Illustrator Scripting :: Any Way To Script Expand Appearance?
Mar 19, 2012
I have created a method to create line art roof shingles row-by-row. I think something like this is a good candidate for scripting, but I run into a dead-end quickly when trying to script this. Basically, I use "expand appearance" multiple times during the course of this process and I can't find any way to script that action. I have heard about using MenuIDs, but I can't find anything on how to discover what the MenuID for "expand appearance" is.
I have also tried recording an action, but "expand appearance" doesn't get saved.
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Aug 10, 2010
What is the difference between Expand and Expand Appearance tool
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Sep 14, 2012
I have a question about expanding appearance and multiply. I work in print-on-demand, and one of the limitations is that we can not use multiply on artwork. In order to achieve a similar appearance, when I receive these kinds of files, I flatten transparency, and that will sear in the way the multiply effect is interacting with the other elements of the same art file. (in the example below there are no interacting elements) However, if it is intended to interact with the background, I have to fiddle with the cmyk values (adding k) and opacity level until it is as close as possible. It is time-consuming.
we use 'expand appearnce' instead, and I tried it once and it worked! It did all the legwork for me; it spit out a different cmyk value and opacity level that mimics the effect of multiply, so I don't have to calculate it manually. However, I can't get it to work again. Illustrator thinks it is already its simplest form of appearance and will not expand it further. I've tried adding another effect and expanding but it will only expand the effect and keep the multiply.
Maybe she and I were both tripping when we thought it worked once? how to expand the appearance of multiply? Here's a picture of the 3 methods I'm speaking to: on the left is multiply, the center is flattened transparency, and the right is achieving a similar effect of multiply with opacity & color build.
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Jan 4, 2013
Expanding Appearance on a closed path with stroke, fill, and a Round Corners effect produces a group of two paths in CS6. A path with just a fill and a path with just the stroke.
Is there an option to just generate one path like CS5 and earlier?
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Feb 20, 2014
I'm having this really annoying problem in Adobe Illustrator CC
When I use a tool such as the extrude and bevel tool to make an object 3D, it all works fine untill I have to expand the appearence then I get this edge on my object and I can't find any way to get rid of it.
Take a look at this pic to see what I mean [URL]
As you can see, their's an annoying white jagged edge and it's really annoying and I can't get rid of it.
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May 6, 2013
Why can't I color fill objects after i applied the expand appearance?
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Mar 4, 2013
Whenever I open a file, Layers are randomly expanded in the Layers palette.
Is there a way to run a script that collapses and/or expands all layers?
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Dec 1, 2013
I've devised this script that "kind of" works.This script takes your selection, copies appearance attributes, and pastes them to the top object after clipping.It's currently limited in a few ways:
• It does not accept compound paths as clipping object (and I don't know how to test for it, nor how to iterate down said compound clipping object to set each path object to clipping separately)
• It only works with a single stroke or fill
• It does not understand "no fill" it will fill your object with white instead *FIXED*
• I'm hoping to use the "graphicStyle" property to copy the appearance, since that sounds way cleaner. But I don't understand how to.
Even with these limitations, I bound this to CMD+7 using fastscripts - I'm *already* used to it working this way!
#target Illustrator
// script.name = Clip Retaining Color.jsx;
// script.required = at least two paths selected, top most path is the clipping mask;
// script.parent = Herman van Boeijen, www.nimbling.com // 30/11/13;
// *** LIMITED TO A SINGLE STROKE AND/OR FILL OF THE CLIPPING OBJECT***
// Here's hoping to use the "graphicStyles" property to copy over the appearance.
[code]....
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Aug 21, 2012
How can I mass enable/disable all drop shadow appearance effects existing in several layers of my drawing?
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Oct 8, 2013
For a number of documents I inherited from someone else, I'm having trouble expanding layers. The topmost layers appear, show proper thumbnails, and are named appropriately. However, there is no little "disclosure triangle" or whatever that thing is called that allows you to expand the layer and see sublayers and items. I've tried duplicating this behavior with other documents and with a new document, but the problem only occurs with these certain files.
The files were created in v13 of AI, and I'm using v17 (CC) to open them.
If this is some sort of bug? I tried using "Locate Object" to force the layer expansion, to no avail. I also tried "Release to Layers" commands, also to no avail.
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Aug 22, 2012
I'm using the 16.0.0 version of Illustrator CS6 and i'm really new to it. Under the Object menu, I cannot find any Expand-function that I've been told should be found there. Is this option only appearing in object menu during certain circumstances?
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Dec 18, 2012
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?
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Mar 1, 2013
For my work I use the Image Trace a lot. When I Image Trace something and then expand it, it shifts the art over. Every once in a while I wouldn't mind but it does it every time and I have to go back and nudge it back into place by setting the original layer as a template and then looking at it in Outline mode. Here is an example of the shift...
I never had this issue in any other version of Illustrator and I have been working with it since 8. When I have multiple items to Image Trace on one of my jobs and I Image Trace on each one individually, it does it in random directions. Sometimes down and to the right, sometimes up and to the left and sometimes it doesn't do it at all.
Here are the settings I am using...
