Value type
What it is
Selected
Boolean
If true, this object is selected.
Sliced
Boolean
If true, this LegacyTextItem is sliced.
Tags
Tags
Read-only. The tags contained in this LegacyTextItem.
Top
Double
The top position of this LegacyTextItem.
URL
String
The value of the Adobe URL tag assigned to this
LegacyTextItem.
VisibilityVariable
Variable
The Variable bound to this LegacyTextItem.
VisibleBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The visible bounds of the LegacyTextItem
including stroke width.
Width
Double
The width of the LegacyTextItem excluding stroke
width, based on the GeometricBounds.
WrapInside
Boolean
If true, the text frame object are wrapped inside this
object.
WrapOffset
Double
The offset to use when wrapping text around this
object.
Wrapped
Boolean
If true, wrap text frame objects around this object (text
frame must be above the object).
ZOrderPosition
Long
Read-only. The position of this art item within the
stacking order of the group or layer (Parent) that
contains the art item.
LegacyTextItem methods
Method
Returns
What it does
ConvertToNative
()
GroupItem
Converts the legacy text item to
a text frame and deletes the
original legacy text.
Copy
()
Nothing
Copies the legacy text item to
the clipboard; the associated
document must be the
frontmost document.
Cut
()
Nothing
Cuts the legacy text item to the
clipboard; the associated
document must be the
frontmost document.
Duplicate
Object
([relativeObject as Object],
[insertionLocation as AiElementPlacement])
Duplicates the art item,
optionally specifying the
location and position for the
copy.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
LegacyTextItem
106
Method
Returns
What it does
Delete
()
Nothing
Deletes the object.
Move
(relativeObject as Object,
insertionLocation as AiElementPlacement)
Nothing
Moves the art item, specifying
the new location and position.
Resize
(scaleX as Double,
scaleY as Double
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, changeLineWidths as Double]
[, scaleAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Scales the art item where
scaleX is the horizontal scaling
factor and scaleY is the vertical
scaling factor; 100.0 = 100%
Rotate
(angle as Double,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, rotateAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Rotates the art item relative to
the current rotation. The object
is rotated counter-clockwise if
the Angle value is positive,
clockwise if the value is
negative.
Transform
(transformationMatrix as Matrix,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, changeLineWidths as Double]
[, transformAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Transforms the art item by
applying a transformation
matrix.
Translate
([deltaX as Double]
[, deltaY as Double]
[, transformObjects as Boolean]
[, transformFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, transformFillGradients as Boolean]
[, transformStrokePatterns as Boolean])
Nothing
Repositions the art item relative
to the current position, where
deltaX is the horizontal offset
and deltaY is the vertical offset.
ZOrder
(zOrderCmd as AiZOrderMethod)
Nothing
Arranges the art item’s position
in the stacking order of the
group or layer (Parent) of this
object.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
LegacyTextItems
107
LegacyTextItems
A collection of LegacyText items.
LegacyTextItems properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. Number of elements in the collection.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
LegacyTextItems methods
Method
Returns
What it does
ConvertToNative
()
Boolean
Creates text frames from all legacy text items;
the original legacy text items are deleted.
Returns true if successful.
Index
(itemPtr as LegacyTextItem)
Long
Returns the index position of the object
within the collection.
Item
(itemKey)
LegacyTextItem
Returns an object reference to the object
identified by itemKey (name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this collection.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Lines
Lines
A collection of TextRange objects corresponding to a line of text.
Lines properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. Number of elements in the collection.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
Lines methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Index
(itemPtr as TextRange)
Long
Returns the index position of the object within the
collection.
Item
(itemKey)
TextRange
Returns an object reference to the object identified by
itemKey (name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this collection.
Counting lines
'Creates an area text item, adds some text, resizes
'the width of the path item containing the text item
'then counts the number of lines and stores in lineCount
'Create area text
textToPlace = "Scripting with Illustrator is fun and easy."
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set docRef = appRef.Documents.Add()
Set itemRef = docRef.PathItems.Rectangle(500, 200, 50, 300)
Set textRef = docRef.TextFrames.AreaText(itemRef)
textRef.Contents = textToPlace
appRef.Redraw
'Change the path's width and display line count
itemRef.Width = 300
lineCount = textRef.Lines.Count
appRef.Redraw
108
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Matrix
109
Matrix
A transformation matrix specification, used to transform the geometry of objects.
Matrices are used in conjunction with the Transform method and as a property of a number of objects.
You can generate an original matrix using the Application methods getIdentityMatrix,
getTranslationMatrix, getScaleMatrix, or getRotationMatrix. If you need to apply multiple
transformations to objects, it is more efficient to use the matrix suite than to apply the transformations
one at a time.
A Matrix is a record containing the matrix values, not a reference to a matrix object. The matrix
commands listed above operate on the values of a matrix record. If a command modifies a matrix, a
modified matrix record is returned as the result of the command. The original matrix record passed to the
command is not modified.
Matrix properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
MValueA
Double
Matrix property a.
MValueB
Double
Matrix property b.
MValueC
Double
Matrix property c.
MValueD
Double
Matrix property d.
MValueTX
Double
Matrix property tx.
MValueTY
Double
Matrix property ty.
Applying transformations with a matrix
'Creates a new translation and rotation matrix then
'applies it to all items in the current document
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
'Move art half an inch to the right and 1.5 inch up on the page
Set moveMatrix = appRef.GetTranslationMatrix(72 * 0.5, 72 * 1.5)
'Add a rotation to the translation -- 10 degrees counterclockwise
Set totalMatrix = appRef.ConcatenateRotationMatrix(moveMatrix, 10)
'Apply the transformation to all art in the document
For Each artItem In appRef.ActiveDocument.PageItems
artItem.Transform totalMatrix
Next
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
MeshItem
110
MeshItem
A gradient mesh art item. Mesh items cannot be created from a script, but can be copied and pasted.
MeshItem properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
ArtworkKnockout
AiKnockoutState
Is this object used to create a knockout, and if so, what
kind.
BlendingMode
AiBlendModes
The mode used when compositing an object.
ControlBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The bounds of the object including stroke
width and controls.
Editable
Boolean
Read-only. If true, this MeshItem is editable.
GeometricBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The bounds of the object excluding stroke
width.
Height
Double
The height of the MeshItem, based on the
GeometricBounds.
Hidden
Boolean
If true, this MeshItem is hidden.
IsIsolated
Boolean
If true, this object is isolated.
Layer
Layer
Read-only. The Layer to which this MeshItem belongs.
Left
Double
The position of the left side of the item (in points,
measured from the left side of the page).
Locked
Boolean
If true, this MeshItem is locked.
Name
String
The name of this MeshItem.
Note
String
The note assigned to this MeshItem.
Opacity
Double
The opacity of the object. Range 0.0 to 100.0
Parent
object
Read-only. The object that contains this MeshItem.
Position
Variant Array of
2 Doubles
The position (in points) of the top left corner of the
item in the format [x, y]. Does not include stroke
weight.
Selected
Boolean
If true, this MeshItem is selected.
Sliced
Boolean
If true, this MeshItem is sliced.
Tags
Tags
Read-only. The tags contained in this MeshItem.
Top
Double
The position of the top of the item (in points,
measured from the bottom of the page).
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
MeshItem
Property
Value type
What it is
URL
String
The value of the Adobe URL tag assigned to this
MeshItem.
VisibilityVariable
Variant
The Variable bound to this MeshItem.
VisibleBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The visible bounds of the MeshItem
including stroke width.
Width
Double
The width of the MeshItem, based on the
GeometricBounds.
WrapInside
Boolean
If true, the text frame object are wrapped inside this
object.
WrapOffset
Double
The offset to use when wrapping text around this
object.
Wrapped
Boolean
If true, wrap text frame objects around this object
(text frame must be above the object).
ZOrderPosition
Long
Read-only. The position of this art item within the
stacking order of the group or layer (Parent) that
contains the art item.
111
MeshItem methods
Method
Returns What it does
Copy
()
Nothing
Copies the mesh item to the
clipboard; the associated
document must be the frontmost
document.
Cut
()
Nothing
Cuts the mesh item to the
clipboard; the associated
document must be the frontmost
document.
Delete
()
Nothing
Deletes the object.
Duplicate
Object
([relativeObject as Object],
[insertionLocation as AiElementPlacement])
Move
(relativeObject as Object,
insertionLocation as AiElementPlacement)
Nothing
Duplicates the art item, optionally
specifying the location and
position for the copy.
Moves the art item, specifying the
new location and position.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
MeshItem
112
Method
Returns What it does
Resize
(scaleX as Double,
scaleY as Double,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, changeLineWidths as Double]
[, scaleAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Scales the art item where scaleX
is the horizontal scaling factor and
scaleY is the vertical scaling
factor; 100.0 = 100%
Rotate
(angle as Double,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, rotateAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Rotates the art item relative to the
current rotation. The object is
rotated counter-clockwise if the
Angle value is positive, clockwise
if the value is negative.
Transform
(transformationMatrix as Matrix,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, changeLineWidths as Double]
[, transformAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Transforms the art item by
applying a transformation matrix.
Translate
([deltaX as Double]
[, deltaY as Double]
[, transformObjects as Boolean]
[, transformFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, transformFillGradients as Boolean]
[, transformStrokePatterns as Boolean])
Nothing
Repositions the art item relative to
the current position, where
deltaX is the horizontal offset and
deltaY is the vertical offset.
ZOrder
(zOrderCmd as AiZOrderMethod)
Nothing
Arranges the art item’s position in
the stacking order of the group or
layer (Parent) of this object.
Locking mesh items
'Locks all mesh items in the current document
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
For Each meshItem In appRef.ActiveDocument.MeshItems
meshItem.Locked = True
Next
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
MeshItems
MeshItems
A collection of gradient mesh art items.
MeshItems properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. Number of elements in the collection.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
MeshItems methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Index
(itemPtr as MeshItem)
Long
Returns the index position of the object within the
collection.
Item
(itemKey)
MeshItem
Returns an object reference to the object identified by
itemKey (name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this collection.
Copying mesh items between documents
To run this script, have two open documents:
One document should contain at least one MeshItem.
The other document can be empty. Make the empty document the frontmost before running the
script.
'Copies all mesh items from one document
'to another, with an offset position
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set sourceDocument = appRef.Documents(1)
Set targetDocument = appRef.Documents.Add
locationOffset = 0
For Each meshItem In sourceDocument.MeshItems
sourceDocument.Activate
meshItem.Copy
targetDocument.Activate
targetDocument.Paste
'Get a reference to the item that was just copied into the document
targetSelection = appRef.selection
If (IsEmpty(targetSelection)) Then
113
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Exit For
End If
Set newMeshItem = targetSelection(0)
newMeshItem.Position = Array(100, 400 + locationOffset)
locationOffset = locationOffset + 50
Next
MeshItems
114
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
NoColor
115
NoColor
Represents the “none” color. Assignment of a reference to a NoColor object to the document’s default fill
or stroke color, or those of an art item, is equivalent to setting their Filled or Stroked property to False.
NoColor properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Removing a fill color
'Creates 2 overlapping, filled path items, then
'sets the top item to "NoColor" to make the bottom item visible.
Set
Set
Set
Set
appRef =
docRef =
itemRef1
itemRef2
CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
appRef.Documents.Add()
= docRef.PathItems.Rectangle(500, 200, 200, 100)
= docRef.PathItems.Rectangle(550, 150, 200, 200)
Set colorRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.RGBColor")
colorRef.Blue = 255
itemRef1.FillColor = colorRef
colorRef.Red = 255
colorRef.Blue = 0
itemRef2.FillColor = colorRef
appRef.Redraw
'Create a nocolor object and assign it to the top object
Set noColorRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.NoColor")
itemRef2.FillColor = noColorRef
appRef.Redraw
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
NonNativeItem
116
NonNativeItem
A non-native artwork item.
NonNativeItem properties
This class inherits all properties of the page item class.
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
ArtworkKnockout
AiKnockoutState
Indicates whether this object is used to create a
knockout, and if so, what kind.
BlendingMode
AiBlendModes
The mode used when compositing an object.
ControlBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The bounds of the object, including stroke
width and controls.
Editable
Boolean
Read-only. If true, this object is editable.
GeometricBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The bounds of the object, excluding stroke
width.
Height
Double
The height of the object, based on GeometricBounds.
Hidden
Boolean
If true, this object is hidden.
IsIsolated
Boolean
If true, this object is isolated.
Layer
Layer
Read-only. The layer to which this object belongs.
Left
Double
The position of the left side of the item (in points,
measured from the left side of the page).
Locked
Boolean
If true, this object is locked
Name
String
The name of this object.
Note
String
The note assigned to this object.
Opacity
Double
The opacity of the object. Range: 0.0 to 100.0
Parent
object
Read-only. The object that contains this object.
Position
Variant Array of
2 Doubles
The position (in points) of the top left corner of the item
in the format [x, y]. Does not include stroke weight.
Selected
Boolean
If true, this object is selected.
Sliced
Boolean
If true, this object is sliced.
Tags
Tags
Read-only. The tags contained in this object.
Top
Double
The position of the top of the item (in points, measured
from the bottom of the page).
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
NonNativeItem
117
Property
Value type
What it is
URL
String
The value of the Adobe URL tag assigned to this object.
VisibilityVariable
Variable
The Variable bound to this object.
VisibleBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The visible bounds of the object including
stroke width.
Width
Double
The width of the object, based on GeometricBounds.
WrapInside
Boolean
If true, the text frame object are wrapped inside this
object.
WrapOffset
Double
The offset to use when wrapping text around this
object.
Wrapped
Boolean
If true, the text frame objects are wrapped around this
object (text frame must be above the object).
ZOrderPosition
Long
Read-only. The position of this art item within the
stacking order of the group or layer (Parent) that
contains the art item.
NonNativeItem methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Copy
()
Nothing
Copies the item to the clipboard;
the associated document must be
the frontmost document.
Cut
()
Nothing
Cuts the item to the clipboard; the
associated document must be the
frontmost document.
Delete
()
Nothing
Deletes the object.
Duplicate
([relativeObject as Object],
[insertionLocation as AiElementPlacement])
Object
Duplicates the art item, optionally
with the location and position for
the copy.
Move
(relativeObject as Object,
insertionLocation as AiElementPlacement)
Nothing
Moves the art item to a new
location and position.
Resize
(scaleX as Double,
scaleY as Double,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, changeLineWidths as Double]
[, scaleAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Scales the art item where scaleX
is the horizontal scaling factor
and scaleY is the vertical scaling
factor; 100.0 = 100%
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
NonNativeItem
118
Method
Returns
What it does
Rotate
(angle as Double,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, rotateAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Rotates the art item relative to the
current rotation. The object is
rotated counter-clockwise if the
Angle value is positive, clockwise
if the value is negative.
Transform
(transformationMatrix as Matrix,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, changeLineWidths as Double]
[, transformAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Transforms the art item by
applying a transformation matrix.
Translate
([deltaX as Double]
[, deltaY as Double]
[, transformObjects as Boolean]
[, transformFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, transformFillGradients as Boolean]
[, transformStrokePatterns as Boolean])
Nothing
Repositions the art item relative
to the current position, where
deltaX is the horizontal offset
and deltaY is the vertical offset.
ZOrder
(zOrderCmd as AiZOrderMethod)
Nothing
Arranges the art item’s position in
the stacking order of the group or
layer (Parent) of this object.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
NonNativeItems
119
NonNativeItems
A collection of non-native items.
NonNativeItems properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. The number of objects in the collection.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The document that contains this object.
NonNativeItems methods
Method
Returns
Index
Long
(item as GraphicStyle)
What it does
Returns the index position of the object within the
collection.
Item
(itemKey)
NonNativeItem Returns an object reference to the object identified by
itemKey (name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this collection.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
OpenOptions
120
OpenOptions
Options to use when opening files in Illustrator.
OpenOptions properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
ConvertCropAreaToArboard
boolean
Optional. Convert crop areas to artboards when
opening a legacy document in Illustrator CS4 or
later. When false, crop areas are discarded.
Default: true.
ConvertTilesToArboard
boolean
Optional. Convert print tiles to artboards when
opening a legacy document in Illustrator CS4 or
later. Default: false.
CreateArtboardWithArtworkBou boolean
ndingBox
Optional. Create an artboard with the
dimensions of the bounding box of the artwork
when opening a legacy document in Illustrator
CS4 or later. Default: false.
OpenAs
AiLibraryType
Opens the file as an Illustrator library.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The document that contains this
object.
PreserveLegacyArtboard
boolean
Optional. Preserve legacy artboards when
opening a legacy document in Illustrator CS4 or
later. Default: true.
UpdateLegacyGradientMesh
Boolean
If true, preserves the spot colors in the gradient
mesh objects for legacy documents
(pre-Illustrator CS4). Default: true
UpdateLegacyText
Boolean
If true, updates all text objects for documents
saved with legacy text by Illustrator versions
previous to CS. Default: false
Opening a file and updating legacy text
This script assumes the file C:\temp\LegacyText.ai exists.
'Opens a file containing legacy text and updates the text automatically
'filePath contains the full path and file name of the file
Sub openOptions(filePath)
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
'Open a file with legacy text
Set optionsRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.OpenOptions")
optionsRef.UpdateLegacyText = True
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Set docRef = appRef.Open(filePath, 1, optionsRef)
End Sub
OpenOptions
' 1 = aiDocumentRGBColor
121
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PageItem
122
PageItem
Any art item. Every art item and group in a document is a page item. You may refer to a page item as an
element of a document, layer, or group item.
The PageItem class gives you complete access to every art item contained in an Illustrator document. The
PageItem class is the superclass of all artwork objects in a document. The CompoundPathItem, GroupItem,
MeshItem, PathItem, PlacedItem, PluginItem, RasterItem, and TextFrame classes each inherit a set of
properties from the PageItem class.
You cannot create a PageItem directly, you must create one of the specific PageItem subclasses, such as
PathItem.
PageItem properties
Property
Value type
What it is
ArtworkKnockout
AiKnockoutState
Indicates whether the artwork is used to create a
knockout.
BlendingMode
AiBlendModes
The mode to use when compositing this object. An
object is considered composited when its opacity is set
to less than 100.0 (100%).
ControlBounds
Rect
Read-only. The bounds of the object including stroke
width and controls.
Editable
Boolean
Read-only. If true, this page item is editable.
GeometricBounds
Rect
Read-only. The object’s bounds excluding the stroke
width.
Height
Real
The height of the page item, calculated from the
geometric bounds. Range: 0.0 to 16348.0
Hidden
Boolean
If true, this page item is hidden.
IsIsolated
Boolean
If true, this object is isolated.
Layer
Layer
Read-only. The layer to which this page item belongs.
Left
Double
The left position of the art item.
Locked
Boolean
If true, this page item is locked.
Name
String
The name of this page item.
Note
String
The note assigned to this item.
Opacity
Real
The opacity of this object, where 100.0 is completely
opaque and 0.0 is completely transparent.
Position
Point
The position (in points) of the top left corner of the item
in the format {x, y}. Does not include stroke weight.
PixelAligned
Boolean
True if this item is aligned to the pixel grid.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PageItem
123
Property
Value type
What it is
Selected
Boolean
If true, this object is selected.
Sliced
Boolean
If true, preserve slices.
Tags
Tags
The collection of tags associated with this page item.
Top
Double
The top position of the art item.
URL
String
The value of the Adobe URL tag assigned to this page
item.
VisibilityVariable
Anything
The visibility variable to which this page item path is
bound.
VisibleBounds
Rect
Read-only. The object’s visible bounds, including stroke
width of any objects in the illustration.
Width
Real
The width of the page item, calculated from the
geometric bounds. Range: 0.0 to 16348.0
WrapInside
Boolean
If true, the text frame object should be wrapped inside
this object.
WrapOffset
Double
The offset to use when wrapping text around this
object.
Wrapped
Boolean
If true, wrap text frame objects around this object (text
frame must be above the object).
ZOrderPosition
Long
Read-only. The drawing order of the art within its group
or layer.
PageItem methods
Method
Returns
What it does
BringInPerspective
(PositionX as Double,
PositionY as Double,
gridPlane as AiPerspectiveGridPlaneType)
Nothing
Places art object(s) in a perspective
grid at a specified position and grid
plane.
Copy
()
Nothing
Copies the selection to the
clipboard.
Cut
()
Nothing
Cuts the selection to the clipboard.
Resize
(scaleX as Double,
scaleY as Double
[,changePositions as Boolean]
[,changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[,changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[,changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[,changeLineWidths as Double]
[,scaleAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Scales art object(s).
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PageItem
124
Method
Returns
What it does
Rotate
(angle as Double
[,changePositions as Boolean]
[,changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[,changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[,changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[,rotateAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Rotates art object(s).
Transform
(transformationMatrix as Matrix
[,changePositions as Boolean]
[,changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[,changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[,changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[,changeLineWidth as Double]
[,transformAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Transforms art object(s) using a
transformation matrix.
Translate
([deltaX as Double]
[,deltaY as Double]
[,transformObjects as Boolean]
[,transformFillPatterns as Boolean]
[,transformFillGradents as Boolean]
[,transformStrokePattern as Boolean])
Nothing
Repositions art object(s).
ZOrder
(zOrderCmd as AiZOrderMethod)
Nothing
Arranges the art relative to other art
in the group or layer.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PageItems
125
PageItems
A collection of PageItem objects. Provides complete access to all the art items in an Illustrator document
in the following classes:
CompoundPathItem
GraphItem
GroupItem
MeshItem
NonNativeItem
PathItem
PlacedItem
RasterItem
SymbolItem
TextFrame
You can reference page items through the PageItems property in a Document, Layer, or Group. When you
access an individual item in one of these collections, the reference a page item of one of a particular type.
For example, if you use PageItems to reference a graph item, the typename value of that object is
GraphItem.
PageItems properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. Number of elements in the collection.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
PageItems methods
Method
Returns What it does
Index
(itemPtr as PageItem)
Long
Returns the index position of the
object within the collection.
Item
(itemKey)
Object
Returns an object reference to the
object identified by itemKey
(name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing Deletes all objects in this
collection.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Getting references to external files
Before running this script, open a document that contains one or more linked images.
