Illustrator :: How To Automate Average Path Command
Jul 12, 2013
I am trying to automate the average path command to apply the action to a field of discrete objects. In the end, I want each object to be avereaged into separate paths and not the entire group averaged as a single path. I have a very large set of objects and it doesn't make sense to select each object on an individual basis.
I am trying to record an action to find the center of a polygon with the following commands
1. Select the object 2. Copy and Paste in Front 3. Select > Object > Direction Handles 4. Cmd+X (Cut); do not deselect 5. Object > Path > Average: choose both axes 6. View > Guides > Make Guides
All is good & well except that step 5 never gets recorded as an action step.
When I need to move a project from Photoshop to Illustrator, I need an automated way to prep shape and vector mask items for export--preferably preserving the structure and layout that already exists as layer names and order, character and paragraph settings, and of course global registration. My scripting is limited to recording actions, so I need to find an existing script or get coached on this. Any recommendations?
I have googled and waded through numerous forum posts trying to research this on my own, so I know about the ability to export my path collection, but that's usually inapplicable in reality. It only deals with vectors from the Paths palette. In Photoshop, I use the Paths pallet to store master and WIP paths, but all the working paths are either shapes or vector masks--or active type layers. Often enough that it's become an issue, I'll need to move the whole project to Illustrator. Obviously, the process has issues; I'm not expecting the rastor layers or Photoshop styles to carry over, but I see no reason why I can't capture text, shape and vector mask elements.
They all have a vector component, but simply opening a PSD in Illustrator flattens (badly) the layers. I select the "Convert Layers as Objects" but have yet to see it extract editable text. I'm not sure if it even attempts to do anything with vector shapes or masks. I've got a process for moving a project one element at a time, using registration marks--but this requires turning text into shapes most of the time, especially if I am trying to preserve kerning and leading crucial to the layout. Maybe I just have not found the right info, and there is a way to transfer editable text without losing character and paragraph settings.
For now, I'd be happy to stop wasting time doing a ton of conversions and renaming by hand, just so I can preserve the work I've already invested.
One suggestion, posted under a multiple path export question, was to use scripting... but no one explored or explained how to go about it. I'm not asking for the impossible, however. I simply working out my own solution: if there is no application method for transferring the elements, try to script a method to prep those elements for export. Before I even attempt to reinvent someone's wheel, I am putting the question out there:
I kept at it and managed to open my current project PSD in AI with text and shape/mask vectors successfully--not as cleanly as I'd hoped but the relative positioning of things was acceptable. I am still interested in hearing people's suggestions on better ways to transfer work from one tool to the other, though. I know this is going to come up for me again and again.
I keep getting this every time I record a action and try and play it back in automate:automate the command is not currently availabletried google not getting anythingim using 64bit photoshop cs4 adn win xp x64
Is there a way to change an object's fill from a gradient to a solid color that is the average of that gradient? What I want to do is have a grid of squares, select them all and apply a colorful gradient to them as a whole, and then average each square's color so I end up with a pixelated look. Kind of like the mosaic filter in Photoshop, but in vector.
I would like to automate an action set that selects a raster image (linked file) that has been grouped with vector art and then converts that selected raster image into a vector (live trace)
I'm using cs5 on a mac. As far as format goes I have hundreds of eps files that all have at least one raster bitmap tif which was imported as a linked file and then grouped with vector art. So I will like to run a batch script command that will select only that bitmap raster image (because I want to maintain the present vector art in the file) and convert that bitmap tif to vector- and save the file which will hopfully be in vector format.
I have some negative space I created(black area, see first image) that I want to fill with type, not just a simple fill.
Basically I want to create the negative space from a bunch of small minus signs(-) that need to line up as they go across. If I type on each path one at a time as the text doesn't line up that way. This needs to be one continuous path. (see second image)
Unfortunately if I add them together, it creates a compound path, which you cannot type on, unless I am mistaken? So I need them to be a path, not a compound object.
I've tried every permutation of copy and paste; I renamed the path to path. It looks like a path when I add stroke, but it does not behave like one. I can't cut it or join it to any other path. It remembers it's text path status. I'm running OS X 10.7.5.
I accidentally converted a path to a text path. I searched the forum for how to convert it back to a regular path. The answer I found said to select the path and hit Command+C+F. This gives me another text path! I now have at least 6 copies of the path in my files but they are ALL text paths and none are visible with a stroke.
I've got two paths. They don't intersect, exactly, a straight path ends at a curved path, but I need the end of the straight path to be curved, to make it look like the two meet perfectly. The two gray paths (a single path, then path->offset for the second) are the outside of a shield shape. The two black lines (paths) just surround text, but currently they overlap the gray paths.
I have been trying to convert this surface (attached file) into a closed volume. But somehow it isnt working.Then I tried to create this figure myself by creating two circles (one at the top and the other at the bottom) and then creating the path for using the sweep command , but it gives a error " sweep produces self intersecting curves".
convert this surface in to a sloid volume or if thats not possible can this geometry be created to the nearest possible approximation.