'Gets the file references of all placed and raster items,
'then displays them in a new document
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Dim fileReferences(9)
Set sourceDocument = appRef.ActiveDocument
index = 0
For Each artItem In sourceDocument.PageItems
Select Case TypeName(artItem)
Case "PlacedItem"
fileReferences(index) = artItem.File
index = index + 1
Case "RasterItem"
If (Not artItem.Embedded) Then
fileReferences(index) = artItem.File
index = index + 1
End If
End Select
If index = 10 Then
Exit For
End If
Next
'Write the file references to a new document
Set reportDocument = appRef.Documents.Add
Set fileNameText = reportDocument.TextFrames.Add
fileNameText.Position = Array(50, 520)
fileNameText.Contents = "File references in " &_
sourceDocument.Name & ":"
For counter = 0 To (index - 1)
Set fileNameText = reportDocument.TextFrames.Add
fileNameText.Position = Array(65, 500 - 20 * counter)
fileNameText.Contents = fileReferences(counter)
Next
Getting page items of particular types
'Sets all placed or raster page items to hidden
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
For Each artItem In appRef.ActiveDocument.PageItems
If (TypeName(artItem) = "PlacedItem" Or _
TypeName(artItem) = "RasterItem") Then
artItem.Hidden = True
End If
Next
PageItems
126
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Paper
Paper
A container for information objects about the paper to be used for printing.
Paper properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Name
String
The paper name.
PaperInfo
PaperInfo
The paper information.
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CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PaperInfo
PaperInfo
Contains information about the dimensions and imageable area of the paper to be used for printing.
PaperInfo properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
CustomPaper
Boolean
If true, a custom paper is being used.
Height
Double
The paper’s height in points.
ImageableArea
Array of 4 Doubles
The imageable area.
Width
Double
The paper’s width in points.
Using Paper and PaperInfo objects
'Creates a new document then displays the paper list of the first printer in a text
frame
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
'Add a new document with some simple artwork
'(Must be a printable artwork for use with Printer object.)
Set docRef = appRef.Documents.Add()
Set textRef = docRef.TextFrames.Add()
textRef.Top = 750
textRef.Left = 50
curPrinterList = appRef.PrinterList
If UBound(curPrinterList) < 1 Then
'exit
sText = "Empty PrinterList"
paragraphCount = 1
Else
'Get paper objects for first printer
Set printerRef = curPrinterList(1)
sText = printerRef.Name
sText = sText & " paper list:" & vbCrLf
'Display data about available paper types
paragraphCount = 2
paperSizeArray = printerRef.PrinterInfo.PaperSizes
If IsEmpty (paperSizeArray) Then
sText = sText & vbCrLf
paragraphCount = paragraphCount + 1
Else
For i = 0 To UBound(paperSizeArray) - 1
Set paperRef = paperSizeArray(i)
sText = sText & paperRef.Name & vbCrLf
sText = sText & vbTab & paperRef.PaperInfo.Width
sText = sText & " x " & paperRef.PaperInfo.Height & vbCrLf
128
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
paragraphCount = paragraphCount + 2
Next
End If
End If
textRef.Contents = sText
appRef.Redraw
}
PaperInfo
129
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
ParagraphAttributes
130
ParagraphAttributes
Specifies the properties and attributes of a paragraph contained in a text frame.
NOTE: Paragraph attributes do not have default values, and are undefined until explicitly set.
ParagraphAttributes properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application
object.
AutoLeadingAmount
Double
Auto leading amount (as a percentage).
BunriKinshi
Boolean
If true, BunriKinshi is enabled.
BurasagariType
AiBurasagariTypeEnum
The Burasagari type, which specifies
whether punctuation is allowed to fall
outside of the paragraph bounding
box (not available when Kinsoku Shori
is set to None).
DesiredGlyphScaling
Double
The desired glyph scaling, expressed as
a percentage of the default character
width. Range: 50.0 to 200.0; at 100.0,
the width of characters is not changed.
DesiredLetterSpacing
Double
Desired letter, spacing expressed as a
percentage of the default kerning or
tracking Range: -100.0 to 500.0; at 0, no
space is added between letters; at
100.0, an entire space width is added
between letters.
DesiredWordSpacing
Double
Desired word spacing, expressed as a
percentage of the default space for the
font. Range: 0.0 to 1000.0; at 100.00, no
space is added between words.
EveryLineComposer
Boolean
If true, the Every-line Composer is
enabled. If false, the Single-line
Composer is enabled.
FirstLineIndent
Double
First line left indent (in points).
HyphenateCapitalizedWords
Boolean
If true, hyphenation is enabled for
capitalized words.
Hyphenation
Boolean
If true, hyphenation is enabled for the
paragraph.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
ParagraphAttributes
131
Property
Value type
What it is
HyphenationPreference
Double
Hyphenation preference scale for
better spacing (0) or fewer hyphens (1).
Range: 0.0 to 1.0
HyphenationZone
Double
The distance (in points) from the right
edge of the paragraph that marks the
part of the line where hyphenation is
not allowed. Note: 0 allows all
hyphenation. Valid only when
EveryLineComposer is false.
Justification
AiJustification
Paragraph justification.
Kinsoku
String
The name of a Kinsoku Shori set (a set
of characters which cannot be used to
begin or end a line of Japanese text).
KinsokuOrder
AiKinsokuOrderEnum
The preferred Kinsoku order.
KurikaeshiMojiShori
Boolean
If true, Kurikaeshi Moji Shori is enabled
(controls how repeated characters are
handled in Japanese text).
LeadingType
AiAutoLeadingType
The type of auto leading.
LeftIndent
Double
The left indent (in points).
MaximumConsecutiveHyphens
Long
Maximum number of consecutive
hyphenated lines.
MaximumGlyphScaling
Double
Maximum glyph scaling, expressed as a
percentage of the default character
width. Range: 50.0 to 200.0; at 100.0,
the width of characters is not changed.
Note: Valid only for justified
paragraphs.
MaximumLetterSpacing
Double
Maximum letter spacing, expressed as
a percentage of the default kerning or
tracking Range: -100.0 to 500.0; at 0, no
space is added between letters; at
100.0, an entire space width is added
between letters. Note: Valid only for
justified paragraphs.
MaximumWordSpacing
Double
Maximum word spacing, expressed as a
percentage of the default space for the
font. Range: 0.0 to 1000.0; at 100.00, no
space is added between words.Note:
Valid only for justified paragraphs.
MinimumAfterHyphen
Long
Minimum number of characters after a
hyphen.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
ParagraphAttributes
132
Property
Value type
What it is
MinimumBeforeHyphen
Long
Minimum number of characters before
a hyphen.
MinimumGlyphScaling
Double
Minimum glyph scaling, expressed as a
percentage of the default character
width. Range: 50.0 to 200.0; at 100.0,
the width of characters is not changed.
Note: Valid only for justified
paragraphs.
MinimumHyphenatedWordSize
Long
Minimum number of characters for a
word to be hyphenated.
MinimumLetterSpacing
Double
Minimum letter spacing, expressed as a
percentage of the default kerning or
tracking Range: -100.0 to 500.0; at 0, no
space is added between letters; at
100.0, an entire space width is added
between letters. Note: Valid only for
justified paragraphs.
MinimumWordSpacing
Double
Minimum word spacing, expressed as a
percentage of the default space for the
font. Range: 0.0 to 1000.0; at 100.00, no
space is added between words.Note:
Valid only for justified paragraphs.
Mojikumi
String
The name of a predefined Mojikumi set
for Japanese text composition.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
RightIndent
Double
Right indent of margin expressed in
points.
RomanHanging
Boolean
If true, Roman hanging punctuation is
enabled.
SingleWordJustification
AiJustification
Single word justification.
SpaceAfter
Double
Spacing after paragraph (in points).
SpaceBefore
Double
Spacing before paragraph (in points).
TabStops
Array of TabStopInfo
Tab stop settings, as TabStopInfo
objects.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
ParagraphAttributes
Modifying paragraph attributes
'Creates a new document with an area text item
'containing 3 paragraphs then uses paragraph attributes
'to apply a different justification to each paragraph
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
'Create 3 new pararagraphs
Set docRef = appRef.Documents.Add()
Set pathRef = docRef.PathItems.Rectangle(600, 200, 200, 400)
Set textRef = docRef.TextFrames.AreaText(pathRef)
textRef.Paragraphs.Add ("Left justified paragraph.")
textRef.Paragraphs.Add ("Center justified paragraph.")
textRef.Paragraphs.Add ("Right justified paragraph.")
textRef.TextRange.CharacterAttributes.Size = 28
'Change the justification of each paragraph
'using the paragraph attributes object
textRef.Paragraphs(1).ParagraphAttributes.Justification = 1 'aiRight
textRef.Paragraphs(2).ParagraphAttributes.Justification = 2 'aiCenter
textRef.Paragraphs(3).ParagraphAttributes.Justification = 0 'aiLeft
133
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Paragraphs
134
Paragraphs
A collection of Paragraph objects.
Paragraphs properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. Number of elements in the collection.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
Paragraphs methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Add
(contents as String
[, relativeObject as TextFrame]
[, insertionLocation as AiElementPlacement])
TextRange
Adds a new paragraph with
specified contents at the
specified location in the
document. If location is not
specified, adds the
paragraph to the containing
text frame after the current
text selection or insertion
point.
AddBefore
(contents as String)
TextRange
Adds a new paragraph with
specified contents before the
current selection or insertion
point.
Index
(itemPtr as PageItem)
Long
Returns the index position of
the object within the
collection.
Item
(itemKey)
Object
Returns a reference to the
object identified by itemKey
(name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this
collection.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Counting paragraphs in a document
'Counts the number of paragraphs in the document and
'stores in numParagraphs
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
If appRef.Documents.Count > 0 Then
numParagraphs = 0
For Each curTextArt In appRef.ActiveDocument.TextFrames
Set curTextRange = curTextArt.TextRange
numParagraphs = numParagraphs + curTextRange.Paragraphs.Count
Next
End If
Paragraphs
135
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
ParagraphStyle
136
ParagraphStyle
Associates character and paragraph attributes with a style. The style object can be used to apply those
attributes to the text in a TextFrame object.
ParagraphStyle properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
CharacterAttributes
CharacterAttributes
Read-only. The character properties for the text
range.
Name
String
The ParagraphStyle’s name.
ParagraphAttributes
ParagraphAttributes
Read-only. The paragraph properties for the text
range.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
ParagraphStyle methods
Method
Returns
What it does
ApplyTo
(textFrame as TextFrame
[, clearingOverrides as Boolean])
Nothing
Applies the paragraph style to the text object.
Delete
()
Nothing
Deletes the object.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Creating and applying a paragraph style
'Creates 3 paragraphs with different attributes, creates
'a paragraph style and applies it to each paragraph
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
'Create 3 new pararagraphs
Set docRef = appRef.Documents.Add()
Set pathRef = docRef.PathItems.Rectangle(600, 200, 200, 400)
Set textRef = docRef.TextFrames.AreaText(pathRef)
textRef.Paragraphs.Add ("Left justified paragraph.")
textRef.Paragraphs.Add ("Center justified paragraph.")
textRef.Paragraphs.Add ("Right justified paragraph.")
textRef.TextRange.CharacterAttributes.Size = 28
'Change the justification of each paragraph
'using the paragraph attributes object
textRef.Paragraphs(1).ParagraphAttributes.Justification = 1 'aiRight
textRef.Paragraphs(2).ParagraphAttributes.Justification = 2 'aiCenter
textRef.Paragraphs(3).ParagraphAttributes.Justification = 0 'aiLeft
'Create a new paragraph style
Set paraStyle = docRef.ParagraphStyles.Add("LeftIndent")
'Add some paragraph attributes
paraStyle.ParagraphAttributes.Justification = 0 'aiLeft
paraStyle.ParagraphAttributes.FirstLineIndent = 10
For Each pg In textRef.Paragraphs
paraStyle.ApplyTo pg, True
Next
appRef.Redraw
ParagraphStyle
137
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
ParagraphStyles
ParagraphStyles
A collection of ParagraphStyle objects. See ParagraphStyle for an example.
ParagraphStyles properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. Number of elements in the collection.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
ParagraphStyles methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Add
(name as String)
ParagraphStyle
Creates a new ParagraphStyle object.
Index
(itemPtr as ParagraphStyle)
Long
Returns the index position of the object
within the collection.
Item
(itemKey)
ParagraphStyle
Returns an object reference to the object
identified by itemKey (name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this collection.
138
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PathItem
139
PathItem
Art items such as those created using the Line, Rectangle, or Pen Tools. A path consists of path points that
define its geometry. Path points are defined either as a PathPoint object or as an x-y page coordinate pair.
The PathItem class gives you complete access to paths in Illustrator.
PathItem properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Area
Double
Read-only. The area of this path in square points. If
the area is negative, the path is wound
counterclockwise. Self-intersecting paths can
contain sub-areas that cancel each other out, which
makes this value zero even though the path has
apparent area.
ArtworkKnockout
AiKnockoutState
Is this object used to create a knockout, and if so,
what kind.
BlendingMode
AiBlendModes
The mode used when compositing an object.
Clipping
Boolean
If true, this path is to be used as a clipping path
Closed
Boolean
If true, this path is closed
ControlBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The bounds of the object including
stroke width and controls.
Editable
Boolean
Read-only. If true, this path item is editable.
Evenodd
Boolean
If true, the even-odd rule is used to determine
insideness.
FillColor
Color info
The fill color of the path.
Filled
Boolean
If true, the path is filled.
FillOverprint
Boolean
If true, the art beneath a filled object are
overprinted.
GeometricBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The bounds of the object excluding
stroke width.
Guides
Boolean
If true, this path is a guide object.
Height
Double
The height of the path item, based on the
GeometricBounds.
Hidden
Boolean
If true, this path item is hidden.
IsIsolated
Boolean
If true, this object is isolated.
Layer
Layer
Read-only. The Layer to which this path item
belongs.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PathItem
140
Property
Value type
What it is
Left
Double
The position of the left side of the item (in points,
measured from the left side of the page).
Length
Double
Read-only. The length of this path (in points).
Locked
Boolean
If true, this path item is locked.
Name
String
The name of this path item.
Note
String
The note text assigned to the path
Opacity
Double
The opacity of the object. Range 0.0 to 100.0
Parent
object
Read-only. The object that contains this path item.
PathPoints
PathPoints
Read-only. The path points contained in this path
item.
Polarity
AiPolarityValues
The polarity of the path.
Position
Variant Array of
2 Doubles
The position (in points) of the top left corner of the
item in the format [x, y]. Does not include stroke
weight.
Resolution
Double
The resolution of the path in dots per inch.
Selected
Boolean
If true, this path item is selected.
SelectedPathPoints
PathPoints
Read-only. All of the selected path points in the path.
Sliced
Boolean
If true, this path item is sliced.
StrokeCap
AiStrokeCap
The type of line capping.
StrokeColor
Color info
The stroke color for the path.
Stroked
Boolean
If true, the path is stroked.
StrokeDashes
Variant Array of
Doubles
The lengths for dashes and gaps in dashed lines,
starting with the first dash length, followed by the
first gap length, and so on. Set to an empty list, [],
for a solid line.
StrokeDashOffset
Double
The default distance into the dash pattern at which
the pattern is started.
StrokeJoin
AiStrokeJoin
Type of joints for the path.
StrokeMiterLimit
Double
When a default stroke join is set to mitered, this
property specifies when the join will be converted to
beveled (squared-off ) by default. The default miter
limit of 4 means that when the length ofþthe point
reaches four times the stroke weight, the join
switches from a miter join to a bevel join. A value of
1 specifies a bevel join. Range: 1 to 500 Default: 4
StrokeOverprint
Boolean
If true, the art beneath a stroked object is
overprinted.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PathItem
141
Property
Value type
What it is
StrokeWidth
Double
The width of the stroke (in points).
Tags
Tags
Read-only. The tags contained in this path item.
Top
Double
The position of the top of the item (in points,
measured from the bottom of the page).
URL
String
The value of the Adobe URL tag assigned to this path
item.
VisibilityVariable
Variant
The Variable bound to this path item.
VisibleBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The visible bounds of the path item
including stroke width.
Width
Double
The width of the path item, based on the
GeometricBounds.
WrapInside
Boolean
If true, the text frame object is wrapped inside this
object.
WrapOffset
Double
The offset to use when wrapping text around this
object.
Wrapped
Boolean
If true, wrap text frame objects around this object
(text frame must be above the object).
ZOrderPosition
Long
Read-only. The position of this art item within the
stacking order of the group or layer (Parent) that
contains the art item.
PathItem methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Copy
()
Nothing
Copies the path item to the
clipboard; the associated
document must be the frontmost
document.
Cut
()
Nothing
Cuts the path item to the
clipboard; the associated
document must be the frontmost
document.
Delete
()
Nothing
Deletes the object.
Duplicate
([relativeObject as Object],
[insertionLocation as AiElementPlacement])
Object
Duplicates the art item, optionally
with the location and position for
the copy.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PathItem
142
Method
Returns
What it does
Move
(relativeObject as Object,
insertionLocation as AiElementPlacement)
Nothing
Moves the art item to a new
location and position.
Resize
(scaleX as Double,
scaleY as Double,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, changeLineWidths as Double]
[, scaleAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Scales the art item where scaleX
is the horizontal scaling factor
and scaleY is the vertical scaling
factor; 100.0 = 100%
Rotate
(angle as Double,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, rotateAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Rotates the art item relative to the
current rotation. The object is
rotated counter-clockwise if the
Angle value is positive, clockwise
if the value is negative.
SetEntirePath
(pathSpecification as Array of [x, y]
coordinate pairs)
Nothing
Sets the path using the specified
array of (x,y) coordinate pairs for
path points.
Transform
(transformationMatrix as Matrix,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, changeLineWidths as Double]
[, transformAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Transforms the art item by
applying a transformation matrix.
Translate
([deltaX as Double]
[, deltaY as Double]
[, transformObjects as Boolean]
[, transformFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, transformFillGradients as Boolean]
[, transformStrokePatterns as Boolean])
Nothing
Repositions the art item relative
to the current position, where
deltaX is the horizontal offset
and deltaY is the vertical offset.
ZOrder
(zOrderCmd as AiZOrderMethod)
Nothing
Arranges the art item’s position in
the stacking order of the group or
layer (Parent) of this object.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PathItem
143
Setting attributes of a path
'Sets the fill color and stroke width of the first path item
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set frontDocument = appRef.ActiveDocument
Set firstPath = frontDocument.PathItems(1)
firstPath.Filled = True
firstPath.fillColor = frontDocument.Swatches(10).Color
firstPath.Stroked = True
firstPath.StrokeWidth = 5
Setting a path consisting of straight lines
The SetEntirePath method provides an extremely efficient way to create paths that consist of straight
lines. This script illustrates the use of the method.
'Creates 10 lines in the document then adds them as a single path item.
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Dim lineList(10)
For index = 0 To 10
lineList(index) = Array(index * 10 + 50, (index - 5) ^ 2 * 5 + 50)
Next
Set frontDocument = appRef.ActiveDocument
Set newPath = frontDocument.PathItems.Add
newPath.SetEntirePath(lineList)
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PathItems
144
PathItems
A collection of PathItem objects. The methods Ellipse, Polygon, Rectangle, RoundedRectangle, and
Star allow you to create complex PathItems using straightforward parameters. Note that Rectangle,
RoundedRectangle, and Ellipse take the Y axis first (Top), then the X axis (Left). If you do not provide any
parameters when calling these methods, default values are used.
PathItems properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. Number of elements in the collection.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
PathItems methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Add
()
PathItem
Creates a new PathItem object.
Ellipse
([top as Double]
[, left as Double]
[, width as Double]
[, height as Double]
[, reversed as Boolean]
[, inscribed as Boolean])
PathItem
Creates a new PathItem in the shape of an
ellipse using the supplied parameters. Defaults:
Top: 100 pt.; Left: 100 pt.; Width: 50 pt.;
Height: 100 pt.; Reversed: False
Index
(item as PathItem)
Long
Returns the index position of the object within
the collection.
Item
(itemKey)
PathItem
Returns an object reference to the object
identified by itemKey (name or index).
Polygon
([centerX as Double]
[, centerY as Double]
[, radius as Double]
[, sides as Long]
[, reversed as Boolean])
PathItem
Creates a new PathItem in the shape of a
polygon using the supplied parameters.
Defaults: CenterX: 200 pt.; CenterY: 300 pt.;
Radius: 50 pt.; Sides: 8; Reversed: false
Rectangle
([top as Double]
[, left as Double]
[, width as Double]
[, height as Double]
[, reversed as Boolean])
PathItem
Creates a new PathItem in the shape of a
rectangle using the supplied parameters.
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this collection.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Method
PathItems
Returns
RoundedRectangle
PathItem
([top as Double]
[, left as Double]
[, width as Double]
[, height as Double]
[, horizontalRadius as Double]
[, verticalRadius as Double]
[, reversed as Boolean])
Star
([centerX as Double]
[, centerY as Double]
[, radius as Double]
[, innerRadius as Double]
[, points as Long]
[, reversed as Boolean] )
PathItem
What it does
Creates a new PathItem in the shape of a
rectangle with rounded corners using the
supplied parameters. Defaults:
HorizontalRadius: 15 pt.; VerticalRadius:
20 pt.; Reversed: False
Creates a new PathItem in the shape of a star
using the supplied parameters. Defaults:
CenterX: 200 pt.; CenterY: 300 pt.; Radius: 50
pt.; InnerRadius: 20 pt.; Points: 5; Reversed:
False
Creating shapes
'Creates 5 new path items in the current document and
'applies a random graphic style to each item
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set frontDocument = appRef.Documents.Add()
'Create a new rectangle with
'top = 762.5, left side = 87.5, witdth = 425 and height = 75
Set newRectangle = frontDocument.PathItems.Rectangle(762.5,87.5,425.0,75.0)
'create new rounded rectangle
Set newRndRectangle =
frontDocument.PathItems.RoundedRectangle(637.5,87.5,425.0,75.0,20.0,10.0)
'create ellipse, 'reversed' is false, 'inscribed' is true
Set newEllipse = frontDocument.PathItems.Ellipse(512.5,87.5,425.0,75.0,false,true)
'create an 8 sided polygon
Set newOctagon = frontDocument.PathItems.Polygon(300.0,325.0,75.0,8)
'create a 4 pointed star
Set newStar = frontDocument.PathItems.Star(300.0,125.0,100.0,20.0,4)
For Each newItem in frontDocument.PathItems
Randomize
styleIndex = Int((frontDocument.GraphicStyles.Count) * Rnd + 1)
frontDocument.GraphicStyles(styleIndex).ApplyTo(newItem)
Next
145
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PathPoint
146
PathPoint
A point on a specific path. Each path point is made up of an anchor point and a pair of handles, or control
points.
PathPoint properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Anchor
Variant Array of
2 Doubles
The position of the anchor point.
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
LeftDirection
Variant Array of
2 Doubles
The position of this path point’s inward control point.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object that contains this PathPoint
object.
PointType
AiPointType
The type of path point, either a curve or a corner. Any
point can considered a corner point. Setting the type
to a corner forces the left and right direction points to
be on a straight line when the user attempts to modify
them in the user interface.
RightDirection
Variant Array of
2 Doubles
The position of this path point’s outward control
point.
Selected
AiPathPointSelection
Are points of this path point selected, and if so, which
ones.
PathPoint methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Delete
()
Nothing
Deletes the object.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PathPoint
147
Shaping a path item by modifying a path point
'Changes the left and right path point directions of
'all but the last path point of frontmost path item
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set firstPath = appRef.ActiveDocument.PathItems(1)
countOfPoints = firstPath.PathPoints.Count
'Go through all PathPoints except the last one and set the
'left/right direction according to where the next point is
For index = 1 To (countOfPoints - 1)
Set currentPoint = firstPath.PathPoints(index)
Set nextPoint = firstPath.PathPoints(index + 1)
currentAnchorList = currentPoint.Anchor
nextAnchorList = nextPoint.Anchor
deltax = nextAnchorList(0) - currentAnchorList(0)
deltay = currentAnchorList(1) - nextAnchorList(1)
length = Sqr(deltax ^ 2 + deltay ^ 2)
currentPoint.LeftDirection = Array(currentAnchorList(0) - (50 * deltax / length),
currentAnchorList(1) - (50 * deltay / length))
currentPoint.RightDirection = Array(currentAnchorList(0) + (50 * deltax / length),
currentAnchorList(1) + (50 * deltay / length))
Next
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PathPoints
148
PathPoints
A collection of PathPoint objects in a path.
PathPoints properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. Number of elements in the collection.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
PathPoints methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Add
()
PathPoint
Creates a new PathPoint object.
Index
(item as PathPoint)
Long
Returns the index position of the object within the collection.
Item
(itemKey)
PathPoint
Returns an object reference to the object identified by
itemKey (name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this collection.
Adding a new path point
'Creates a new path point in the first path item
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set firstPath = appRef.ActiveDocument.PathItems(1)
Set newPoint = firstPath.PathPoints.Add
newPoint.Anchor = Array(75, 300)
newPoint.LeftDirection = Array(10, 280)
newPoint.RightDirection = Array(165, 330)
newPoint.PointType = 2
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Pattern
Pattern
An Illustrator pattern definition contained in a document. Patterns are shown in the Swatches palette.
Each pattern is referenced by a PatternColor object, which defines the pattern’s appearance.
Pattern properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Name
String
The pattern name.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The document that contains this pattern.
Pattern methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Delete
()
Nothing
Deletes the object.
Setting a fill color to a pattern
'Sets the default fill to pattern 1
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set frontDocument = appRef.Documents(1)
Set patternColor = CreateObject("Illustrator.PatternColor")
For Each swatchRef In appRef.ActiveDocument.Swatches
' Get the color object of the swatch
Set swatchColor = swatchRef.Color
' Only operate on patterns
If (swatchColor.TypeName = "PatternColor") Then
frontDocument.DefaultFilled = true
frontDocument.DefaultFillColor = swatchColor
End If
Next
149
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PatternColor
150
PatternColor
A pattern color specification, used in conjunction with the Pattern property of the Color specification.
Pattern colors are created using a reference to an existing pattern in the document. A matrix may be
specified to further transform the pattern color.
PatternColor objects can be used in any property that takes a color info object, such as fillColor or
strokeColor.
PatternColor properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Matrix
Matrix
An additional transformation matrix to manipulate the
prototype pattern.
Pattern
Pattern
A reference to the pattern object to use in this color definition.
Reflect
Boolean
If true, the prototype is reflected before filling.
ReflectAngle
Double
The axis in degrees around which to reflect.
Rotation
Double
The angle in degrees to rotate the prototype pattern before
filling.
ScaleFactor
Variant Array of
2 Doubles
The fraction to which to scale the prototype pattern before
filling, represented as a point containing horizontal and vertical
scaling percentages
ShearAngle
Double
The angle in degrees by which to slant the shear.
ShearAxis
Double
The axis in degrees to shear relative to.
ShiftAngle
Double
The angle in degrees to translate the unscaled prototype
pattern before filling.
ShiftDistance
Double
The distance in points to which to translate the unscaled
prototype pattern before filling.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Modifying a pattern
'Rotates each pattern in the swatch list 10 degrees
'then applies it to the first path item.
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set colorOfPattern = CreateObject("Illustrator.PatternColor")
Set frontPath = appRef.ActiveDocument.PathItems(1)
For Each swatchRef In appRef.ActiveDocument.Swatches
'Get the color object of the swatch
Set swatchColor = swatchRef.Color
'Only operate on patterns
If (swatchColor.TypeName = "PatternColor") Then
swatchColor.Rotation = 10
frontPath.filled = true
frontPath.fillColor = swatchColor
End If
Next
PatternColor
151
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Patterns
Patterns
A collection of Pattern objects in a document.
Patterns properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. Number of elements in the collection.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
Patterns methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Add
()
Pattern
Creates a new Pattern object.
Index
(item as Pattern)
Long
Returns the index position of the object within the collection.
Item
(itemKey)
Pattern
Returns an object reference to the object identified by itemKey
(name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this collection.
Removing a pattern
'Deletes a pattern from the document
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
'Delete the pattern, then set the patternToRemove reference to
'nothing because it no longer references an existing Illustrator pattern
Set frontDocument = appRef.Documents(1)
Set patternToRemove = frontDocument.Patterns(1)
frontDocument.Patterns.Remove patternToRemove
152
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PDFFileOptions
153
PDFFileOptions
Options for opening Adobe PDF documents. This object is found in the PDFFileOptions property of the
Preferences class.
PDFFileOptions properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
PageToOpen
Long
Specifies which page are used when opening a multipage
document. Default: 1
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
PDFCropToBox
AiPDFBoxType Specifies which box are used when placing a multipage document.
Default: 4 ' AiPDFMediaBox
Opening a PDF file
'Opens a multi-page PDF file to a specific
'page using the PDFFileOptions object
'filePath contains the full name and file path of the file to open
Sub pdfFileOptions(filePath)
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
With appRef.Preferences.PDFFileOptions
.PageToOpen = 2
.PDFCropToBox = 5 'aiPDFBoundingBox
End With
Set docRef = appRef.Open(filePath, 1)
End Sub
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PDFSaveOptions
154
PDFSaveOptions
Options that can be supplied when saving a document as an Adobe PDF file with the document SaveAs
method.
PDFSaveOptions properties
Property
Value type
What it is
AcrobatLayers
Boolean
Optional. If true, create PDF layers
from top-level layers (Acrobat 6 only
option). Default: false
Application
Application
Optional. Read-only. The Illustrator
Application object.
ArtboardRange
string
Optional. This is considered for
multi-asset extraction, which
specifies the artboard range. An
empty string extracts all the
artboards. Default: empty string
BleedLink
Boolean
Optional. Link 4 bleed values.
Default: true
BleedOffsetRect
Variant Array of 4 Doubles
The bleed offset rectangle.
ColorBars
Boolean
Optional. Draw color bars.
Default: false
ColorCompression
AiCompressionQuality
Optional. Compression method for
color bitmap images.
Default: 1 ' aiNoCompression
ColorConversionID
AiColorConversion
Optional. The PDF color conversion
policy. Default:
0 ' aiColorConversionNone
ColorDestinationID
AiColorDestination
Optional. The conversion target for
color conversion. Default:
0 ' aiColorDestinationNone
ColorDownsampling
Double
Optional. if zero, no downsampling,
otherwise, the resolution to
downsample color bitmap images
to. Default: 150.0
ColorDownsamplingImageThreshold
Double
Optional. Downsample if the
image’s resolution is above this
value. Default: 225.0
ColorDownsamplingMethod
AiDownsampleMethod
Optional. Specifies how color
bitmap images are resampled.
Default: 0 ' aiNoDownsample
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PDFSaveOptions
155
Property
Value type
What it is
ColorProfileID
AiColorProfile
Optional. The color profile to
include.
Default: 0 ' aiColorProfileNone
ColorTileSize
Long
Optional. Tile size when
compressing with JPEG2000.
Default: 256
Compatibility
AiPDFCompatibility
Optional. The version of the
Acrobat® file format to create.
Default: 5 ' Acrobat5
CompressArt
Boolean
Optional. If true, line art and text
are compressed. Default: true
DocumentPassword
String
Optional. A password string to open
the document. Default: no string
EnableAccess
Boolean
Optional. If true, enable accessing
128-bit. Default: true
EnableCopy
Boolean
Optional. If true, enable copying of
text 128-bit. Default: true
EnableCopyAccess
Boolean
Optional. If true, enable copying
and accessing 40-bit. Default: true
EnablePlainText
Boolean
Optional. Enable plaintext metadata
128-bit; available only for Acrobat 6.
Default: false
FlattenerOptions
PrintFlattenerOptions
Optional. The printing flattener
options
FlattenerPreset
String
Optional. Transparency flattener
style name. Default: Custom
FontSubsetThreshold
Double
Optional. Include a subset of fonts
when less than this percentage of
characters are used. Range: 0.0 to
100.0. Default: 100.0
GenerateThumbnails
Boolean
Optional. If true, generate
thumbnails for the saved document.
Default: true
GrayscaleCompression
AiCompressionQuality
Optional. Specifies how grayscale
bitmap images are compressed.
Default: 1 ' aiNoCompression
GrayscaleDownsampling
Double
Optional. If zero, no downsampling,
otherwise, the resolution to
downsample grayscale images to.
Default: 150.0
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PDFSaveOptions
156
Property
Value type
What it is
GrayscaleDownsamplingImageThreshold
Double
Optional. Downsample if the
image’s resolution is above this
value. Default: 225.0
GrayscaleDownsamplingMethod
AiDownsampleMethod
Optional. How should grayscale
bitmap images be resampled.
Default: 0 ' aiNoDownsample
GrayscaleTileSize
Long
Optional. Tile size when
compressing with JPEG2000.
Default: 256
MonochromeCompression
AiMonochromeCompression
Optional. How should monochrome
bitmap images be compressed.
Default:
0 ' aiNoMonoCompression
MonochromeDownsampling
Double
Optional. The resolution to
downsample images to. If 0, no
downsampling. Default: 300.0
MonochromeDownsamplingImageThreshold
Double
Optional. Downsample if the
image’s resolution is above this
value. Default: 450
MonochromeDownsamplingMethod
AiDownsampleMethod
Optional. How monochrome
bitmap images are resampled.
Default: aiNoDownsample
Offset
Double
Optional. Offset from artwork to
draw printer marks. Default: 0
Optimization
Boolean
Optional. If true, saved PDF are
optimized for fast web viewing.
Default: false
OutputCondition
String
Optional. An optional comment to
add to the PDF file, describing the
intended printing condition.
Default: not included
OutputConditionID
String
Optional. The name of a registered
printing condition. Default: not
included
PageInformation
Boolean
Optional. If true, draw page
information. Default: false
PageMarksType
AiPageMarksStyle
Optional. The page marks style.
Default: aiPageMarksStandard
PDFAllowPrinting
AiPDFPrintAllowedEnum
Optional. PDF security printing
permission. Default:
3 ' aiPrint128HighResolution
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PDFSaveOptions
Property
Value type
What it is
PDFChangesAllowed
AiPDFChangesAllowedEnum
Optional. PDF security changes
allowed. Default: 5 '
157
Change128AnyChanges
PDFPreset
String
Optional. PDF preset name
PDFXStandard
AiPDFXStandard
Optional. The PDF standard with
which this document complies.
Default: 1 ' aiPDFXNone
PDFXStandardDescription
string
Optional. A description of the PDF
standard from the selected preset.
PermissionPassword
String
Optional. A password string to
restrict editing security settings.
Default: no string
PreserveEditability
Boolean
Optional. If true, preserve Illustrator
editing capabilities when saving the
document. Default: true
PrinterResolution
Double
Optional. Flattening printer
resolution. Default: 800.0
RegistrationMarks
Boolean
Optional. Draw registration marks.
Default: false
RequireDocumentPassword
Boolean
Optional. If true, a password are
required to open the document.
Default: false
RequirePermissionPassword
Boolean
Optional. If true, a password are
used to restrict editing security
settings. Default: false
Trapped
Boolean
Optional. If true, manual trapping
has been prepared for the
document.
Default: false
TrimMarks
Boolean
Optional. If true, draw trim marks.
Default: false
TrimMarkWeight
AiPDFTrimMarkWeight
Optional. Trim mark weight. Default:
1 ' aiTrimMarkWeight0125
ViewAfterSaving
Boolean
Optional. If true, view PDF after
saving. Default: false
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Saving to PDF
This script illustrates how to save the frontmost document as PDF.
'Saves current document as PDF to dest
'dest contains the full path and file name to save to
Sub exportFileAsPDF (dest)
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set saveOptions = CreateObject("Illustrator.PDFSaveOptions")
saveOptions.ColorCompression = 6 'aiJPEGHigh
saveOptions.Compatibility = 5 'aiAcrobat5
Set frontDocument = appRef.ActiveDocument
Call frontDocument.SaveAs (dest, saveOptions)
End Sub
PDFSaveOptions
158
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PhotoshopFileOptions
159
PhotoshopFileOptions
Options applied when opening or placing an Adobe Photoshop file.
PhotoshopFileOptions properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
LayerComp
String
The name of the layer composition to use when
the document is converted.
Parent
Object
Read only. This object’s parent object.
PreserveHiddenLayers
Boolean
If true, preserve hidden layers when the
document is converted. Default: false
PreserveImageMaps
Boolean
If true, the image maps are preserved when the
document is converted. Default: true
PreserveLayers
Boolean
If true, layers are preserved when the document
is converted. Default: true
PreserveSlices
Boolean
If true, slices are preserved when the document
is converted. Default: true
Opening a Photoshop document
'Opens a PSD file and retains its layers
'using the PhotoshopFileOptions object
'dest contains the full path and file name of the file to open
Sub photoShopFileOptions(dest)
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
With appRef.Preferences.PhotoshopFileOptions
PreserveLayers = True
PixelAspectRatioCorrection = False
End With
Set docRef = appRef.Open(dest, 1)
End Sub
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PlacedItem
160
PlacedItem
An artwork item placed in a document as a linked file. For example, an artwork item created using the File
> Place command in Illustrator or by using the Add method of the PlacedItems collection object. For
information, see “PlacedItems” on page 164.
PlacedItem properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
ArtworkKnockout
AiKnockoutState
Indicates whether this object is used to create a
knockout, and if so, what kind.
BlendingMode
AiBlendModes
The mode used when compositing an object.
BoundingBox
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. Dimensions of the object, regardless of
transformations.
ContentVariable
Variable
The Variable bound to this object.
It is not necessary to set the type of the
ContentVariable before binding. Illustrator
automatically sets the type to be the same as the object
to which it is bound.
ControlBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The bounds of the object, including stroke
width and controls.
Editable
Boolean
Read-only. If true, this object is editable.
File
String
The file containing the placed object.
GeometricBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The bounds of the object, excluding stroke
width.
Height
Double
The height of the object, based on GeometricBounds.
Hidden
Boolean
If true, this object is hidden.
IsIsolated
Boolean
If true, this object is isolated.
Layer
Layer
Read-only. The layer to which this object belongs.
Left
Double
The position of the left side of the item (in points,
measured from the left side of the page).
Locked
Boolean
If true, this object is locked
Matrix
Matrix
The transformation matrix applied to the object.
Name
String
The name of this object.
Note
String
The note assigned to this object.
Opacity
Double
The opacity of the object. Range: 0.0 to 100.0
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PlacedItem
161
Property
Value type
What it is
Parent
object
Read-only. The object that contains this object.
Position
Variant Array of
2 Doubles
The position (in points) of the top left corner of the item
in the format [x, y]. Does not include stroke weight.
Selected
Boolean
If true, this object is selected.
Sliced
Boolean
If true, this object is sliced.
Tags
Tags
Read-only. The tags contained in this object.
Top
Double
The position of the top of the item (in points, measured
from the bottom of the page).
URL
String
The value of the Adobe URL tag assigned to this object.
VisibilityVariable
Variable
The Variable bound to this object.
VisibleBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The visible bounds of the object, including
stroke width.
Width
Double
The width of the object, based on GeometricBounds.
WrapInside
Boolean
If true, the text frame object are wrapped inside this
object.
WrapOffset
Double
The offset to use when wrapping text around this
object.
Wrapped
Boolean
If true, the text frame objects are wrapped around this
object (text frame must be above the object).
ZOrderPosition
Long
Read-only. The position of this art item within the
stacking order of the group or layer (Parent) that
contains the art item.
PlacedItem methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Copy
()
Nothing
Copies the item to the clipboard;
the associated document must be
the frontmost document.
Cut
()
Nothing
Cuts the item to the clipboard; the
associated document must be the
frontmost document.
Delete
()
Nothing
Deletes the object.
Duplicate
([relativeObject as Object],
[insertionLocation as AiElementPlacement])
Object
Duplicates the art item, optionally
with the location and position for
the copy.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PlacedItem
162
Method
Returns
What it does
Embed
()
Nothing
Embeds this art in the document.
Converts the art to art item
objects as needed and deletes
this object.
Relink
(linkFile as String)
Nothing
Relinks the art object with the file
that defines its content.
Resize
(scaleX as Double,
scaleY as Double,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, changeLineWidths as Double]
[, scaleAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Scales the art item where scaleX
is the horizontal scaling factor
and scaleY is the vertical scaling
factor; 100.0 = 100%
Rotate
(angle as Double,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, rotateAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Rotates the art item relative to the
current rotation. The object is
rotated counter-clockwise if the
Angle value is positive, clockwise
if the value is negative.
Transform
(transformationMatrix as Matrix,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, changeLineWidths as Double]
[, transformAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Transforms the art item by
applying a transformation matrix.
Translate
([deltaX as Double]
[, deltaY as Double]
[, transformObjects as Boolean]
[, transformFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, transformFillGradients as Boolean]
[, transformStrokePatterns as Boolean])
Nothing
Repositions the art item relative
to the current position, where
deltaX is the horizontal offset
and deltaY is the vertical offset.
ZOrder
(zOrderCmd as AiZOrderMethod)
Nothing
Arranges the art item’s position in
the stacking order of the group or
layer (Parent) of this object.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Changing the selection in placed items
This script illustrates how to change the selection of PlacedItems.
'Toggles selection of all placed items in the document
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
For Each placedArt In appRef.ActiveDocument.PlacedItems
placedArt.Selected = Not (placedArt.Selected)
Next
PlacedItem
163
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PlacedItems
164
PlacedItems
A collection of placed art items. See “PlacedItem” on page 160 for an example of use.
PlacedItems properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. Number of elements in the collection.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The object’s document container.
PlacedItems methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Add
()
PlacedItem
Creates a new PlacedItem object. Use to place new art in a
document. Use the file property of the resulting object to
link the file containing the artwork. For information, see
“PlacedItem” on page 160.
Index
(item as PlacedItem)
Long
Returns the index position of the object within the
collection.
Item
(itemKey)
PlacedItem
Returns an object reference to the object identified by
itemKey (name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this collection.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PluginItem
165
PluginItem
An art item created by an Illustrator plug-in such as the blend tool. Scripts can create a plug-in item using
PlacedItem.trace or RasterItem.trace, and can copy existing plug-in items using the duplicate
method, or copy and paste them, but cannot create PluginItem objects directly.
PluginItem properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
ArtworkKnockout
AiKnockoutState
Is this object used to create a knockout, and if so, what
kind.
BlendingMode
AiBlendModes
The mode used when compositing an object.
ControlBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The bounds of the object including stroke
width and controls.
Editable
Boolean
Read-only. If true, this item is editable.
GeometricBound
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The bounds of the object excluding stroke
width.
Height
Double
The height of the item, based on GeometricBounds.
Hidden
Boolean
If true, this item is hidden.
IsIsolated
Boolean
If true, this object is isolated.
IsTracing
Boolean
Read-only. If true, this plug-in group represents a
vector art item created by tracing a raster art item. The
tracing property contains the tracing object
associated with the options used to create it.
Layer
Layer
Read-only. The layer this item belongs to.
Left
Double
The position of the left side of the item (in points,
measured from the left side of the page).
Locked
Boolean
If true, this item is locked
Name
String
The name of this item.
Note
String
The note assigned to this PluginItem.
Opacity
Double
The opacity of the object. Range: 0.0 to 100.0
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object that contains this item.
Position
Variant Array of
2 Doubles
The position (in points) of the top left corner of the item
in the format [x, y]. Does not include stroke weight.
Selected
Boolean
If true, this item is selected.
Sliced
Boolean
If true, this item is sliced.
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PluginItem
166
Property
Value type
What it is
Tags
Tags
Read-only. The tags contained in this item.
Top
Double
The position of the top of the item (in points, measured
from the bottom of the page).
Tracing
TracingObject
Read-only. When this plug-in group was created by
tracing (IsTracing is true), the tracing object
associated with the options used to create it.
URL
String
The value of the Adobe URL tag assigned to this item.
VisibilityVariable
Variable
The Variable bound to this item.
VisibleBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The visible bounds of the item including
stroke width.
Width
Double
The width of the item, based on GeometricBounds.
WrapInside
Boolean
If true, the text frame object are wrapped inside this
object.
WrapOffset
Double
The offset to use when wrapping text around this
object.
Wrapped
Boolean
If true, the text frame objects are wrapped around this
object (text frame must be above the object).