I created text on a curved path using the pen tool and the the type on a path tool. However, there are portions of the text that I want to taper. For example, my text begins horizontally, continues to the right, and gradually curves downward. As the text curves downward I would like it to taper smoothly into a narrower and narrower text.
I'm try to automate the importing of the Varaible and datasets into my graphs via Scripting, but the ImportVaraibles() function doesn't seem to work. Here is my Script, mostly copied from the example script provided with Illustrator (CS5). And, this works manually, using the file names in the script, via Load Variable Library
Set appRef = CreateObject(strIllistratorVersion)
'Open the file and import the datasets Set docRef = appRef.Open(strTemplate & "200-500.ai") 'docRef.Datasets.RemoveAll docRef.Variables("Yearbook").Delete
Here is the problem, after I delete the previous library, then this next line, right from the example, does nothing The script then exits with 'No Datasets in this document'
docRef.ImportVariables (strXMLFolder & "Lumber_200-500.xml") 'appRef.DoJavaScript "alert('Template:" & strTemplate & strRange & ".ai | XML file:" & strXMLFolder & "" & objFile.Name & "^')" If (appRef.Documents.Count > 0) Then Set docRef = appRef.Documents(1)
[Code]....
If I remove that delete line, the script runs, but just uses whatever Variables I had last loaded, not the XML file.
It's simply not loading. What do I need to do to get it to load?
I'm trying to create an effect of small text following the outline of very large bold block text (see picture). The idea I had was to first create the 'ME' in very large font as text. Then convert that text to an object / path using "Object -> Flatten Transparency... -> "Convert all text to outline"". Then, select that path and use the "Type along path" tool.
However, when I use that process, the resulting path is a compound path that therefore the Type Along Path tool doesn't work. Any pointers on how to achieve this? The image below I just used the pencil to trace the letters (quick and dirty) but the result is choppy, etc.
I am comparing multiple scanned images and I need to find out if one image is darker than another. For example, if you print a document on 5 different printers and then scan those documents into photoshop 7, is there a way to quantitatively analyze how dark each document is. Can photoshop 7 tell you the average darkness of a selected area of an image? They will all be scanned on the same scanner so the only variable should be the printers. I need a numerical value for each, not just a visual comparison.
1) Office Desktop Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 870 @ 2.93GHz 2.93GHz 8GB of RAM ATI Vga 1GB (Updated Driver) 64 bit Operating System (Windows 7 Ultimate) "3ds max 2009 64bit" + "Vray 1.50 RC3"
2) Laptop Intel(R) Core Duo(TM) CPU 2.53GHz 2.53GHz 4GB of RAM 32 bit Operating System (Windows 7 Professional) Nvidia Vga 512 MB (Updated Driver) "3ds max 2009 32bit" + "Vray 1.50 RC3"
I've one scene having 3 sofas, one table, and one chandelier, with 2 windows.with "average quality of the render setup in Vray 800x600" my desktop is taking more than 5 hours to render. with same configuration of vray settings or higher like "1200x800" my Laptop is taking 30 to 40 minutes to render. I checked everything, everything is fine. why its taking too much time to render this small scene, i check another files its same,
I am taking daily shots of a fig tree which is just in front of my kitchen window. At the end I would like to produce a video showing the fig tree blossoming and then loosing its leaves. I am realizing that the lighting is changing from one picture to the other. Is there a way to even out the lighting of all my pictures to a given average?
I have 10 layers and I want to blend them such that the resultant flattened image represents the average colour. i.e. If layer 1 has a white pixel and layers 2-10 have black pixels the result will be 90% black.
As the title points out I need to find an average of the L, a, b values from a region of a photo. I can find out the values for a single pixel but these values vary to some degree in the region I am interested in. If this can not be done in photoshop but in an other program i'd be if you could show me how.
What formula Civil3D uses to calculate the average slope of a surface?
The formula I am using is S = I*L/A
S = Average Slope I = Contour Invertval L = Length of Contours (ft) A = Area of parcel (sq. ft)
I just had to do four parcel calcs and the percentage I find using the formula is always 1-3% lower than the percentage Civil3D spits out. I can't find anything about how Civil3D arrives at that number, it just appears. I assume that Civil3D is more accurate but I can't give that number to a client without knowing how the program arrived there.
I have been able to undertake this with other software and have desperately tried to find this same function in Civil 3D .
Is there a command that returns the average level of any particular surface within a specified area, for instance if we have a generated a large surface and then draw a square in the middle of the surface, can it calculate the average level within the square only?
I have 2 different surveys of the same area of ground. If i create a surface from each data set, can they be averaged into one suface? I know you can past them together, but how does it paste? the first one on the bottom and the second on time? I would like an average.
Is there a way to select a portion of an image and display the average RGB or Lab values of that area? Right now I can only see the values of selected individual pixels. Instead of manually adding up these values to get the average value which is quite tedious, can someone help me to a better option?