ZOrderPosition
Long
Read-only. The position of this art item within the
stacking order of the group or layer (Parent) that
contains the art item.
PluginItem methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Copy
()
Nothing
Copies the item to the
clipboard; the associated
document must be the
frontmost document.
Cut
()
Nothing
Cuts the item to the
clipboard; the associated
document must be the
frontmost document.
Delete
()
Nothing
Deletes the object.
Duplicate
([relativeObject as Object],
[insertionLocation as AiElementPlacement])
Object
Duplicates the art item,
optionally with the location
and position for the copy.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PluginItem
167
Method
Returns
What it does
Move
(relativeObject as Object,
insertionLocation as AiElementPlacement)
Nothing
Moves the art item to a new
location and position.
Resize
(scaleX as Double,
scaleY as Double,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, changeLineWidths as Double]
[, scaleAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Rotate
(angle as Double,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, rotateAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Rotates the art item relative to
the current rotation. The
object is rotated
counter-clockwise if the
Angle value is positive,
clockwise if the value is
negative.
Trace
()
PluginItem
Converts the raster art for this
object to vector art, using
default options. Reorders the
placed art into the source art
of a plug-in group, and
converts it into a group of
filled and/or stroked paths
that resemble the original
image.
Scales the art item where
scaleX is the horizontal
scaling factor and scaleY is
the vertical scaling factor;
100.0 = 100%
Creates and returns a
PluginItem object that
references a TracingObject
object.
Transform
(transformationMatrix as Matrix,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, changeLineWidths as Double]
[, transformAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Transforms the art item by
applying a transformation
matrix.
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PluginItem
168
Method
Returns
What it does
Translate
([deltaX as Double]
[, deltaY as Double]
[, transformObjects as Boolean]
[, transformFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, transformFillGradients as Boolean]
[, transformStrokePatterns as Boolean])
Nothing
Repositions the art item
relative to the current
position, where deltaX is the
horizontal offset and deltaY
is the vertical offset.
ZOrder
(zOrderCmd as AiZOrderMethod)
Nothing
Arranges the art item’s
position in the stacking order
of the group or layer (Parent)
of this object.
Copying a plug-in item
This example demonstrates how to create a new PluginItem by copying an existing PluginItem.
'Copies and pastes the first plugin item in the current
'document
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set frontDocument = appRef.ActiveDocument
If (frontDocument.PluginItems.Count > 0) Then
Set pluginArt = frontDocument.PluginItems(1)
pluginArt.Copy
frontDocument.Paste
Else
MsgBox "There is no plug-in art in the front document"
End If
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PluginItems
PluginItems
A collection of PluginItem objects in a document.
PluginItems properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. Number of elements in the collection.
Parent
Layer or GroupItem
Read-only. The object’s container.
PluginItems methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Index
(item as PluginItem)
Long
Returns the index position of the object within the
collection.
Item
(itemKey)
PluginItem
Returns an object reference to the object identified by
itemKey (name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this collection.
169
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PPDFile
PPDFile
Associates file information with a PostScript Printer Description (PPD) file.
PPDFile properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Name
String
The PPD model name.
PPDInfo
PPDFileInfo
The PPD file information.
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CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PPDFileInfo
PPDFileInfo
Information about a PostScript Printer Description (PPD) file.
PPDFileInfo properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
LanguageLevel
String
The PostScript language level.
File
File
Path specification for the PPD file.
ScreenList
Variant
List of color separation screens.
ScreenSpotFunctionList
Variant
List of color separation screen spot functions.
Using a PPD file
'Displays the name, postscript level and path data contained in
'each PPD file in a text frame
Set
Set
x =
y =
appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
docRef = appRef.Documents.Add()
30
docRef.Height - 30
For Each ppd In appRef.PPDFileList
' get data for each PPD
sPPD = ppd.Name & vbCrLf
sPPD = sPPD & vbTab & "PS Level "
sPPD = sPPD & ppd.PPDInfo.LanguageLevel & vbCrLf
sPPD = sPPD & vbTab & "Path: "
sPPD = sPPD & ppd.PPDInfo.File & vbCrLf
' display data with a textFrame
Set textRef = docRef.TextFrames.Add()
textRef.TextRange.CharacterAttributes.Size = 8
textRef.Contents = sPPD
textRef.Top = y
textRef.Left = x
appRef.Redraw
y = y - textRef.Height
Next
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Preferences
172
Preferences
Specifies the preferred options for AutoCAD, FreeHand, PDF, and Photoshop files.
Preferences properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application
object.
AutoCADFileOptions
AutoCADFileOptions
Read-only. Options to use when opening or
placing an AutoCAD file.
FreeHandFileOptions
FreeHandFileOptions
Read-only. Options to use when opening or
placing a FreeHand file.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
PDFFileOptions
PDFFileOptions
Read-only. Options to use when opening or
placing a PDF file.
PhotoshopFileOptions
PhotoshopFileOptions
Read-only. Options to use when opening or
placing a Photoshop file.
Preferences methods
Method
Returns
What it does
GetBooleanPreference
(key as String)
Boolean
Gets the boolean value of a given application preference.
GetIntegerPreference
(key as String)
Integer
Gets the integer value of a given application preference.
GetRealPreference
(key as String)
Double
Gets the real-number value of a given application preference.
GetStringPreference
(key as String)
String
Gets the string value of a given application preference.
RemovePreference
(key as String)
Nothing
Deletes a given application preference.
SetBooleanPreference
(key as String,
value as Boolean
Nothing
Sets the boolean value of a given application preference.
SetIntegerPreference
(key as String,
value as Integer)
Nothing
Sets the integer value of a given application preference.
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Preferences
173
Method
Returns
What it does
SetRealPreference
(key as String,
value as Double)
Nothing
Sets the real-number value of a given application preference.
SetStringPreference
(key as String,
value as String)
Nothing
Sets the string value of a given application preference.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PrintColorManagementOptions
PrintColorManagementOptions
Contains information used for color management of the document.
PrintColorManagementOptions properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
ColorProfileMode
AiPrintColorProfile
The color management profile mode. Default: 1 '
aiSourceProfile
Intent
AiPrintColorIntent
The color management intent type. Default: 2 '
aiRelativeColorimetric
Name
String
The color management profile name.
Managing colors for printing
'Creates a new document with a path item,
'creates a PrintColorManagementOptions object and assigns it
'to a PrintOptions object, then prints with each color intent
'create a simple path item and apply a graphic style to it
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set docRef = appRef.Documents.Add
Set pathItem = docRef.PathItems.Rectangle(600, 200, 200, 200)
docRef.GraphicStyles(2).ApplyTo pathItem
Set colorOptions = CreateObject("Illustrator.PrintColorManagementOptions")
Set printOptionsRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.PrintOptions")
printOptionsRef.ColorManagementOptions = colorOptions
colorOptions.Name = "ColorMatch RGB"
'Print the current document once for each color intent.
colorOptions.Intent = 3 'aiAbsoluteColorimetric
docRef.print
colorOptions.Intent = 0 'aiPerceptualIntent
docRef.print
colorOptions.Intent = 2 'aiRelativeColorimetric
docRef.print
colorOptions.Intent = 1 'aiSaturationIntent
docRef.print
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CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PrintColorSeparationOptions
PrintColorSeparationOptions
Information about the color separations to be used in printing the document.
PrintColorSeparationOptions properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application
object.
ColorSeparationMode
AiPrintColorSeparationMode
The color separation type.
Default: 0 ' aiComposite
ConvertSpotColors
Boolean
If true, spot colors are converted to
process colors. Default: false
InkList
Variant Array of Ink
The list of inks for color separation.
OverPrintBlack
Boolean
If true, overprint in black. Default: false
Managing print color separations
'Creates a new document, adds symbol items, create
'a PrintColorSeparationOptions object and
'print with various separation settings
'Create a new document and add some artwork
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set docRef = appRef.Documents.Add()
y = docRef.Height - 30
i = 1
Do While (i < 2)
Set symbolRef = docRef.Symbols(i)
Set itemRef = docRef.SymbolItems.Add(symbolRef)
itemRef.Top = y
itemRef.Left = 100
y = (y - (itemRef.Height + 10))
i = i + 1
Loop
appRef.Redraw
'Create a separations object and assign it a
'PrintOptions object
Set printOpts = CreateObject("Illustrator.printOptions")
Set separationOpts = CreateObject("Illustrator.PrintColorSeparationOptions")
printOpts.ColorSeparationOptions = separationOpts
'Print with various separation options
separationOpts.ConvertSpotColors = True
separationOpts.OverPrintBlack = True
separationOpts.ColorSeparationMode = 0 'aiComposite
docRef.PrintOut printOpts
separationOpts.ColorSeparationMode = 2 'aiInRIPSeparation
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docRef.PrintOut printOpts
separationOpts.ConvertSpotColors = False
separationOpts.OverPrintBlack = False
separationOpts.ColorSeparationMode = 1 'aiHostBasedSeparation
docRef.PrintOut printOpts
PrintColorSeparationOptions
176
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PrintCoordinateOptions
177
PrintCoordinateOptions
Information about the media and associated printing parameters.
PrintCoordinateOptions properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Emulsion
Boolean
If true, flip artwork will be flipped horizontally.
Default: false
FitToPage
Boolean
Whether to proportionally scale the artwork to fit on
media. Default: false
HorizontalScale
Double
The horizontal scaling factor expressed as a percentage
(100 = 100%) Range: 1.0 to 10000.0. Default: 100.0
Orientation
AiPrintOrientation The artwork orientation. Default: 0 ' aiPortrait
Position
AiPrintPosition
The artwork position on media. Default: 5 '
aiTranslateCenter
Tiling
AiPrintTiling
The page tiling mode.
Default: 0 ' aiTileSingleFullPage
VerticalScale
Double
The vertical scaling factor expressed as a percentage
(100 = 100%) Range: 1.0 to 10000.0. Default: 100.0
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PrintCoordinateOptions
Managing print coordinates
'Creates a new document with text extending off the page
'and print it with various Coordinate Options
'Create a TextFrame that extends off the page
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set docRef = appRef.Documents.Add()
Set textRef = docRef.TextFrames.Add()
textRef.Contents = "This should extend off the page"
textRef.Left = -50
textRef.Top = 600
textRef.Width = docRef.Width + 100
textRef.Height = 150
appRef.Redraw
'Print the item using various settings of the
'PrintCoordinateOptions object
Set coordinateOptions = CreateObject("Illustrator.PrintCoordinateOptions")
Set printOptions = CreateObject("Illustrator.printOptions")
printOptions.coordinateOptions = coordinateOptions
coordinateOptions.Emulsion = True
' reverse from right to left
coordinateOptions.FitToPage = True ' fit artwork to page size
coordinateOptions.Orientation = 1 'aiLandscape
docRef.PrintOut printOptions
coordinateOptions.Emulsion = False
coordinateOptions.Orientation = 0 'aiPortrait
coordinateOptions.HorizontalScale = 50
coordinateOptions.VerticalScale = 50
docRef.PrintOut printOptions
178
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Printer
179
Printer
Associates an available printer with printer information. To request a list of printers, you must first have a
document open or an error is returned.
Printer properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Name
String
The printer name
PrinterInfo
PrinterInfo
The printer information
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PrinterInfo
180
PrinterInfo
Contains all configuration information about a printer.
PrinterInfo properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application
object.
BinaryPrintingSupport
Boolean
If true, the printer supports binary printing.
ColorSupport
AiPrinterColorMode
The printer color capability.
CustomPaperSupport
Boolean
If true, the printer supports custom paper
sizes.
CustomPaperTransverse-Sup
port
Boolean
If true, the printer supports custom paper
transverse.
DeviceResolution
Double
The printer default resolution.
InRIPSeparationSupport
Boolean
If true, the printer supports InRIP color
separation.
MaxDeviceResolution
Double
The printer maximum device resolution.
MaxPaperHeight
Double
Custom paper’s maximum height.
MaxPaperHeightOffset
Double
Custom paper’s maximum height offset.
MaxPaperWidth
Double
Custom paper’s maximum width.
MaxPaperWidthOffset
Double
Custom paper’s maximum width offset.
MinPaperHeight
Double
Custom paper’s minimum height.
MinPaperHeightOffset
Double
Custom paper’s minimum height offset.
MinPaperWidth
Double
Custom paper’s minimum width.
MinPaperWidthOffset
Double
Custom paper’s minimum width offset.
PaperSizes
Variant Array of
Paper
The list of supported paper sizes.
PostScriptLevel
AiPrinterPostScript The PostScript language level.
LevelEnum
PrinterType
AiPrinterTypeEnum
The printer type.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PrinterInfo
Finding printers
'Uses the PrinterList to obtain the name
'of each printer and displays it in a text frame
noFailure = True
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set docRef = appRef.Documents.Add()
Set textRef = docRef.TextFrames.Add()
textRef.Top = docRef.Height - 50
textRef.Left = 50
sData = "Printers:"
For Each printerRef In appRef.PrinterList
sData = sData & vbCrLf & printerRef.Name
Next
textRef.Contents = sData
appRef.Redraw
Finding printer information
'Creates a document with a text frame then
'loops through the printer list, showing info on
'each printer using the PrintInfo attribute
'create a new document
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set docRef = appRef.Documents.Add()
'add title text frame
Set textRef1 = docRef.TextFrames.Add()
textRef1.Contents = "Checking Printers..."
textRef1.Top = 600
textRef1.Left = 200
appRef.Redraw
'for each printer, list the PS support and InHostRip support
For Each printerRef In appRef.PrinterList
sPrintInfo = sPrintInfo & printerRef.Name & vbCrLf
sPrintInfo = sPrintInfo & vbTab & "PS Level = "
sPrintInfo = sPrintInfo & CStr(printerRef.PrinterInfo.PostScriptLevel)_
& vbCrLf
sPrintInfo = sPrintInfo & vbTab & "Device Resolution = "
sPrintInfo = sPrintInfo & CStr(printerRef.PrinterInfo.DeviceResolution)_
& vbCrLf
sPrintInfo = sPrintInfo & vbTab & "InRIPSeparation Support = "
sPrintInfo = sPrintInfo & CStr(printerRef.PrinterInfo.InRIPSeparationSupport) &
vbCrLf
Next
textRef1.Contents = sPrintInfo
appRef.Redraw
181
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PrintFlattenerOptions
PrintFlattenerOptions
Contains flattening options for use when Illustrator outputs artwork that contains transparency into a
non-native format.
PrintFlattenerOptions properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
ClipComplexRegions
Boolean
If true, clip complex regions. Default: false
ConvertStrokesToOutlines
Boolean
If true, convert all strokes to outlines. Default:
false
ConvertTextToOutlines
Boolean
If true, convert all text to outlines. Default:
false
FlatteningBalance
Double
The flattening balance. Range: 0.0 to 100.0.
Default: 100.0
GradientResolution
Long
The gradient resolution in dots per inch (dpi).
Range: 1.0 to 9600.0. Default: 300.0
Overprint
AiPDFOverprint
Whether to preserve, discard, or simulate
overprinting. Default: 1 '
aiPreservePDFOverprint
RasterizationResolution
Double
The rasterization resolution in dots per inch
(dpi). Range: 1.0 to 9600.0. Default: 300.0
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CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Setting print flattening
'Creates a document, adds a rectangle
'with a graphic style applied, then
'prints the document with "low" and "high"
'flattener settings
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set docRef = appRef.Documents.Add()
Set itemRef = docRef.PathItems.Rectangle(600, 200, 200, 200)
docRef.GraphicStyles(2).ApplyTo itemRef
'Create a PrintFlattenerOptions object and
'assign it to a PrintOptions object.
Set flatOpts = CreateObject("Illustrator.PrintFlattenerOptions")
Set printOpts = CreateObject("Illustrator.printOptions")
printOpts.FlattenerOptions = flatOpts
'print faster with low resolution
flatOpts.ClipComplexRegions = True
flatOpts.GradientResolution = 30
flatOpts.RasterizationResolution = 30
docRef.PrintOut printOpts
'print slower with higher resolution
flatOpts.ClipComplexRegions = False
flatOpts.GradientResolution = 300
flatOpts.RasterizationResolution = 300
docRef.PrintOut printOpts
PrintFlattenerOptions
183
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PrintFontOptions
184
PrintFontOptions
Contains information about font downloading and substitution for the fonts used for printing a document.
PrintFontOptions properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
DownloadFonts
AiPrintFontDownloadMode
The font download mode.
Default: 1 ' aiDownloadSubset
FontSubstitution
AiFontSubstitutionPolicy
The font substitution policy.
Default: 1 ' aiSubstituteOblique
Setting print font options
'Creates a new document with a text item,
'creates a new print font options object then
'prints with specified font options
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set docRef = appRef.Documents.Add()
Set textRef = docRef.TextFrames.Add()
textRef.Top = 600
textRef.Left = 50
textRef.Contents = "PrintFontOptions object"
'Create a PrintFontOptions object and
'assign it to a PrintOptions object.
Set fontOpts = CreateObject("Illustrator.PrintFontOptions")
Set printOpts = CreateObject("Illustrator.printOptions")
printOpts.FontOptions = fontOpts
fontOpts.DownloadFonts = 2 'aiDownloadComplete
fontOpts.FontSubstitution = 0 'aiSubstituteOblique
'print it
docRef.PrintOut printOpts
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PrintJobOptions
PrintJobOptions
Contains information about how a job is to be printed.
PrintJobOptions properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application
object.
ArtboardRange
String
The artboard range to be printed if
PrintAllArtboards is false. Default: 1-
BitmapResolution
Double
The bitmap resolution. Minimum 0.0.
Default: 0.0
Collate
Boolean
If true, collate print pages. Default: false
Copies
Long
The number of copies to print. Minimum: 1
Default: 1
Designation
AiPrintArtworkDesignation
The layers/objects to be printed.
Default: 0 ' aiVisiblePrintableLayers
File
String
The file to which to print.
Name
String
The print job name.
PrintAllArtboards
Boolean
Indicates whether to print all artboards.
Default: true
PrintArea
AiPrintingBounds
The printing bounds.
Default: 0 ' aiArtboardBounds
PrintAsBitmap
Boolean
If true, print as bitmap. Default: false
ReversePages
Boolean
If true, print pages in reverse order.
Default: false
Printing with job options
'Creates a new document containing text in visible,
'printable, non-visible and non-printable layers then
'prints document with different designations to demonstrate
'how each designation affects which layers are printed
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set docRef = appRef.Documents.Add()
'create a visible, printable item
Set textRef_1 = docRef.Layers(1).TextFrames.Add()
textRef_1.Contents = "Visible and Printable"
textRef_1.Top = 600
textRef_1.Left = 200
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CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
'create a visible, non-printable item
Set layerRef_2 = docRef.Layers.Add()
Set textRef_2 = layerRef_2.TextFrames.Add()
textRef_2.Contents = "Visible and Non-Printable"
textRef_2.Top = 500
textRef_2.Left = 250
layerRef_2.Printable = False
' create a non-visible item
Set layerRef_3 = docRef.Layers.Add()
Set textRef_3 = layerRef_3.TextFrames.Add()
textRef_3.Contents = "Non-Visible"
textRef_3.Top = 400
textRef_3.Left = 300
layerRef_3.Visible = False
appRef.Redraw
' Print with various jobOptions
Set jobOptionsRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.PrintJobOptions")
Set printOpts = CreateObject("Illustrator.printOptions")
printOpts.JobOptions = jobOptionsRef
jobOptionsRef.Designation = 2 'aiAllLayers
jobOptionsRef.ReversePages = True
docRef.PrintOut printOpts
jobOptionsRef.Designation = 1 'aiVisibleLayers
jobOptionsRef.ReversePages = False
jobOptionsRef.PrintAsBitmap = True
docRef.PrintOut printOpts
jobOptionsRef.Designation = 0 'aiVisiblePrintableLayers
jobOptionsRef.File = "C:\temp\printJobTest1.ps"
docRef.PrintOut printOpts
PrintJobOptions
186
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PrintOptions
187
PrintOptions
Collects all information about all printing options including flattening, color management, coordinates,
fonts, and paper. Used as an argument to the PrintOut method.
PrintOptions properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator
Application object.
ColorManagementOptions
PrintColorManagementOptions The printing color management
options.
ColorSeparationOptions
PrintColorSeparationOptions The printing color separation
options.
CoordinateOptions
PrintCoordinateOptions
The printing coordinate options.
FlattenerOptions
PrintFlattenerOptions
The printing flattener options.
FlattenerPreset
String
The transparency flattener preset
name.
FontOptions
PrintFontOptions
The printing font options.
JobOptions
PrintJobOptions
The printing job options.
PageMarksOptions
PrintPageMarksOptions
The printing page marks options.
PaperOptions
PrintPaperOptions
The paper options.
PostScriptOptions
PrintPostScriptOptions
The PostScript options for printing.
PPDName
String
The PPD name.
PrinterName
String
The printer name.
PrintPreset
String
The print style.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Setting print options
'Creates a new document and add some symbol items,
'creates a variety of print options and assign each
'to a PrintOptions object, then print the documennt
'with the combined PrintOptions object.
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set docRef = appRef.Documents.Add()
y = docRef.Height - 30
i = 1
Do While (i < 2)
Set symbolRef = docRef.Symbols(i)
Set itemRef = docRef.SymbolItems.Add(symbolRef)
itemRef.Top = y
itemRef.Left = 100
y = (y - (itemRef.Height + 10))
i = i + 1
Loop
appRef.Redraw
'create multiple options and assign to PrintOptions object
Set printOpts = CreateObject("Illustrator.printOptions")
Set colorOpts = CreateObject("Illustrator.PrintColorManagementOptions")
colorOpts.Name = "ColorMatch RGB"
colorOpts.Intent = 1 'aiSaturationIntent
printOpts.ColorManagementOptions = colorOpts
Set jobOpts = CreateObject("Illustrator.PrintJobOptions")
jobOpts.Designation = aiAllLayers
jobOpts.ReversePages = True
printOpts.JobOptions = jobOpts
Set coordinateOpts = CreateObject("Illustrator.PrintCoordinateOptions")
coordinateOpts.FitToPage = True
printOpts.coordinateOptions = coordinateOpts
Set flattenerOpts = CreateObject("Illustrator.PrintFlattenerOptions")
flattenerOpts.ClipComplexRegions = True
flattenerOpts.GradientResolution = 60
flattenerOpts.RasterizationResolution = 60
printOpts.FlattenerOptions = flattenerOpts
docRef.PrintOut printerOpts
PrintOptions
188
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PrintPageMarksOptions
189
PrintPageMarksOptions
The options for printing page marks.
PrintPageMarksOptions properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
BleedOffsetRect
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
The bleed offset rectangle.
ColorBars
Boolean
If true, enable color bars printing. Default: false
MarksOffsetRect
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
The page marks offset rectangle.
PageInfoMarks
Boolean
If true, enable page info marks printing. Default: false
PageMarksType
AiPageMarksStyle
The predefined page marks style name.
Default: 1 ' aiPageMarksRoman
RegistrationMarks
Boolean
If true, enable registration marks printing.
Default: false
TrimMarks
Boolean
If true, enable trim marks printing. Default: false
TrimMarksWeight
Double
Stroke weight of trim marks. Minimum: 0.0
Default: 0.125
Setting page mark options
'Creates a new document with a rectangle, creates a
'PrintPageMarksOptions object and assigns it
'to a PrintOptions object sets some attributes then prints
'create a simple path item for printing
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set docRef = appRef.Documents.Add
Set pathItem = docRef.PathItems.Rectangle(600, 200, 200, 200)
docRef.GraphicStyles(2).ApplyTo pathItem
'Create a PrintCoordinateOptions object and assign it
'to a PrintOptions object
Set pageMarksOpts = CreateObject("Illustrator.PrintPageMarksOptions")
pageMarksOpts.ColorBars = True
pageMarksOpts.PageInfoMarks = True
pageMarksOpts.RegistrationMarks = True
pageMarksOpts.TrimMarks = True
Set printerOpts = CreateObject("Illustrator.printOptions")
printerOpts.PageMarksOptions = pageMarksOpts
'print it
docRef.PrintOut printerOpts
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PrintPaperOptions
190
PrintPaperOptions
Contains information about the paper to be used in a print job.
PrintPaperOptions properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Height
Double
The custom height (in points) for using the custom paper.
Default: 0.0
Name
String
The paper’s name.
Offset
Double
Custom offset (in points) for using the custom paper. Default: 0.0
Transverse
Boolean
If true, transverse the artwork (rotate 90 degrees) on the custom
paper. Default: false
Width
Double
The custom width in points, for using the custom paper. Default: 0.0
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
PrintPostScriptOptions
191
PrintPostScriptOptions
Specifies the options to be used when printing to a PostScript printer.
PrintPostScriptOptions properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator
Application object.
BinaryPrinting
Boolean
If true, print in binary mode.
Default: false
CompatibleShading
Boolean
If true, use PostScript level 1
compatible gradient and gradient
mesh printing. Default: false
ForceContinuousTone Boolean
If true, force continuous tone.
Default: false
AiPostScriptImageCompressionTyp
e
The image compression type. Default:
NegativePrinting
Boolean
If true, print in negative mode.
Default: false
PostScriptLevel
AiPrinterPostScriptLevelEnum
The PostScript language level.
Default: 2 ' aiLevel2
ShadingResolution
Double
The shading resolution Range: 1.0 to
9600.0. Default: 300.0
ImageCompression
0 ' aiImageCompressionNone
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Setting PostScript options
'Creates a new document, adds text, creates
'a new PrintPostScriptOptions object then
'prints with several postscript levels
'Create a new document and add a TextFrame
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set docRef = appRef.Documents.Add()
Set textRef = docRef.TextFrames.Add()
textRef.Top = 600
textRef.Left = 50
textRef.Contents = "PrintPostScriptOptions object"
'Create a PrintPostScriptOptions object and
'assign it to a PrintOptions object.
Set psOpts = CreateObject("Illustrator.PrintPostScriptOptions")
Set printOpts = CreateObject("Illustrator.printOptions")
printOpts.PostScriptOptions = psOpts
'print with different PS levels
psOpts.PostScriptLevel = 2 'aiPSLevel2
docRef.PrintOut printOpts
psOpts.PostScriptLevel = 3 'aiPSLevel3
docRef.PrintOut printOpts
PrintPostScriptOptions
192
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
RasterEffectOptions
193
RasterEffectOptions
Specifies raster effects settings for the document. All properties are optional.
RasterEffectOptions properties
Property
Value type
What it is
AntiAliasing
Boolean
If true, the image is anti-aliased. Default:
false
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
ClippingMask
Boolean
If true, a clipping mask should be created for
the image. Default: false
ColorModel
AiRasterizationColorModel
The color model for the rasterization.
Default: aiDefaultColorModel
ConvertSpotColors
Boolean
If true, all spot colors are converted to process
colors for the image. Default: false
Padding
Double
The amount of white space (in points) to be
added around the object during rasterization.
Default: .0
Resolution
Double
The rasterization resolution in dots per inch
(dpi). Range: 72.0 to 2400.0. Default: 300.0
Transparency
Boolean
If true, the image should use transparency.
Default: false
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
RasterItem
194
RasterItem
A bitmap art item in a document. A script can create raster items from an external file, and can create new
raster items by copying and pasting or duplicating existing raster items.
RasterItem properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
ArtworkKnockout
AiKnockoutState
Is this object used to create a knockout, and if so,
what kind.
BitsPerChannel
Integer
Read-only. The number of bits per channel.
BlendingMode
AiBlendModes
The mode used when compositing an object.
BoundingBox
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Dimensions of item regardless of transformations.
Channels
Integer
Read-only. The number of channels.
Colorants
Array of Strings
Read-only. The colorants used in the raster art.
ColorizedGrayscale
Boolean
Read-only. If true, the raster art is a colorized
grayscale image.
ContentVariable
Variable
The Variable bound to this item. It is not necessary
to set the type before binding.
ControlBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The bounds of the object including stroke
width and controls.
Editable
Boolean
Read-only. If true, this item is editable.
Embedded
Boolean
If true, the Raster art can be embedded within the
illustration.
File
String
Read-only. The file containing the art.
GeometricBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The bounds of the object excluding stroke
width.
Height
Double
The height of the item, based on GeometricBounds.
Hidden
Boolean
If true, this item is hidden.
ImageColorSpace
AiImageColorSpace Read-only. The color space of the Raster image.
IsIsolated
Boolean
If true, this object is isolated.
Layer
Layer
Read-only. The layer this item belongs to.
Left
Double
The position of the left side of the item (in points,
measured from the left side of the page).
Locked
Boolean
If true, this item is locked
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
RasterItem
Property
Value type
What it is
Matrix
Matrix
The transformation matrix applied to the item.
Name
String
The name of this item.
Note
String
The note assigned to this object.
Opacity
Double
The opacity of the object. Range: 0.0 to 100.0
Overprint
Boolean
If true, the raster art overprints.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object that contains this item.
Position
Variant Array of
2 Doubles
The position (in points) of the top left corner of the
item in the format [x, y]. Does not include stroke
weight.
Selected
Boolean
If true, this item is selected.
Sliced
Boolean
If true, this item is sliced.
Status
AiRasterLinkState Read-only. The status of the linked image, if the
195
image is stored externally.
Tags
Tags object
Read-only. The tags contained in this item.
Top
Double
The position of the top of the item (in points,
measured from the bottom of the page).
Transparent
Boolean
Read-only. If true, the raster art is transparent.
URL
String
The value of the Adobe URL tag assigned to this item.
VisibilityVariable
Variable
The Variable bound to this item.
VisibleBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The visible bounds of the item including
stroke width.
Width
Double
The width of the item, based on GeometricBounds.
WrapInside
Boolean
If true, the text frame object are wrapped inside this
object.
WrapOffset
Double
The offset to use when wrapping text around this
object.
Wrapped
Boolean
If true, the text frame objects are wrapped around
this object (text frame must be above the object).
ZOrderPosition
Long
Read-only. The position of this art item within the
stacking order of the group or layer (Parent) that
contains the art item.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
RasterItem
196
RasterItem methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Colorize
(rasterColor as object)
Nothing
Colorizes the RasterItem with a
CMYK or RGB color.
Copy
()
Nothing
Copies the item to the clipboard;
the associated document must
be the frontmost document.
Cut
()
Nothing
Cuts the item to the clipboard;
the associated document must
be the frontmost document.
Delete
()
Nothing
Deletes the object.
Duplicate
([relativeObject as Object],
[insertionLocation as
AiElementPlacement])
Object
Duplicates the art item,
optionally with the location and
position for the copy.
Move
(relativeObject as Object,
insertionLocation as AiElementPlacement)
Nothing
Moves the art item to a new
location and position.
Resize
(scaleX as Double,
scaleY as Double,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, changeLineWidths as Double]
[, scaleAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Scales the art item where
scaleX is the horizontal scaling
factor and scaleY is the vertical
scaling factor; 100.0 = 100%
Rotate
(angle as Double,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, rotateAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Rotates the art item relative to
the current rotation. The object
is rotated counter-clockwise if
the Angle value is positive,
clockwise if the value is negative.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
RasterItem
197
Method
Returns
What it does
Trace
()
PluginItem
Converts the raster art for this
object to vector art, using
default options. Reorders the
raster art into the source art of a
plug-in group, and converts it
into a group of filled and/or
stroked paths that resemble the
original image.
Creates and returns a
PluginItem object that
references a TracingObject
object.
Transform
(transformationMatrix as Matrix,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, changeLineWidths as Double]
[, transformAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Transforms the art item by
applying a transformation
matrix.
Translate
([deltaX as Double]
[, deltaY as Double]
[, transformObjects as Boolean]
[, transformFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, transformFillGradients as Boolean]
[, transformStrokePatterns as Boolean])
Nothing
Repositions the art item relative
to the current position, where
deltaX is the horizontal offset
and deltaY is the vertical offset.
ZOrder
(zOrderCmd as AiZOrderMethod)
Nothing
Arranges the art item’s position
in the stacking order of the
group or layer (Parent) of this
object.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
RasterItems
RasterItems
A collection of RasterItem objects.
RasterItems properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. The number of elements in the collection.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
RasterItems methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Index
(item as RasterItem)
Long
Returns the index position of the object within the
collection.
Item
(itemKey)
RasterItem
Returns an object reference to the object identified by
itemKey (name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this collection.
Creating a raster item
'Creates a new raster item in a new document from a file
'jpgFilePath contains the full path and file name of the file
Sub rasterItemCreate(jpgFilePath)
Set app = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set myDoc = app.Documents.Add()
Set myPlacedItem = myDoc.PlacedItems.Add()
myPlacedItem.File = jpgFilePath
myPlacedItem.Embed()
End Sub
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CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Getting properties of raster items
'Extracts the color space type of the first raster item
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set rasterArt = appRef.ActiveDocument.RasterItems(1)
Select Case (rasterArt.ImageColorSpace)
Case 3 'aiImageCMYK
' "The first raster item is a CMYK raster item"
Case 2 'aiImageRGB
' "The first raster item is an RGB raster item"
Case 1 'aiImageGrayScale
' "The first raster item is a Grayscale raster item"
End Select
RasterItems
199
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
RasterizeOptions
200
RasterizeOptions
Specifies options that may be supplied when rasterizing artwork. All properties are optional.
RasterizeOptions properties
Property
Value type
What it is
AntiAliasingMethod
AiAntiAliasingMethod
The type of anti-aliasing method.
Default: aiArtOptimized
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application
object.
BackgroundBlack
Boolean
If true, the rasterization is done against a
black background (instead of white).
Default: false
ClippingMask
Boolean
If true, a clipping mask should be created
for the image. Default: false
ColorModel
AiRasterizationColorModel
The color model for the rasterization.
Default: aiDefaultColorModel
ConvertSpotColors
Boolean
If true, spot colors should be converted to
process colors for the image.
Default: false
ConvertTextToOutlines Boolean
If true, all text is converted to outlines
before rasterization. Default: false
IncludeLayers
Boolean
If true, the resulting image incorporates
layer attributes (like opacity and blend
mode). Default: false
Padding
Double
The amount of white space (in points) to
be added around the object during
rasterization. Default: .0
Resolution
Double
The rasterization resolution in dots per
inch (dpi). Range: 72.0 to 2400.0.
Default: 300.0
Transparency
Boolean
If true, the image should use
transparency. Default: false
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
RGBColor
201
RGBColor
An RGB color specification, used to apply an RGB color to a layer or art item.
If the color space of a document is RGB and you specify the color value for a page item in that document
using CMYK, Illustrator will translate the CMYK color specification into an RGB color specification. The same
thing happens if the document’s color space is CMYK and you specify colors using RGB. Since this
translation can lose information, you should specify colors using the class that matches the document’s
actual color space.
RGBColor properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Blue
Double
The blue color value. Range: 0.0 to 255.0
Green
Double
The green color value. Range: 0.0 to 255.0
Red
Double
The red color value. Range: 0.0 to 255.0
Setting RGB colors
This script sets the default fill color of the frontmost document to yellow using an RGB object. If the color
space of the frontmost document is CMYK, then Illustrator will regard the RGB fill color as a CMYK color
although it is specified using RGB.
'Creates a new RGB color then applies the color to the first path item
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set newFillColor = CreateObject("Illustrator.RGBColor")
Set frontPath = appRef.ActiveDocument.PathItems(1)
'Define the new color
newFillColor.Red = 255
newFillColor.Green = 255
newFillColor.Blue = 0
frontPath.Filled = True
frontPath.fillColor = newFillColor
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Screen
Screen
Associates a color separation screen with information to be used for printing.
Screen properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Name
String
The color separation screen.
ScreenInfo
ScreenInfo
The color separation screen information.
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CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
ScreenInfo
ScreenInfo
Contains information about the angle and frequency of the screen to be used for printing.
ScreenInfo properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Angle
Double
The screen’s angle in degrees.
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
DefaultScreen
Boolean
If true, it is the default screen.
Frequency
Double
The screen’s frequency.
Getting screen information
'Creates a document and displays screen data available
'for first PPD file, in a text frame
'Create a new document and add a TextFrame
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set docRef = appRef.Documents.Add()
Set textRef = docRef.TextFrames.Add()
textRef.Top = 600
textRef.Left = 50
textRef.Contents = "Screen Objects for 1st PPD File: " & vbCrLf
'Get the first PPD
ppdFileList = appRef.PPDFileList
If IsEmpty(ppdFileList) Then
sInfo = "Empty PPDFileList"
Else
Set ppdFile = ppdFileList(0)
sInfo = ppdFile.Name & vbCrLf
If IsEmpty(screenList) Then
sInfo = sInfo & "Empty ScreenList" & vbCrLf
Else
'Get info on the all screens from the 1st PPD
For Each screenRef In ppdFile.PPDInfo.ScreenList
sInfo = sInfo & screenRef.Name & vbCrLf
sInfo = sInfo & vbTab & "Angle = "
sInfo = sInfo & CStr(screenRef.ScreenInfo.Angle) & vbCrLf
sInfo = sInfo & vbTab & "Frequency = "
sInfo = sInfo & screenRef.ScreenInfo.Frequency & vbCrLf
Next
End If
End If
textRef.Contents = textRef.Contents & sInfo
appRef.Redraw
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CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
ScreenSpotFunction
204
ScreenSpotFunction
Contains information about the screen spot function including its definition in PostScript language code.
ScreenSpotFunction properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Name
String
The color separation screen spot function name.
SpotFunction
String
The spot function expressed in PostScript language
commands.
Getting screen spot information
'Creates a new document and displays ScreenSpot
'data available for first PPD file, in a text frame
'Create a new document and add a TextFrame
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set docRef = appRef.Documents.Add()
Set textRef = docRef.TextFrames.Add()
textRef.Top = 600
textRef.Left = 50
textRef.Contents = "ScreenSpotFunctions for 1st PPD:" & vbCrLf
'Get the first PPD
ppdFileList = appRef.PPDFileList
If IsEmpty(ppdFileList) Then
sInfo = "Empty PPDFileList"
Else
Set ppdRef = ppdFileList(0)
sInfo = ppdRef.Name & vbCrLf
If IsEmpty(screenSpotFunctionList) Then
sInfo = sInfo & "Empty ScreenSpotFunctionList" & vbCrLf
Else
'Get data on the all ScreenSpots from the 1st PPD
For Each screenSpot In ppdRef.PPDInfo.ScreenSpotFunctionList
sInfo = sInfo + screenSpot.Name & ": "
sInfo = sInfo + screenSpot.SpotFunction & vbCrLf
sInfo = sInfo & vbCrLf
Next
End If
End If
textRef.Contents = textRef.Contents + sInfo
appRef.Redraw
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Spot
205
Spot
A custom color definition contained in a SpotColor object.
If no properties are specified when creating a new spot, default values are provided. However, if specifying
the color, you must use the same color space as the document, either CMYK or RGB. Otherwise, an error
results. When created, the spot is added to the end of the swatches list in the Swatches palette.
Spot properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Color
Color info
The color information for this spot color.
ColorType
AiColorModel
The color model for this spot color.
Name
String
The spot color’s name.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The document that contains this spot color.
SpotKind
AiSpotColorKind
Read-only. The kind of the spot color (RGB, CMYK, or LAB).
This is the name of the color kind contained in the spot
object.
Spot methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Delete
()
Nothing
Deletes the object.
GetInternalColor
()
Color components
Gets the internal color of a spot.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Creating a new spot
'Creates and adds a new spot color to the current document
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
'Create the new spot
Set frontDocument = appRef.ActiveDocument
Set newSpot = frontDocument.Spots.Add
'Define the new color value
Set newColor = CreateObject("Illustrator.CMYKColor")
newColor.Cyan = 35
newColor.Magenta = 0
newColor.Yellow = 50
newColor.Black = 0
'Define a new SpotColor with an 80% tint
'of the new Spot's color. The spot color can then
'be applied to an art item like any other color.
newSpot.Name = "Pea-Green"
newSpot.ColorType = 2 'aiSpot
newSpot.Color = newColor
Set newSpotColor = CreateObject("Illustrator.SpotColor")
newSpotColor.Spot = newSpot
Spot
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CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
SpotColor
SpotColor
Color class used to apply the color value of a spot at a specified tint value.
SpotColor properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Spot
Spot
A reference to the Spot object that defines the color.
Tint
Double
The tint of the color. Range: 0.0 to 100.0
Applying a tint to a spot
Your frontmost document must already have a PathItem before you can run this script.
'Creates a new RGB color, creates a new spot color,
'sets the color of the spot to 80% of the new RGB color,
'then applies 50% of the spot color to the frontmost path item
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set newColor = CreateObject("Illustrator.RGBColor")
'Define the new color value
newColor.Red = 255
newColor.Green = 0
newColor.Blue = 0
'Create the new spot
Set frontDocument = appRef.ActiveDocument
Set newSpot = frontDocument.Spots.Add
'Define the new SpotColor as 80% of the specified RGB color
newSpot.Name = "Red spot color"
newSpot.Color = newColor
'Apply 50% of the spot color just created to the frontmost path item,
'by creating a SpotColor object, setting its properties,
'then applying that to a path item's fill color.
Set newSpotColor = CreateObject("Illustrator.SpotColor")
newSpotColor.Spot = newSpot
newSpotColor.Tint = 50
Set frontPath = frontDocument.PathItems(1)
frontPath.Filled = True
frontPath.FillColor = newSpotColor
207
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Spots
Spots
A collection of spot colors in a document.
Spots properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. Number of elements in the collection.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The object’s document container.
Spots methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Add
()
Spot
Creates a new Spot object.
Index
(item as Spot)
Spot
Returns the index position of the object within the collection.
Item
(itemKey)
Spot
Returns an object reference to the object identified by itemKey
(name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this collection.
Removing spots from a document
This script illustrates how to remove all spots defined in the frontmost document.
'Deletes all spots from the current document
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set docRef = appRef.ActiveDocument
spotCount = docRef.Spots.Count
If (spotCount > 0) Then
docRef.Spots.RemoveAll
End If
208
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Stories
Stories
A collection of Story objects. See Story for an example.
Stories properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. Number of elements in the collection.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The object’s document container.
Stories methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Index
(item as Story)
Long
Returns the index position of the object within the collection.
Item
(itemKey)
Story
Returns an object reference to the object identified by itemKey
(name or index).
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CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Story
210
Story
A contiguous block of text as specified by a text range. A story can contain one or more text frames; if there
is more than one, the multiple text frames are linked together to form a single story.
Story properties
Property
Value Type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Characters
Characters
Read-only. All of the characters in the story.
InsertionPoints
InsertionPoint
Read-only. All of the insertion points in this story.
Length
Long
Read-only. The number of characters in the story.
Lines
Lines
Read-only. All of the lines in this story.
Paragraphs
Paragraphs
Read-only. All of the paragraphs in this story.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
TextFrames
TextFrames
Read-only. The text frame items in this story.
TextRange
TextRange
Read-only. The text range of the story.
TextRanges
TextRanges
Read-only. All of the text ranges in the story.
TextSelection
Variant Array of TextRange
Read-only. The selected text ranges in the story.
Words
Words
Read-only. All of the words in the story.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Linking text frames into a story
'Creates a new document with 3 text frames, creates a
'story flowing through the first 2 text frames then
'creates another story fully contained in the 3rd text frame
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set docRef = appRef.Documents.Add()
'Create the first text frame
Set itemRef1 = docRef.PathItems.Rectangle(600, 200, 50, 30)
Set textRef1 = docRef.TextFrames.AreaText(itemRef1)
textRef1.Selected = True
'create the 2nd text frame and
'link it to the first
Set itemRef2 = docRef.PathItems.Rectangle(550, 300, 50, 200)
Set textRef2 = docRef.TextFrames.AreaText(itemRef2, aiHorizontal, textRef1)
textRef1.Contents = "This is two text frames linked together as one story"
textRef2.Selected = True
appRef.Redraw
'Create a 3rd text frame and count the stories
Set textRef3 = docRef.TextFrames.Add
textRef3.Contents = "Each unlinked textFrame adds a story."
textRef3.Top = 650
textRef3.Left = 200
appRef.Redraw
Story
211
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Swatch
212
Swatch
A color swatch definition contained in a document. The swatches correspond to the swatch palette in the
Illustrator user interface. Additional swatches can be created either manually by a user or by a script. The
swatch can hold all types of color data (that is, pattern, gradient, CMYK, RGB, gray, and spot).
Swatch properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Color
Color info
The color information for this swatch.
Name
String
The swatch’s name.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The document that contains this swatch.
Swatch methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Delete
()
Nothing
Deletes the object.
Changing the name of a swatch
This script illustrates how to change the name of the fifth swatch.
'Changes the name of a swatch
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set swatch5 = appRef.ActiveDocument.Swatches(5)
swatch5.Name = "myColor"
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Swatches
Swatches
A collection of swatch objects in a document.
Swatches properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. Number of elements in the collection.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The object’s document container.
Swatches methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Add
()
Swatch
Creates a new Swatch object.
GetSelected
()
List of Swatch
Gets selected swatches in the document.
Index
(item as Swatch)
Long
Returns the index position of the object within the
collection.
Item
(itemKey)
Swatch
Returns an object reference to the object identified by
itemKey (name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this collection.
Deleting a swatch
This script illustrates how to first obtain a swatch by index and then how to delete that swatch.
'Deletes a swatch from the current document
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set documentSwatches = appRef.ActiveDocument.Swatches
Set swatchToDelete = documentSwatches(5)
swatchToDelete.delete
213
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
SwatchGroup
SwatchGroup
A group of swatches.
SwatchGroup properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Name
String
The name of the swatch group.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The document that contains this symbol.
SwatchGroup methods
Method
Returns
What it does
AddSpot
(spot as Spot)
Nothing
Adds a spot swatch to the swatch group.
AddSwatch
(swatch as Swatch)
Nothing
Adds a swatch to the swatch group.
Delete
()
Nothing
Deletes a swatch group.
GetAllSwatches
()
List of Swatch
Gets a list of all swatches in the swatch group.
214
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
SwatchGroups
215
SwatchGroups
A collection of swatch group objects.
SwatchGroups properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. The number of objects in the collection.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The document that contains this object.
SwatchGroups methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Add
()
SwatchGroup
Creates a new swatch group.
Index
(item as SwatchGroup)
Long
Returns the index position of the object within the
collection.
Item
(itemKey)
SwatchGroup
Returns an object reference to the object identified by
itemKey (name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this collection.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Symbol
216
Symbol
An art item that is stored in the Symbols palette, and can be reused one or more times in the document
without duplicating the art data. Symbols are contained in documents. Instances of Symbol in a document
are associated with SymbolItem objects, which store the art object properties.
Symbol properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Name
String
The symbol’s name.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The document that contains this symbol.
Symbol methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Delete
()
Nothing
Deletes the object.
Duplicate
()
Object
Creates a duplicate of the object.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
SymbolItem
217
SymbolItem
An art item made reuseable by adding it to the Symbols palette. A SymbolItem is linked to the Symbol
from which it was created and changes if you modify the associated Symbol object.
SymbolItem properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
ArtworkKnockout
AiKnockoutState
Is this object used to create a knockout, and if so, what
kind.
BlendingMode
AiBlendModes
The mode used when compositing an object.
ControlBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The bounds of the object including stroke
width and controls.
Editable
Boolean
Read-only. If true, this item is editable.
GeometricBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The bounds of the object excluding stroke
width.
Height
Double
The height of the item, based on GeometricBounds.
Hidden
Boolean
If true, this item is hidden.
IsIsolated
Boolean
If true, this object is isolated.
Layer
Layer
Read-only. The layer this item belongs to.
Left
Double
The position of the left side of the item (in points,
measured from the left side of the page).
Locked
Boolean
If true, this item is locked
Name
String
The name of this item.
Note
String
The note assigned to this item.
Opacity
Double
The opacity of the object. Range: 0.0 to 100.0
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object that contains this item.
Position
Variant Array of
2 Doubles
The position (in points) of the top left corner of the
item in the format [x, y]. Does not include stroke
weight.
Selected
Boolean
If true, this item is selected.
Sliced
Boolean
If true, this item is sliced.
Symbol
Symbol
The symbol object to which this item is linked. You can
set this property to link it to a different symbol object.
Tags
Tags
Read-only. The tags contained in this item.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
SymbolItem
218
Property
Value type
What it is
Top
Double
The position of the top of the item (in points,
measured from the bottom of the page).
URL
String
The value of the Adobe URL tag assigned to this item.
VisibilityVariable
Variable
The Variable bound to this item.
VisibleBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The visible bounds of the item including
stroke width.
Width
Double
The width of the item, based on GeometricBounds.
WrapInside
Boolean
If true, the text frame object are wrapped inside this
object.
WrapOffset
Double
The offset to use when wrapping text around this
object.
Wrapped
Boolean
If true, the text frame objects are wrapped around
this object (text frame must be above the object).
ZOrderPosition
Long
Read-only. The position of this art item within the
stacking order of the group or layer (Parent) that
contains the art item.
SymbolItem methods
Method
Returns What it does
Copy
()
Nothing Copies the item to the clipboard; the
associated document must be the
frontmost document.
Cut
()
Nothing Cuts the item to the clipboard; the
associated document must be the
frontmost document.
Delete
()
Nothing Deletes the object.
Duplicate
([relativeObject as Object],
[insertionLocation as
AiElementPlacement])
Object
Move
(relativeObject as Object,
insertionLocation as
AiElementPlacement)
Nothing Moves the art item to a new location
and position.
Duplicates the art item, optionally
with the location and position for the
copy.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
SymbolItem
219
Method
Returns What it does
Resize
(scaleX as Double,
scaleY as Double,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, changeLineWidths as Double]
[, scaleAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing Scales the art item where scaleX is
the horizontal scaling factor and
scaleY is the vertical scaling factor;
100.0 = 100%
Rotate
(angle as Double,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, rotateAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing Rotates the art item relative to the
current rotation. The object is rotated
counter-clockwise if the Angle value
is positive, clockwise if the value is
negative.
Transform
(transformationMatrix as Matrix,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, changeLineWidths as Double]
[, transformAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing Transforms the art item by applying a
transformation matrix.
Translate
([deltaX as Double]
[, deltaY as Double]
[, transformObjects as Boolean]
[, transformFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, transformFillGradients as Boolean]
[, transformStrokePatterns as Boolean])
Nothing Repositions the art item relative to the
current position, where deltaX is the
horizontal offset and deltaY is the
vertical offset.
ZOrder
(zOrderCmd as AiZOrderMethod)
Nothing Arranges the art item’s position in the
stacking order of the group or layer
(Parent) of this object.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Getting symbol items for symbols
'Creates a document and adds every symbol item to it
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set docRef = appRef.Documents.Add()
y = docRef.Height - 30
x = 50
i = 1
Do While (i < (docRef.Symbols.Count + 1))
Set symbolRef = docRef.Symbols(i)
Set itemRef = docRef.SymbolItems.Add(symbolRef)
itemRef.Top = y
itemRef.Left = x
y = y - (itemRef.Height + 20)
If (y < 60) Then
y = docRef.Height - 30
x = x + 200
End If
i = i + 1
Loop
SymbolItem
220
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
SymbolItems
221
SymbolItems
A collection of SymbolItem objects in a document. See SymbolItem for example.
SymbolItems properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. Number of elements in the collection.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
SymbolItems methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Add
(symbol as Symbol)
SymbolItem
Creates a new SymbolItem object in the document linked
to the given symbol.
Index
(item as SymbolItem)
Long
Returns the index position of the object within the
collection.
Item
(itemKey)
SymbolItem
Returns an object reference to the object identified by
itemKey (name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this collection.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Symbols
222
Symbols
A collection of symbol objects in a document.
Symbols properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. Number of elements in the collection.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The object’s document container.
Symbols methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Add
(SourceArt as Object,
[RegistrationPoint as AiSymbolRegistrationPoint])
Symbol
Creates a new Symbol
object in the document
based on the art item.
The default registration
point is
aiSymbolCenterPoint.
Index
(item as Symbol)
Long
Returns the index
position of the object
within the collection.
Item
(itemKey)
Symbol
Returns an object
reference to the object
identified by itemKey
(name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this
collection.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Creating symbols
'Creates a path item to display each graphic style,
'then adds each item as a new symbol
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set docRef = appRef.Documents.Add()
y = docRef.Height - 30
iCount = docRef.GraphicStyles.Count
i = 1
Do While (i < (iCount + 1))
'create a PathItem and apply the style to it
Set styleRef = docRef.GraphicStyles(i)
Set itemRef = docRef.PathItems.Rectangle(y, 100, 20, 20)
styleRef.ApplyTo itemRef
'create a new symbol from the graphic style
docRef.Symbols.Add itemRef
y = (y - (itemRef.Height + 40)) ' reduce y for next item
i = i + 1
Loop
appRef.Redraw
Symbols
223
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
TabStopInfo
224
TabStopInfo
Information about the alignment, position, and other details for a tab stop in a ParagraphAttributes
object.
TabStopInfo properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Alignment
AiTabStopAlignment
The alignment of the tab stop. Default: 0 ' aiLeftTab
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
DecimalCharacter
String
The character used for decimal tab stops. Default: .
Leader
String
The leader dot.
Position
Double
The position of the tab stop expressed in points.
Default: 0.0
Getting tab stop information
'Iterates through each text frame and display
'data found about each tab stop, if any
'verify a document is open
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set docRef = appRef.ActiveDocument
For Each textRef In docRef.TextFrames
' check each TextFrame for paragraphs
For Each paraRef In textRef.Paragraphs
' check each paragraph for TabStops
For Each tabRef In paraRef.ParagraphAttributes.TabStops
sData = "TabStop Leader = " & tabRef.Leader & Chr(9)
sData = sData & "TabStop Position = " & CStr(tabRef.Position) & Chr(10)
Next
Next
Next
Set newTF = docRef.TextFrames.Add
newTF.Contents = sData
newTF.Top = 400
newTF.Left = 100
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Tag
225
Tag
A tag associated with a specific art item. Tags allow you to assign an unlimited number of key-value pairs
to any item in a document.
Tag properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Name
String
The Tag’s name.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object that contains this Tag.
Value
String
The data stored in this Tag.
Tag methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Delete
()
Nothing
Deletes the object.
Using tags
'Displays tag information of selected item in a text frame
'in a new document
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
newTagName = "OneWord"
selection = appRef.selection
If (Not IsEmpty(selection)) Then
'Get the first selected item
Set selectedArt = selection(0)
Set tagList = selectedArt.Tags
If tagList.Count = 0 Then
Set tempTag = tagList.add
tempTag.Name = newTagName
tempTag.Value = "anything you want"
End If
'Create a document and add a line of text per tag
Set reportDocument = appRef.Documents.Add
top_offset = 400
For Each tagItem In tagList
Set tagText = reportDocument.TextFrames.Add
tagText.Contents = "Tag " & Chr(13) & Chr (9) & tagItem.Name & Chr(13) & Chr(9) &
tagItem.Value & Chr(10)
tagText.Position = Array(100, top_offset)
top_offset = top_offset - 20
Next
End If
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Tags
226
Tags
A collection of Tag objects.
Tags properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. Number of elements in the collection.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
Tags methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Add
()
Tag
Creates a new Tag object.
Index
(item as Tag)
Long
Returns the index position of the object within the collection.
Item
(itemKey)
Tag
Returns an object reference to the object identified by itemKey (name
or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this collection.
Creating tags to mark images
This example illustrates how to mark all images in a document with a specific tag. If your script creates
temporary PageItems, you can then later look at the MyInfo tag. If it exist for a particular PageItem and its
value is OriginalItem, you know not to delete it.
'Creates name and value tags for each placed or raster
'item in the current document
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set frontDocument = appRef.ActiveDocument
For Each imageArt In frontDocument.PageItems
If ((imageArt.PageItemType = 6) Or _
(imageArt.PageItemType = 8)) Then
'Create a new Tag with the name myInfo and the value originalItem
Set tagRef = imageArt.Tags.Add
tagRef.Name = "MyInfo"
tagRef.Value = "OriginalItem"
End If
Next
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
TextFont
TextFont
Information about a font in the document, found in a CharacterAttributes object.
TextFont properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Family
String
Read-only. The font’s family name.
Name
String
Read-only. The font’s full name.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
Style
String
Read-only. The font’s style name.
Showing fonts in a document
'Creates a new A3 sized document and lists available
'fonts until the document is full.
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
myWidth = 1191.0
myHeight = 842.0
Set docRef = appRef.Documents.Add(, myWidth, myHeight)
edgeSpacing = 10
columnSpacing = 230
x = edgeSpacing
y = docRef.Height - edgeSpacing
iCounter = 0
For Each fontRef In appRef.TextFonts
'create the text frame
Set textRef = docRef.TextFrames.Add()
textRef.TextRange.CharacterAttributes.Size = 10
textRef.Contents = fontRef.Name + " " + fontRef.Style
textRef.Top = y
textRef.Left = x
' Check whether the new text frame has gone over the document bounds
if((x + textRef.Width) > docRef.Width) Then
' delete the text frame
textRef.Delete()
Exit For
Else
' keep the text frame
appRef.Redraw
textRef.TextRange.CharacterAttributes.TextFont =
appRef.TextFonts.Item(fontRef.Name)
y = y - textRef.Height
If (y < 20) Then
' reset y,x at bottom of page
y = docRef.Height - edgeSpacing
227
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
x = x + columnSpacing
End If
End If
iCounter = iCounter + 1
Next
TextFont
228
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
TextFonts
229
TextFonts
A collection of TextFont objects.
TextFonts properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. Number of elements in the collection.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
TextFonts methods
Method
Returns
Index
Long
(item as TextFont)
Item
(itemKey)
TextFont
What it does
Returns the index position of the object within the collection.
Returns an object reference to the object identified by itemKey
(name or index).
Finding a font
'Searches through the list of available fonts for the "Symbol" font
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
fontName = "Symbol"
foundTextFace = False
For Each fontToTest In appRef.TextFonts
If (fontToTest.Name = fontName) Then
foundTextFace = True
End If
Next
If (foundTextFace) Then
'fontName & " is installed on this machine"
Else
'fontName & " is not installed on this machine"
End If
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
TextFrame
230
TextFrame
The basic art item for displaying text. From the user interface, this is text created with the Text tool. There
are three types of text art in Illustrator: point text, path text, and area text. The type is indicated by the text
frame’s Kind property.
When you create a text frame, you also create a Story object. However, threading text frames combines the
frames into a single story object. To thread frames, use the NextFrame or PreviousFrame property.
TextFrame properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Variant Array of
2 Doubles
The position of the anchor point along the path
text.
Antialias
AiTextAntialias
The type of anti-aliasing to use in the text.
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
ArtworkKnockout
AiKnockoutState
Is this object used to create a knockout, and if so,
what kind.
BlendingMode
AiBlendModes
The mode used when compositing an object.
Characters
Characters
Read-only. All the characters in this text frame.
ColumnCount
Long
The column count in the text frame (area text
only).
ColumnGutter
Double
The column gutter in the text frame (area text
only).
Contents
String
The text contents of this text frame.
ContentVariable
Variable
The content variable bound to this text frame.
ControlBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The bounds of the object including
stroke width and controls.
Editable
Boolean
Read-only. If true, this item is editable.
EndTValue
Double
The end position of text along a path, as a value
relative to the path’s segments (path text only).
FlowsLinkHorizontally
Boolean
If true, text is first flowed horizontally between
linked frames.
GeometricBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The bounds of the object excluding
stroke width.
Height
Double
The height of the item, based on
GeometricBounds.
Hidden
Boolean
If true, this item is hidden.
Anchor
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
TextFrame
231
Property
Value type
What it is
InsertionPoints
InsertionPoints
Read-only. All the insertion points in this text
frame.
IsIsolated
Boolean
If true, this object is isolated.
Kind
AiTextType
Read-only. The type of text frame item.
Layer
Layer
Read-only. The layer this item belongs to.
Left
Double
The position of the left side of the item (in points,
measured from the left side of the page).
Lines
Lines
Read-only. All the lines in this text frame.
Locked
Boolean
If true, this item is locked.
Matrix
Matrix
Read-only. The transformation matrix for this text
frame.
Name
String
The name of this item.
Note
String
The note assigned to this item.
NextFrame
TextFrame
The linked frame following this one.
Opacity
Double
The opacity of the object. Range: 0.0 to 100.0
OpticalAlignment
Boolean
If true, the optical alignment is active.
Orientation
AiTextOrientation
The orientation of the text in the frame.
Paragraphs
Paragraphs
Read-only. All the paragraphs in this text frame.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object that contains this item.
Position
Variant Array of
2 Doubles
The position (in points) of the top left corner of
the item in the format [x, y]. Does not include
stroke weight.
PreviousFrame
TextFrame
The linked text frame preceding this one.
RowCount
Long
The row count in the text frame (area text only).
RowGutter
Double
The row gutter in the text frame (area text only).
Selected
Boolean
If true, this item is selected.
Sliced
Boolean
If true, this item is sliced.
Spacing
Double
The amount of spacing between characters that
flow around a sharp curve or acute angle in the
path. Note: Valid only when Kind is path.
StartTValue
Double
The start position of text along a path, as a value
relative to the path’s segments. Note: Valid only
when Kind is path.
Story
Story
Read-only. The story to which the text frame
belongs.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
TextFrame
232
Property
Value type
What it is
Tags
Tags
Read-only. The tags contained in this item.
TextPath
TextPath
Read-only. The path item associated with the
text frame. Note: Valid only when Kind is area or
path.
TextRange
TextRange
Read-only. The text range of the text frame.
TextRanges
TextRanges
Read-only. All the text in this text frame.
TextSelection
Variant Array of
TextRange
Read-only. The selected text (ranges) in the
TextFrame.
Top
Double
The position of the top of the item (in points,
measured from the bottom of the page).
URL
String
The value of the Adobe URL tag assigned to this
item.
VisibilityVariable
Variable
The Variable bound to this item.
VisibleBounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The visible bounds of the item
including stroke width.
Width
Double
The width of the item, based on
GeometricBounds.
Words
Words
Read-only. All the words in this text frame.
WrapInside
Boolean
If true, the text frame object are wrapped inside
this object.
WrapOffset
Double
The offset to use when wrapping text around this
object.
Wrapped
Boolean
If true, the text frame objects are wrapped
around this object (text frame must be above the
object).
ZOrderPosition
Long
Read-only. The position of this art item within the
stacking order of the group or layer (Parent) that
contains the art item.
TextFrame methods
Method
Returns
What it does
ConvertAreaObjectToPointObject
()
TextFrame
Converts the area-type text frame
to a point-type text frame.
ConvertPointObjectToAreaObject
()
TextFrame
Converts the point-type text
frame to an area-type text frame.
Copy
()
Nothing
Copies the current selection to
the clipboard.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
TextFrame
233
Cut
()
Nothing
Cuts the current selection to the
clipboard.
CreateOutline
()
GroupItem
Converts the frame’s text to
outlines.
Delete
()
Nothing
Deletes the object.
Duplicate
([relativeObject as Object]
[, insertionLocation as
AiElementPlacement])
Object
Duplicates the art item, optionally
specifying the location and
position for the copy.
Move
(relativeObject as Object,
insertionLocation as AiElementPlacement)
Nothing
Moves the art item, specifying the
new location and position.
Remove
()
Nothing
Deletes this object.
Resize
(scaleX as Double,
scaleY as Double,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, changeLineWidths as Double]
[, scaleAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Scales the art item where scaleX
is the horizontal scaling factor
and scaleY is the vertical scaling
factor; 100.0 = 100%
Rotate
(angle as Double,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, rotateAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Rotates the art item relative to the
current rotation. The object is
rotated counter-clockwise if the
Angle value is positive, clockwise
if the value is negative.
Transform
(transformationMatrix as Matrix,
[, changePositions as Boolean]
[, changeFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, changeFillGradients as Boolean]
[, changeStrokePattern as Boolean]
[, changeLineWidths as Double]
[, transformAbout as AiTransformation])
Nothing
Transforms the art item by
applying a transformation matrix.
Translate
([deltaX as Double]
[, deltaY as Double]
[, transformObjects as Boolean]
[, transformFillPatterns as Boolean]
[, transformFillGradients as Boolean]
[, transformStrokePatterns as Boolean])
Nothing
Repositions the art item relative
to the current position, where
deltaX is the horizontal offset
and deltaY is the vertical offset.
ZOrder
(zOrderCmd as AiZOrderMethod)
Nothing
Arranges the art item’s position in
the stacking order of the group or
layer (Parent) of this object.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Using text frames
'Duplicates and rotates the selected text art item 5 times
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
'First check the selection of the application
'It has to be a text art item in order for this script to run
selection = appRef.selection
Set frontDocument = appRef.ActiveDocument
Set sourceTextArt = selection(0)
'Get the parent of the text art so new text art items can be inserted
'in the same group or layer as the selected text art is in
Set textArtGroup = sourceTextArt.Parent.TextFrames
'Create 5 new versions of the text art each rotated a bit
For i = 1 To 5
Set newTextArt = textArtGroup.Add
newTextArt.Position = sourceTextArt.Position
newTextArt.Contents = sourceTextArt.Contents
newTextArt.Rotate 180 * i / 6
Next
TextFrame
234
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
TextFrames
235
TextFrames
A collection of TextFrame objects.
TextFrames properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. Number of elements in the collection.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
TextFrames methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Add
()
TextFrame
Creates a new point TextFrame object.
AreaText
(textPath as PathItem
[, orientation as AiTextOrientation]
[, baseFrame as TextFrame]
[, postFix as Boolean]) )
TextFrame
Creates a new area TextFrame object.
Index
(item as TextFrame)
Long
Returns the index position of the
object within the collection.
Item
(itemKey)
TextFrame
Returns an object reference to the
object identified by itemKey (name or
index).
PathText
(textPath as PathItem
[, startTValue as Double]
[, endTValue as Double]
[, orientation as AiTextOrientation]
[, baseFrame as TextFrame]
[, postFix as Boolean])
TextFrame
Creates an on-path text frame item.
PointText
TextFrame
(anchor as Array of 2 Doubles
[, orientation as AiTextOrientation])
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Creates a point text frame item.
Deletes all objects in this collection.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Adding three types of text frames
'Creates a document with 3 TextFrames (area, path, point),
'changes the contents of each TextFrame then deletes a text frame
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set docRef = appRef.Documents.Add()
'create 3 new textFrames (are, line, point)
'Area Text
Set rectRef = docRef.PathItems.Rectangle(700, 50, 100, 100)
Set areaTextRef = docRef.TextFrames.AreaText(rectRef)
areaTextRef.Contents = "TextFrame #1"
areaTextRef.Selected = True
'Line Text
Set lineRef = docRef.PathItems.Add()
lineRef.SetEntirePath (Array(Array(200, 700), Array(300, 550)))
Set pathTextRef = docRef.TextFrames.PathText(lineRef)
pathTextRef.Contents = "TextFrame #2"
pathTextRef.Selected = True
'Point Text
Set pointTextRef = docRef.TextFrames.Add()
pointTextRef.Contents = "TextFrame #3"
pointTextRef.Top = 700
pointTextRef.Left = 400
pointTextRef.Selected = True
appRef.Redraw
sText = "There are " & CStr(docRef.TextFrames.Count) & " TextFrames."
sText = sText & vbCrLf & "Changing contents of each TextFrame."
'change the content of each
areaTextRef.Contents = "Area TextFrame."
pathTextRef.Contents = "Path TextFrame."
pointTextRef.Contents = "Point TextFrame."
appRef.Redraw
docRef.TextFrames(2).Delete
appRef.Redraw
TextFrames
236
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
TextPath
237
TextPath
A path or list of paths for area or path text. A path consists of path points that define its geometry.
TextPath properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Area
Double
Read-only. The area of this path in square points. If the
area is negative, the path is wound counterclockwise.
Self-intersecting paths can contain sub-areas that
cancel each other out, which makes this value zero
even though the path has apparent area.
BlendingMode
AiBlendModes
The blend mode used when compositing an object.
Clipping
Boolean
If true, this path are used as a clipping path.
Closed
Boolean
If true, this path is closed.
Editable
Boolean
Read-only. If true, this item is editable.
Evenodd
Boolean
If true, the even-odd rule are used to determine
insideness.
FillColor
Color info
The fill color of the path.
Filled
Boolean
If true, the path be filled.
FillOverprint
Boolean
If true, the art beneath a filled object are overprinted.
Guides
Boolean
If true, this path is a guide object.
Height
Double
The height of the group item.
Left
Double
The position of the left side of the item (in points,
measured from the left side of the page).
Note
String
The note text assigned to the path.
Opacity
Double
The opacity of the object. Range: 0.0 to 100.0
Parent
Layer or
GroupItem
Read-only. The parent of this object.
PathPoints
PathPoints
Read-only. The path points contained in this path item.
Polarity
AiPolarityValues
The polarity of the path.
Position
Array of 2 Doubles
The position (in points) of the top left corner of the
item in the format [x, y]. Does not include stroke
weight.
Resolution
Double
The resolution of the path in dots per inch (dpi).
SelectedPathPoints
PathPoints
Read-only. All of the selected path points in the path.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
TextPath
238
Property
Value type
What it is
StrokeCap
AiStrokeCap
The type of line capping.
StrokeColor
Color info
The stroke color for the path.
Stroked
Boolean
If true, the path are stroked.
StrokeDashes
Object
The lengths for dashes and gaps in dashed lines,
starting with the first dash length, followed by the first
gap length, and so on. Set to an empty list, [], for a
solid line.
StrokeDashOffset
Double
The default distance into the dash pattern at which the
pattern are started.
StrokeJoin
AiStrokeJoin
Type of joints for the path.
StrokeMiterLimit
Double
When a default stroke join is set to mitered, this
property specifies when the join will be converted to
beveled (squared-off ) by default. The default miter
limit of 4 means that when the length ofþthe point
reaches four times the stroke weight, the join switches
from a miter join to a bevel join. A value of 1 specifies a
bevel join. Range: 1 to 500 Default: 4
StrokeOverprint
Boolean
If true, the art beneath a stroked object are
overprinted.
StrokeWidth
Double
Width of the stroke.
Top
Double
The position of the top of the item (in points, measured
from the bottom of the page).
Width
Double
The width of the item.
TextPath methods
Method
Returns
What it does
SetEntirePath
(pathPoints as Array of
[x, y] coordinate pairs)
Nothing
Sets the path using the array of points specified as [x, y]
coordinate pairs.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
TextRange
239
TextRange
A range of characters from a text item (story, text frame, character, word, line, paragraph, or another text
range).
TextRange properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application
object.
CharacterAttributes
CharacterAttributes
Read-only. The character properties for the
text range.
CharacterOffset
Long
Offset of the first character.
Characters
Characters
Read-only. All of the characters in the text
range.
CharacterStyles
CharacterStyles
Read-only. List of referenced character styles
in the text range.
Contents
String
The text string.
End
Int32
End index of the text range.
InsertionPoints
InsertionPoint
Read-only. All of the insertion points in this
text range.
Kerning
Long
The spacing between two characters, in
thousandths of an em.
Length
Long
The length (in characters). Minimum: 0
Lines
Lines
Read-only. All the lines in this text range.
ParagraphAttributes
ParagraphAttributes
Read-only. The paragraph properties.
Paragraphs
Paragraphs
Read-only. All of the paragraphs in this text
range.
ParagraphStyles
ParagraphStyles
Read-only. A list of referenced paragraph
styles in the text range.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
Start
Int32
Starts index of the text range.
Story
Story
Read-only. The story of the text range.
TextRanges
TextRanges
Read-only. All of the text in this text range.
TextSelection
Array of TextRange
Read-only. The selected text (ranges) in the
text range.
Words
Words
Read-only. All of the words in this text range.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
TextRange
240
TextRange methods
Method
Returns
What it does
ChangeCaseTo
(type as AiCaseChangeType)
Nothing
Changes the capitalization of
text.
Delete
()
Nothing
Deletes the object.
DeSelect
()
Nothing
Deselects the text range.
Duplicate
([relativeObject as Object],
[insertionLocation as AiElementPlacement])
TextRange
Duplicates the art item,
optionally specifying the
location and position for the
copy.
GetLocalCharOverridesJSON
()
String
Gets the json representation of
character overrides.
GetLocalParaOverrides
()
String
Gets the json representation of
paragraph overrides.
GetParagraphLength
()
Int32
Gets the length of the first
paragraph of the text range.
GetTextRunLength
()
Int32
Gets the length of the first text
run of the text range.
Move
(relativeObject as Object,
insertionLocation as AiElementPlacement)
Nothing
Moves the art item to the new
location and position.
Select
([addToDocument as Boolean])
Nothing
Selects the text range. If
addToDocument is true, adds
this to the current selection;
otherwise replaces the current
selection.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Using a text range
'Increases the font size of the first 2 characters of each
'word in the current document
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
For Each textArt In appRef.ActiveDocument.TextFrames
Set textArtRange = textArt.TextRange
For Each textWord In textArtRange.Words
'If word is longer than 2 characters
'resize just the first 2 characters
'otherwise, resize the whole word
wordLen = Len(textWord.Contents)
If (wordLen < 2) Then
charsToChange = wordLen
Else
charsToChange = 2
End If
'resize the word
If (charsToChange > 0) Then
'Omit 1st arg to go from the beginning to
'character number charsToChange-1 (First character is index 0)
Dim i
For i = 1 To charsToChange
Set firstChars = textWord.Characters(i)
firstChars.CharacterAttributes.Size =_
firstChars.CharacterAttributes.Size * 1.5
Next
End If
Next
Next
TextRange
241
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
TextRanges
242
TextRanges
A collection of TextRange objects.
TextRanges properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. Number of elements in the collection.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The object’s document container.
TextRanges methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Index
(item as TextRange)
Long
Returns the index position of the object within the collection.
Item
(itemKey)
TextRange
Returns an object reference to the object identified by
itemKey (name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this collection.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
TracingObject
243
TracingObject
A tracing object, which associates a source raster art item with a vector art plug-in group created by
tracing. Scripts can initiate tracing using PlacedItem.Trace or RasterItem.Trace. The resulting
PluginItem object represents the vector art group, and has this object in its Tracing property.
A script can force the tracing operation by calling the application’s Redraw method. The operation is
asynchronous, so a script should call Redraw after creating the tracing object, but before accessing its
properties or expanding the tracing to convert it to an art item group.
The read-only properties that describe the tracing result have valid values only after the first tracing
operation completes. A value of 0 indicates that the operation has not yet been completed.
TracingObject properties
Property
Value type
What it is
AnchorCount
Long
Read-only. The number of anchors in the tracing result.
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
AreaCount
Long
Read-only. The number of areas in the tracing result.
ImageResolution
Real
Read-only. The resolution of the source image in pixels per
inch.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
PathCount
Long
Read-only. The number of paths in the tracing result.
SourceArt
PlacedItem or
RasterItem
Read-only. The raster art used to create the associated
vector-art plug-in group.
TracingOptions
TracingOptions
The options used to convert the raster artwork to vector art.
UsedColorCount
Long
Read-only. The number of colors used in the tracing result.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
TracingObject
244
TracingObject methods
Method
Returns
What it does
ExpandTracing
([viewed As Boolean])
GroupItem
Converts the vector art into a new group item. The new
GroupItem object replaces the PluginItem object in
the document. By default, viewed is false, and the
new group contains only the tracing result (the filled or
stroked paths). If viewed is true, the new group retains
additional information that was specified for the
viewing mode, such as outlines and overlays.
Deletes this object and its associated PluginItem
object. Any group-level attributes that were applied to
the plug-in item are applied to the top level of the new
group item.
ReleaseTracing
()
PlacedItem or
RasterItem
Reverts the artwork in the document to the original
source raster art and removes the traced vector art.
Returns the original object used to create the tracing,
and deletes this object and its associated PluginItem
object.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
TracingOptions
245
TracingOptions
A set of options used in converting raster art to vector art by tracing.
TracingOptions properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
CornerAngle
Double
The sharpness, in degrees of a turn in the original
image that is considered a corner in the tracing
result path. Range: 0 to 180
Fills
Boolean
If true, trace with fills. At least one of Fills or
Strokes must be true.
IgnoreWhite
Boolean
If true, ignores white fill color.
LivePaintOutput
boolean
If true, result is LivePaint art. If false, it is classic art.
NOTE: A script should set this value only in
preparation for a subsequent expand operation.
Leaving a tracing on the artboard when this property
is true can lead to unexpected application behavior.
MaxColors
Long
The maximum number of colors allowed for
automatic palette generation. Used only if
TracingMode is color or grayscale. Range: 2 to 256
MaxStrokeWeight
Double
The maximum stroke weight in points, when
Strokes is true. Range: 0.01 to 100.0
MinArea
Long
The smallest feature, in square pixels, that is traced.
For example, if it is 4, a feature of 2 pixels wide by 2
pixels high is traced.
MinStrokeLength
Double
The minimum length in pixels of features in the
original image that can be stroked, when Strokes is
true. Smaller features are omitted. Range: 0.0 to
200.0 Default: 20.0
OutputToSwatches
Boolean
If true, named colors (swatches) are generated for
each new color created by the tracing result. Used
only if TracingMode is 0 (aiTracingModeColor) or 1
(aiTracingModeGray).
Palette
String
The name of a color palette to use for tracing. If the
empty string, use the automatic palette. Used only if
TracingMode is 0 (aiTracingModeColor) or 1
(aiTracingModeGray).
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
TracingOptions
246
Property
Value type
What it is
PathFitting
Double
The distance between the traced shape and the
original pixel shape. Lower values create a tighter
path fitting. Higher values create a looser path
fitting. Range: 0.0 to 10.0
PreprocessBlur
Double
The amount of blur used during preprocessing, in
pixels. Blurring helps reduce small artifacts and
smooth jagged edges in the tracing result.
Range: 0.0 to 2.0
Preset
String
Read-only. The name of a preset file containing these
options.
Resample
Boolean
If true, resample when tracing. (This setting is not
captured in a preset file.)
Always true when the raster source art is placed or
linked.
ResampleResolution
Double
The resolution to use when resampling in pixels per
inch (ppi). Lower resolution increases the speed of
the tracing operation. (This setting is not captured in
a preset file.)
Strokes
Boolean
If true, trace with strokes. At least one of Fills or
Strokes must be true. Used only if TracingMode is
2 ' aiTracingModeBlackAndWhite.
Threshold
Long
The threshold value of black-and-white tracing. All
pixels with a grayscale value greater than this are
converted to black. Used only if TracingMode is
2 ' aiTracingModeBlackAndWhite.
Range: 0 to 255
TracingMode
AiTracingModeType
The color mode for tracing.
ViewRaster
AiViewRasterType
The view for previews of the raster image. (This
setting is not captured in a preset file.)
ViewVector
AiViewVectorType
The view for previews of the vector result. (This
setting is not captured in a preset file.)
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
TracingOptions
247
TracingOptions methods
Method
Returns
What it does
LoadFromPreset
(presetName as String)
Boolean
Loads a set of options from the specified preset, as found in
the Application.TracingPresetList array.
StoreToPreset
(presetName as String)
Boolean
Saves this set of options in the specified preset. Use a name
found in the Application.TracingPresetList array, or a
new name to create a new preset. For an existing preset,
overwrites an unlocked preset and returns true. Returns
false if the preset is locked.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Variable
Variable
A dynamic object used to create data-driven graphics. For an example, see DataSets. Variables are
accessed in Illustrator through the Variables palette. A variable is document-level object that can be
imported or exported.
Variable properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Kind
AiVariableKind
The variable’s type.
Name
String
The name of the variable.
PageItems
PageItems
Read-only.The artwork contained in the variable.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The document that contains this object.
Variable methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Delete
()
Nothing
Deletes the object.
248
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Variables
Variables
A collection of Variable objects in a document.
Variables properties
V
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. Number of elements in the collection.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The object’s document container.
Variables methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Add
()
Variable
Creates a new Variable object.
Index
(item as Variable)
Long
Returns the index position of the object within the collection.
Item
(itemKey)
Variable
Returns an object reference to the object identified by
itemKey (name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this collection.
249
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
View
250
View
A document view in an Illustrator document, which represents a window view onto a document. Scripts
cannot create new views, but can modify some properties of existing views, including the center point,
screen mode, and zoom.
View properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Bounds
Variant Array of
4 Doubles
Read-only. The bounding rectangle of this View relative to
the current document’s bounds.
CenterPoint
Variant Array of
2 Doubles
The center point of this View relative to the current
document’s bounds.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The document that contains this object.
ScreenMode
AiScreenMode
The mode of display for this view.
Zoom
Double
The zoom factor of this view, where 100.0 is 100%.
Setting a view
'Sets the view of the current document to full screen
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
Set frontDoc = appRef.activeDocument
Set viewsRef = frontDoc.Views
Set firstView = viewsRef(1)
firstView.ScreenMode = 3 'aiFullScreen
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Views
251
Views
A collection of View objects in a document.
Views properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. Number of elements in the collection.
Parent
Document
Read-only. The object’s document container.
Views methods
Method
Returns What it does
Index
(item as View)
Long
Returns the index position of the object within the collection.
Item
(itemKey)
View
Returns an object reference to the object identified by itemKey (name
or index).
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Words
252
Words
A collection of words in a text item, where each word is a TextRange object.
Words properties
Property
Value type
What it is
Application
Application
Read-only. The Illustrator Application object.
Count
Long
Read-only. Number of elements in the collection.
Parent
Object
Read-only. The object’s container.
Words methods
Method
Returns
What it does
Add
(contents as String
[, relativeObject as TextFrame]
[, insertionLocation as AiElementPlacement])
TextRange
Adds a new word with the
specified text contents at the
specified location in the
current document. If location
is not specified, adds the
new word to the containing
text frame after the current
text selection or insertion
point.
AddBefore
(contents as String)
TextRange
Inserts text at the beginning
of the range.
Index
(itemPtr as TextRange)
Long
Returns the index position of
the object within the
collection.
Item
(itemKey)
TextRange
Returns an object reference
to the object identified by
itemKey (name or index).
RemoveAll
()
Nothing
Deletes all objects in this
collection.
CHAPTER 1: VBScript Object Reference
Counting words in a document
'Counts the number of words in the document and
'stores in numWords
Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application")
If appRef.Documents.Count > 0 Then
numWords = 0
For Each textArt In appRef.ActiveDocument.TextFrames
numWords = numWords + textArt.TextRange.Words.Count
Next
End If
Words
253
2
Enumerations Reference
These enumeration values are defined for object properties in the VBScript dictionary.
When defining an enumerated property’s value, use the numeric, rather than the text value of the
enumeration. For example, the following script statement, which uses the first enumeration in the
following table, AiAlternateGlyphsForm, specifies aiExpert as the constant value:
myCharacterAttributes.AlternateGlyphs = 2
Enumeration type
Values
AiAlternateGlyphsForm
aiDefaultForm = 0
aiTraditional = 1
aiExpert = 2
aiJIS78Form = 3
aiJIS83Form = 4
aiHalfWidth = 5
aiThirdWidth = 6
aiQuarterWidth = 7
aiFullWidth = 8
aiProportionalWidth = 9
aiJIS90Form = 10
aiJIS04Form = 11
AiAntiAliasingMethod
aiNoAntiAliasing = 0
aiArtOptimized = 1
aiTypeOptimized = 2
What it means
The type of
antialiasing method
used in the
rasterization.
NoAntiAliasing
— No
antialiasing is
allowed.
ArtOptimized
— Optimize for
the art object.
TypeOptimized
— Optimize for
the type object.
254
CHAPTER 2: Enumerations Reference
255
Enumeration type
Values
What it means
AiArtClippingOption
aiOutputArtBounds = 1
aiOutputArtboardBounds = 2
aiOutputCropRectBounds = 3
How the art are
clipped during
output. aiOutputArtBounds =
Output size is the
size of the artwork.
aiOutputArtboardBounds =
Output size is the
size of the artboard.
aiOutputCropRectBounds =
Output size is the
size of the drop area.
AiAutoCADColors
aiMax8Colors = 0
aiMax16Colors = 1
aiMax256Colors = 2
aiTrueColors = 3
AiAutoCADCompatibility
aiAutoCADRelease13
aiAutoCADRelease14
aiAutoCADRelease15
aiAutoCADRelease18
aiAutoCADRelease21
aiAutoCADRelease24
AiAutoCADExportFileFormat
aiDXF = 0
aiDWG = 1
AiAutoCADExportOption
aiPreserveAppearance = 0
aiMaximizeEditability = 1
AiAutoCADGlobalScaleOption
aiOriginalSize = 0
aiFitArtboard = 1
aiScaleByValue = 2
AiAutoCADRasterFormat
aiPNG = 0
aiJPEG = 1
AiAutoCADUnit
aiPoints = 0
aiPicas = 1
aiInches = 2
aiMillimeters = 3
aiCentimeters = 4
aiPixels = 5
AiAutoKernType
aiNoAutoKern = 0
aiAuto = 1
aiOptical = 2
aiMetricsRomanOnly = 3
AiAutoLeadingType
aiBottomToBottom = 0
aiTopToTop = 1
=
=
=
=
=
=
0
1
2
3
4
5
CHAPTER 2: Enumerations Reference
256
Enumeration type
Values
What it means
AiBaselineDirectionType
aiStandardBaseline = 1
aiVerticalRotatedBaseline = 2
aiTateChuYokoBaseline = 3
AiBlendAnimationType
aiNoBlendAnimation = 0
aiInSequence = 1
aiInBuild = 2
AiBlendModes
aiNormalBlend = 0
aiMultiply = 1
aiScreen = 2
aiOverlay = 3
aiSoftLight = 4
aiHardLight = 5
aiColorDodge = 6
aiColorBurn = 7
aiDarken = 8
aiLighten = 9
aiDifference = 10
aiExclusion = 11
aiHue = 12
aiSaturation = 13
aiColorBlend = 14
aiLuminosity = 15
The blend mode
used when
compositing an
object.
AiBlendsExpandPolicy
AiAutomaticallyConvertBlends = 1
AiRasterizeBlends = 2
Used by FXG file
format
AiBurasagariTypeEnum
aiBurasagariNone = 0
aiBurasagariStandard = 1
aiBurasagariForced = 2
AiCaseChangeType
aiUpperCase = 0
aiLowerCase = 1
aiTitleCase = 2
aiSentenceCase = 3
AiColor
aiColorNone = 0
aiColorCMYK = 1
aiColorGray = 2
aiColorRGB = 3
aiColorSpot = 4
aiColorPattern = 5
aiColorGradient = 6
AiColorConversion
aiColorConversionNone = 0
aiColorConversionToDest = 1
aiColorConversionRepurpose = 2
AiColorConvertPurpose
aiDefaultPurpose = 0
aiForPreviewPurpose = 1
aiForExportPurpose = 2
aiDummyPurpose = 4
A color space.
The purpose of color
conversion using
the
ConvertSampleColor
method of the
Application class.
CHAPTER 2: Enumerations Reference
257
Enumeration type
Values
What it means
AiColorDestination
aiColorDestinationNone = 0
aiColorDestinationDocCMYK = 1
aiColorDestinationWorkingCMYK = 2
aiColorDestinationWorkingRGB = 4
aiColorDestinationDocRGB = 3
aiColorDestinationProfile = 5
AiColorDitherMethod
aiDiffusion = &H4466736E
aiNoise = &H424E6F69
aiNoReduction = &H4E6F6E65
aiPatternDither = &H5074726E
AiColorModel
aiRegistration = 0
aiProcess = 1
aiSpot = 2
AiColorProfile
aiColorProfileNone = 0
aiIncludeAllProfile = 1
aiLeaveProfileUnchanged = 2
aiIncludeRGBProfile = 3
aiIncludeDestProfile = 4
AiColorReductionMethod
aiAdaptive = &H41647074
aiPerceptual = &H50726370
aiSelective = &H536C7476
aiWeb = &H57656220
The method used to
reduce the number
of colors in exported
GIF and PNG8
images.
AiCompatibility
aiJapaneseVersion3 = 3
aiIllustrator8 = 8
aiIllustrator9 = 9
aiIllustrator10 = 10
aiIllustrator11 = 11
aiIllustrator12 = 12
aiIllustrator13 = 13
aiIllustrator14 = 14
aiIllustrator15 = 15
aiIllustrator16 = 16
aiIllustrator17 = 17
aiIllustrator19 = 19
The version of the
Illustrator file format
to create when
saving an EPS or
Illustrator file.
The method used to
dither colors in
exported GIF and
PNG8 images.
CHAPTER 2: Enumerations Reference
258
Enumeration type
Values
What it means
AiCompressionQuality
aiNoCompression = 1
aiJPEGMinimum = 3
aiJPEGLow = 4
aiJPEGMedium = 5
aiJPEGHigh = 6
aiJPEGMaximum = 7
aiZIP4Bit = 8
aiZIP8Bit = 9
aiAutomaticJPEGMinimum = 10
aiAutomaticJPEGLow = 11
aiAutomaticJPEGMedium = 12
aiAutomaticJPEGHigh = 13
aiAutomaticJPEGMaximum = 14
aiAutomaticJPEG2000Minimum = 15
aiAutomaticJPEG2000Low = 16
aiAutomaticJPEG2000Medium = 17
aiAutomaticJPEG2000High = 18
aiAutomaticJPEG2000Maximum = 19
aiAutomaticJPEG2000Lossless = 20
aiJPEG2000Minimum = 21
aiJPEG2000Low = 22
aiJPEG2000Medium = 23
aiJPEG2000High = 24
aiJPEG2000Maximum = 25
aiJPEG2000Lossless = 26
The quality of
bitmap compression
used when saving a
PDF file.
AiCoordinateSystem
aiDocumentCoordinateSystem = 1
aiArtboardCoordinateSystem = 2
The coordinate
system in use for
Illustrator.
AiCropOptions
aiCropStandard = 1
aiCropJapanese = 2
The style of a
document’s
cropping box.
AiDocumentArtboardLayout
aiGridByRow =
aiGridByCol =
aiRow = 3
aiColumn = 4
aiRLGridByRow
aiRLGridByCol
aiRLRow = 7
The layout of
artboards in the new
document.
1
2
= 5
= 6
AiDocumentColorSpace
aiDocumentRGBColor = 1
aiDocumentCMYKColor = 2
The color space of a
document.
AiDocumentPresetType
aiPrintPreset = 1
aiWebPreset = 2
aiMobilePreset = 3
aiVideoPreset = 4
aiBasicCMYKPreset = 5
aiBasicRGBPreset = 6
The preset types
available for new
documents.
AiDocumentLayoutStyle
aiCascade = 1
aiHorizontalTile = 2
aiVerticalTile = 3
aiFloatAll = 4
aiConsolidateAll = 5
The layout style for a
document.
CHAPTER 2: Enumerations Reference
259
Enumeration type
Values
What it means
AiDocumentPreviewMode
aiDefaultPreview = 1
aiPixelPreview = 2
aiOverprintPreview = 3
The document
preview mode.
AiDocumentRasterResolution
aiScreenResolution = 1
aiMediumResolution = 2
aiHighResolution = 3
The preset
document raster
resolution.
AiDocumentTransparencyGrid
aiTransparencyGridNone = 0
aiTransparencyGridLight = 1
aiTransparencyGridMedium = 2
aiTransparencyGridDark = 3
aiTransparencyGridRed = 4
aiTransparencyGridOrange = 5
aiTransparencyGridGreen = 6
aiTransparencyGridBlue = 7
aiTransparencyGridPurple = 8
Document
transparency grid
colors.
AiDocumentType
aiIllustrator = 1
aiEPS = 2
aiPDF = 3
aiFXG = 4
The file format used
to save a file.
AiDownsampleMethod
aiNoDownsample = 0
aiAverageDownsample = 1
aiSubsample = 2
aiBicubicDownsample = 3
AiElementPlacement
aiPlaceInside = 0
aiPlaceAtBeginning = 1
aiPlaceAtEnd = 2
aiPlaceBefore = 3
aiPlaceAfter = 4
AiEPSPostScriptLevelEnum
aiLevel2 = 2
aiLevel3 = 3
Specifies the
PostScript level to
use when saving an
EPS file.
AiEPSPreview
aiNoPreview = 1
aiBWTIFF = 2
aiTransparentColorTIFF = 3
aiColorTIFF = 4
The preview image
format used when
saving an EPS file.
AiExportType
aiJPEG = 1
aiPhotoshop = 2
aiSVG = 3
aiPNG8 = 4
aiPNG24 = 5
aiGIF = 6
aiFlash = 7
aiAutoCAD = 8
aiTIFF = 9
The file format used
to export a file.
AiFigureStyleType
aiDefaultFigureStyle = 0
aiTabular = 1
aiProportionalOldStyle = 2
aiProportional = 3
aiTabularOldStyle = 4
CHAPTER 2: Enumerations Reference
260
Enumeration type
Values
What it means
AiFiltersPreservePolicy
aiExpandFilters = 1
aiRasterizeFilters = 2
aiKeepFiltersEditable = 3
The filters preserve
policy used by the
FXG file format.
AiFlashExportStyle
aiAsFlashFile = 1
aiLayersAsFrames = 2
aiLayersAsFiles = 3
aiLayersAsSymbols = 4
aiArtboardsToFiles = 5
AiFlashExportVersion
aiFlashVersion1
aiFlashVersion2
aiFlashVersion3
aiFlashVersion4
aiFlashVersion5
aiFlashVersion6
aiFlashVersion7
aiFlashVersion8
aiFlashVersion9
AiFlashImageFormat
aiLossless = 1
aiLossy = 2
AiFlashJPEGMethod
aiJPEGStandard = 1
aiJPEGOptimized = 2
AiFlashPlaybackSecurity
aiPlaybackLocal = 1
aiPlaybackNetwork = 2
AiFontBaselineOption
aiNormalBaseline = 0
aiSuperScript = 1
aiSubScript = 2
AiFontCapsOption
aiNormalCaps = 0
aiSmallCaps = 1
aiAllCaps = 2
aiAllSmallCaps = 3
AiFontOpenTypePositionOption
aiOpenTypeDefault = 0
aiOpenTypeSuperScript = 1
aiOpenTypeSubScript = 2
aiNumerator = 3
aiDenominator = 4
AiFontSubstitutionPolicy
aiSubstituteOblique = 0
aiSubstituteTint = 1
aiSubstituteDevice = 2
AiFXGVersion
aiVersion1Pt0 = 1
aiVersion2Pt0 = 2
The FXG file-format
version.
AiGradientsPreservePolicy
aiKeepGradientsEditable = 3
aiAutomaticallyConvertGradients = 4
The gradients
preserve policy used
by the FXG file
format.
AiGradientType
aiLinearGradient = 1
aiRadialGradient = 2
The type of the
gradient, radial or
linear.
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
CHAPTER 2: Enumerations Reference
261
Enumeration type
Values
What it means
AiImageColorSpace
aiImageGrayScale = 1
aiImageRGB = 2
aiImageCMYK = 3
aiImageLAB = 4
aiImageSeparation = 5
aiImageDeviceN = 6
aiImageIndexed = 7
The color space of a
raster item or an
exported Photoshop
file.
AiInkPrintStatus
aiDisableInk = 0
aiEnableInk = 1
aiConvertInk = 2
AiInkType
aiCyanInk = 0
aiMagentaInk = 1
aiYellowInk = 2
aiBlackInk = 3
aiCustomInk = 4
AiJavaScriptExecutionMode
aiNeverShowDebugger = 1
aiDebuggerOnError = 2
aiBeforeRunning = 3
AiJustification
aiLeft = 0
aiRight = 1
aiCenter = 2
aiFullJustifyLastLineLeft = 3
aiFullJustifyLastLineRight = 4
aiFullJustifyLastLineCenter = 5
aiFullJustify = 6
AiKinsokuOrderEnum
aiPushIn = 0
aiPushOutFirst = 1
aiPushOutOnly = 2
AiKnockoutState
aiDisabled = 0
aiEnabled = 1
aiInherited = 2
aiKnockoutUnknown = -1
The alignment or
justification for a
paragraph of text.
The type of
knockout to use on a
PageItem.
CHAPTER 2: Enumerations Reference
262
Enumeration type
Values
AiLanguageType
aiBokmalNorwegian = 8
aiBrazillianPortuguese = 11
aiBulgarian = 20
aiCanadianFrench = 3
aiCatalan = 17
aiChinese = 29
aiCzech = 22
aiDanish = 16
aiDutch = 15
aiDutch2005Reform = 43
aiEnglish = 0
aiFinnish = 1
aiGerman2006Reform = 42
aiGreek = 25
aiHungarian = 28
aiIcelandic = 27
aiItalian = 7
aiJapanese = 30
aiNynorskNorwegian =
aiOldGerman = 5
aiPolish = 23
aiRomanian = 24
aiRussian = 18
aiSpanish = 12
aiSerbian = 21
aiStandardFrench = 2
aiStandardGerman = 4
aiStandardPortuguese =
aiSwedish = 13
aiSwissGerman = 6
aiSwissGerman2006Reform = 44
aiTurkish = 26
aiUKEnglish = 14
aiUkranian = 19
AiLayerOrderType
aiTopDown = 2
aiBottomUp = 1
AiLibraryType
aiIllustratorArtwork = 1
aiSwatches = 2
aiBrushes = 3
aiGraphicStyles = 4
aiSymbols = 5
AiMonochromeCompression
aiCCIT3 = 1
aiCCIT4 = 2
aiMonoZIP = 3
aiNoMonoCompression = 0
aiRunLength = 4
What it means
The type of
monochrome
bitmap compression
to use when saving a
PDF.
CHAPTER 2: Enumerations Reference
263
Enumeration type
Values
What it means
AiOutputFlattening
aiPreserveAppearance = 1
aiPreservePaths = 0
Specifies how
transparency are
flattened when
saving EPS and
Illustrator file
formats with
compatibility set to
versions of
Illustrator less than
9.
AiPageItemType
aiCompoundPathItem = 1
aiGraphItem = 2
aiGroupItem =3
aiMeshItem = 4
aiPathItem = 5
aiPlacedItem = 6
aiPluginItem =7
aiRasterItem =8
aiSymbolItem = 9
aiTextFrame = 10
aiLegacyTextItem = 11
aiNonNativeItem = 12
The type (class) of
art item that is
represented by a
particular PageItem.
AiPageMarksStyle
aiPageMarksRoman = 0
aiPageMarksJapanese = 1
AiPathPointSelection
aiAnchorPoint = 2
aiLeftDirection = 3
aiLeftRightPoint = 5
aiNoSelection = 1
aiRightDirection = 4
AiPDFBoxType
aiPDFArtBox = 0
aiPDFCropBox = 1
aiPDFTrimBox = 2
aiPDFBleedBox = 3
aiPDFMediaBox = 4
aiPDFBoundingBox = 5
AiPDFChangesAllowedEnum
aiChange128None = 1
aiChange128EditPage = 2
aiChange128FillForm = 3
aiChange128Commenting = 4
aiChange128AnyChanges = 5
aiChange40None = 6
aiChange40PageLayout = 8
aiChange40Commenting = 7
aiChange40AnyChanges = 9
AiPDFCompatibility
aiAcrobat4
aiAcrobat5
aiAcrobat6
aiAcrobat7
aiAcrobat8
AiPDFOverprint
aiPreservePDFOverprint = 1
aiDiscardPDFOverprint = 2
=
=
=
=
=
4
5
6
7
8
Specifies which
points, if any, of a
path point are
selected.
The version of the
Acrobat file format
to create when
saving a PDF file.
CHAPTER 2: Enumerations Reference
264
Enumeration type
Values
AiPDFPrintAllowedEnum
aiPrint128None = 1
aiPrint128LowResolution = 2
aiPrint128HighResolution = 3
aiPrint40None = 4
aiPrint40HighResolution = 5
AiPDFTrimMarkWeight
aiTrimMarkWeight0125 = 1
aiTrimMarkWeight025 = 2
aiTrimMarkWeight05 = 3
AiPDFXStandard
aiPDFXNone = 1
aiPDFX1A2001 = 2
aiPDFX1A2003 = 3
aiPDFX32002 = 4
aiPDFX32003 = 5
aiPDFX42007 = 6
AiPerspectiveGridType
aiOnePointPerspectiveGridType = 1
aiTwoPointPerspectiveGridType = 2
aiThreePointPerspectiveGridType = 3
aiInvalidPerspectiveGridType = 0
AiPerspectiveGridPlaneType
aiLEFTPLANE = 1
aiRIGHTPLANE = 2
aiFLOORPLANE = 3
aiNOPLANE = 0
AiPhotoshopCompatibility
aiPhotoshop8 = 1
aiPhotoshop6 = 2
AiPointType
aiSmooth = 1
aiCorner = 2
AiPolarityValues
aiPositive = 1
aiNegative = -1
AiPostScriptImageCompressionType
aiImageCompressionNone = 0
aiImageCompressionRLE = 1
aiImageCompressionJPEG = 2
AiPrintArtworkDesignation
aiVisiblePrintableLayers = 0
aiVisibleLayers = 1
aiAllLayers = 2
AiPrintColorIntent
aiPerceptualIntent = 0
aiSaturationIntent = 1
aiRelativeColorimetric = 2
aiAbsoluteColorimetric = 3
AiPrintColorProfile
aiOldstyleProfile = 0
aiSourceProfile = 1
aiPrinterProfile = 2
aiCustomProfile = 3
AiPrintColorSeparationMode
aiComposite = 0
aiOnHostSeparation = 1
aiInRIPSeparation = 2
What it means
The type of path
point, either a curve
or a corner.
CHAPTER 2: Enumerations Reference
265
Enumeration type
Values
What it means
AiPrinterColorMode
aiColorPrinter = 0
aiGrayscalePrinter = 1
aiBlackAndWhitePrinter = 2
AiPrinterPostScriptLevelEnum
aiPSLevel1 = 1
aiPSLevel2 = 2
aiPSLevel3 = 3
AiPrinterTypeEnum
aiUnknownPrinterType = 0
aiPostScriptPrinter = 1
aiNonPostScriptPrinter = 2
AiPrintFontDownloadMode
aiDownloadNone = 0
aiDownloadSubset = 1
aiDownloadComplete = 2
AiPrintingBounds
aiArtboardBounds = 0
aiArtworkBounds = 1
AiPrintOrientation
aiPortrait = 0
aiLandscape = 1
aiReversePortrait = 2
aiReverseLandscape = 3
aiAutoRotate = 4
AiPrintPosition
aiTranslateTopLeft = 1
aiTranslateTop = 2
aiTranslateTopRight = 3
aiTranslateLeft = 4
aiTranslateCenter = 5
aiTranslateRight = 6
aiTranslateBottomLeft = 7
aiTranslateBottom = 8
aiTranslateBottomRight = 9
AiPrintTiling
aiTileSingleFullPage = 0
aiTileFullPages = 1
aiTileImageableAreas = 2
AiRasterizationColorModel
aiDefaultColorModel = 1
aiGrayscale = 2
aiBitmap = 3
The color model for
the rasterization.
AiRasterLinkState
aiDataFromFile = 2
aiDataModified = 3
aiNoData = 1
The status of a raster
item’s linked image,
if the image is stored
externally.
AiRulerUnits
aiUnitsCM = 3
aiUnitsInches = 2
aiUnitsMM = 6
aiUnitsPicas = 5
aiUnitsPoints = 4
aiUnitsQ = 7
aiUnitsPixels = 8
aiUnitsUnknown = 1
The default
measurement units
for the rulers in a
document.
CHAPTER 2: Enumerations Reference
266
Enumeration type
Values
What it means
AiSaveOptions
aiDoNotSaveChanges = 2
aiPromptToSaveChanges = 3
aiSaveChanges = 1
Save options
provided when
closing a document.
AiScreenMode
aiDesktop = 2
aiFullScreen = 3
aiMultiWindow = 1
The mode of display
for a view.
AiSpotColorKind
aiSpotCMYK = 0
aiSpotRGB = 1
aiSpotLAB = 2
The custom color
kind of the spot
color.
AiStrokeCap
aiButtEndCap = 1
aiProjectingEndCap = 3
aiRoundEndCap = 2
The type of line
capping for a path
stroke.
AiStrokeJoin
aiBevelEndJoin = 3
aiMiterEndJoin = 1
aiRoundEndJoin = 2
The type of joints for
a path stroke.
AiStyleRunAlignmentType
aiAlignBottom = 0
aiICFBottom = 1
aiRomanBaseline = 2
aiAlignCenter = 3
aiICFTop = 4
aiAlignTop =5
AiSVGCSSPropertyLocation
aiEntities = 2
aiStyleAttributes = 1
aiStyleElements = 3
aiPresentationAttributes = 4
How should the CSS
properties of the
document be
included in an
exported SVG file?
AiSVGDocumentEncoding
aiASCII = 1
aiUTF16 = 3
aiUTF8 = 2
How text is encoded
when exporting an
SVG file.
AiSVGDTDVersion
aiSVG1_0 = 1
aiSVG1_1 = 2
aiSVGBasic1_1 = 5
aiSVGTiny1_1 = 3
aiSVGTiny1_1Plus = 4
aiSVGTiny1_2 = 6
SVG version
compatibility for
exported file.
AiSVGFontSubsetting
aiAllGlyphs = 7
aiCommonEnglish = 3
aiCommonRoman = 5
aiGlyphsUsed = 2
aiGlyphsUsedPlusEnglish = 4
aiGlyphsUsedPlusRoman = 6
aiNoFonts = 1
What font glyphs are
included in an
exported SVG file?
AiSVGFontType
aiCEFFont = 1
aiOutlineFont = 3
aiSVGFont = 2
Types for fonts
included in
exported SVG files.
CHAPTER 2: Enumerations Reference
267
Enumeration type
Values
What it means
AiSymbolRegistrationPoint
aiSymbolTopLeftPoint = 1
aiSymbolTopMiddlePoint = 2
aiSymbolTopRightPoint = 3
aiSymbolMiddleLeftPoint = 4
aiSymbolCenterPoint = 5
aiSymbolMiddleRightPoint = 6
aiSymbolBottomLeftPoint = 7
aiSymbolBottomMiddlePoint = 8
aiSymbolBottomRightPoint = 9
The symbol
registration point.
AiTabStopAlignment
aiCenterTab = 1
aiDecimalTab = 3
aiLeftTab = 0
aiRightTab = 2
The alignment of a
tab stop.
AiTextAntialias
aiNone = 1
aiSharp = 2
aiCrisp = 3
aiStrong = 4
The type of text
anti-aliasing in a text
art item.
AiTextOrientation
aiHorizontal = 0
aiVertical = 1
The orientation of
text in a text frame.
AiTextPreservePolicy
aiOutlineText = 1
aiRasterizeText = 2
aiKeepTextEditable = 3
aiAutomaticallyConvertText = 4
The text preserve
policy used by the
FXG file format.
AiTextType
aiAreaText = 1
aiPathText = 2
aiPointText = 0
The type of text art
displayed by this
object.
AiTIFFByteOrder
aiIBMPC = 0
aiMacintosh = 1
The byte order to
use when exporting
to TIFF.
AiTracingModeType
aiTracingModeBlackAndWhite = 2
aiTracingModeColor = 0
aiTracingModeGray = 1
AiTransformation
aiTransformBottom = 7
aiTransformBottomLeft = 4
aiTransformBottomRight = 10
aiTransformCenter = 6
aiTransformDocumentOrigin = 1
aiTransformLeft = 3
aiTransformRight = 9
aiTransformTop = 5
aiTransformTopLeft = 2
aiTransformTopRight = 8
AiTrappingType
aiNormalTrapping = 0
aiTransparent = 1
aiOpaque = 2
aiIgnoreOpaque = 3
AiUserInteractionLevel
aiDontDisplayAlerts = -1
aiDisplayAlerts = 2
The point to use as
the anchor point
about which an
object is rotated,
resized or
transformed.
CHAPTER 2: Enumerations Reference
268
Enumeration type
Values
What it means
AiVariableKind
aiGraph = 5
aiImage = 4
aiTextual = 3
aiUnknownKind = 1
aiVisibility = 2
The enumerated
type of the kind of
variable.
AiViewRasterType
aiTracingViewRasterAdjustedImage = 2
aiTracingViewRasterNoImage = 0
aiTracingViewRasterOriginalImage = 1
aiTracingViewRasterTransparentImage = 3
The raster viewing
mode for tracing.
AiViewVectorType
aiTracingViewVectorNoTracingResult = 0
aiTracingViewVectorOutlines = 2
aiTracingViewVectorOutlinesWithTracing = 3
aiTracingViewVectorTracingResult = 1
The vector viewing
mode for tracing.
AiWariChuJustificationType
aiWariChuLeft = 0
aiWariChuRight = 1
aiWariChuCenter = 2
aiWariChuFullJustifyLastLineLeft = 3
aiWariChuFullJustifyLastLineRight = 4
aiWariChuFullJustifyLastLineCenter = 5
aiWariChuAutoJustify = 6
AiZOrderMethod
aiBringForward
aiBringToFront
aiSendBackward
aiSendToBack =
= 2
= 1
= 3
4
The method used to
arrange an art item’s
position in the
stacking order of its
parent group or
layer, as specified
with the ZOrder
method.
Source Exif Data:
File Type : PDF File Type Extension : pdf MIME Type : application/pdf PDF Version : 1.6 Linearized : No Encryption : Standard V1.3 (40-bit) User Access : Print, Annotate, Fill forms, Extract, Assemble, Print high-res XMP Toolkit : Adobe XMP Core 5.4-c005 78.150055, 2012/11/19-18:45:32 Creator Tool : FrameMaker 2015.1 Modify Date : 2016:11:29 18:52:26+05:30 Create Date : 2016:11:29 17:44:01Z Metadata Date : 2016:11:29 18:52:26+05:30 Copyright : Adobe Systems Inc. 2015 Producer : Acrobat Distiller 15.0 (Windows) Keywords : Scripting API, VBScript Format : application/pdf Title : Adobe Illustrator CC 2015 Scripting Reference: VBScript Creator : Adobe Systems Inc Description : Illustrator SDK: scripting with VBScript Document ID : uuid:31f9bfb6-9b31-40f2-82a4-12d464ca3573 Instance ID : uuid:12252ee5-b89a-4c13-9ca2-2acf76959d64 Page Mode : UseOutlines Page Count : 268 Author : Adobe Systems Inc Subject : Illustrator SDK: scripting with VBScriptEXIF Metadata provided by EXIF.tools