I am image tracing 1200ppi bitmaps and I don't need it to be any more exact than it is now becuase I am then offsetting it .05" and using that as a relief for our products. But ignoring the shift would make one of our CNC machines mill through the art. Anything to stop "THE SHIFT" would be great. I am using up precious time in my pre-production schedule to be constantly doing this.
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Mar 15, 2014
I love the width tool but when I try to use it on a custom brush I am unable to isolate one side or the other to expand/contract. I'm assuming the behavior should be the same as when used on a basic stroke. Is this a bug?
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Feb 22, 2014
I have a vector I made of a small (2.5 x 4) tribal type design that's failry complex (and a PITA to weed out!). I cut it on a plotter. I need to add a thin pinstripe to the edge. I used the "expand" command and that achomplished what I wanted but it is too thin. I need to "stripe" to be a little thicker. The design is so small I think I will never be able to successfully weed it being that thin.
Is the "expand" amount adjustable? Is there another way to go about it? (I tried "offset path" but that left a mess of lines all over both inside and outside. It would take me forever to clean that up). Since I will be using a plotter the least amount of extraneous lines being added is ideal to lessen my clean up time.
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Mar 15, 2013
How do you ungroup or expand a pie chart in Adobe Illustrator CS6? This functionality seems to have been removed. Say I'd like to remove the legend: before, I could ungroup the chart, release its link to the data, and then delete the legend with my white mouse. Object > Expand no longer works either.
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Jul 19, 2013
I have recently upgraded to CS6 from CS2. I do a lot of digital inking in Illustrator as part of my job. In CS2 I would create a simple tapered brush using 4 anchor points. When I would draw a brush stroke say with two anchor points, and then expand that brush stroke. Illustrator CS2 would convert the outlined tapered brush stroke back to the the original 4 anchor point path that I had originally created with maybe one extra point if the stroke curved drastically. Now is CS6 illustrator creates that same expanded brush with 9 to 12 anchor points in the path. This makes the program completly useless for my task. Is there anyway to correct this?
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May 6, 2012
Can you access graph data through the scripting DOM?
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Mar 19, 2013
I am using Adobe Illustrator CS6. The first image above is the result of drawing paths then expanding appearance and then live paint->make and filling shape with live paint bucket fill. The second image is the exact same artwork after selecting the object and clicking live paint->expand. I did this because I want to then group my expanded live paint object to be able to select the fill I just created.
This artwork is meant for screen render only in a flash game I am making, I don't want to print it. The first image above is the desirable look that I am going for. I have figured out that I can expand my live paint object (and it looks bad like the second image) and then alter the fills the way I want and select everything again and go live paint->make and then the black strokes look great again. My question is, is this normal? Do I always have to make an object live paint once I am ready to export my image to png format?
By the way, replicate what I have done by following my instructions, although the artifacts around the black strokes can only really be seen when your fill color is pretty dark (like my dark green fill). With lighter colors you probably wouldn't even notice the artifacts around the black strokes. The set-up for my document is: Color Mode: RGB PPI: 72 for screen rendering. I have initializing turned on (which I want and need).
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Mar 19, 2014
I'm trying to create a distressed look on an object that has a gradient mesh appliet to it. i've done this with regular objects but never on one with a gradient mesh. one of the steps in this process is to expand the object, but i'm not able to do so because the expand option is grayed out in the drop down menu.
normally after expanding the object i would use one of the artistic charcoal brushes to create a texture over the object in a different color. then i would select the brush strokes and expand apperance. then, using the pathfinder, i would merge the expanded brush strokes with the expanded object and then delete the brush stokes. what remains is the object with little cut-outs where the texture of the brush strokes used to be.
however i can't do this because i can't expand the object with a gradient mesh.
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Sep 30, 2012
I want to create different gradients and effects on a shape and somehow copy them in the appearance panel and then reapply those gradients and effects on other shapes.
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May 28, 2012
For some reason to time I need Illustrator to be perfect and it fails on me ON EXAM WEEK.
I used it yesterday perfect for a good 3-4 hour session. I get on today and I notice that clicking on my groups and paths freezes it for around 5 seconds then works again. Isolation mode also takes a while to go in and then come out and when I minimize it it takes longer to open back up again (10 seconds).
That is also not the only problem
I'm trying to copy the appearance from one group to another by dragging the swatch in the appearance panel. When I apply it to an object that object turns invisble but I can still see the path it just has no fill or stroke
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May 24, 2013
In older versions of Illustrator, I used to be able to make a selection of multiple objects and give them a stroke or other attribute. Now it says “Mixed Appearance” and I can't do anything to the selection. How do I modify a multi-selection if it says “Mixed Appearance?”
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Jul 27, 2012
I cannot open the appearance palette from the window tab. I am able to open all of them except the appearance palette. I have dual monitors and running XP. Adobe illustrator CS
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Mar 7, 2013
I would like to create a style where the white fill is knocking through the black fill in the appearance pallette. I cant seem to figure this out?
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Feb 18, 2014
I'm working in an Illustrator file that needs to use artwork that is in PDF form. I've been either placing the PDFs into the Illustrator file or opening the PDFs as Illustrator files. Either way, I'm getting a message that says "The document contains PDF objects that have been reinterpreted: To preserve appearance, some text has been outlined."
As you'll see in the attached, what ends up happening are these strange looking white lines that occur around the artwork (you'll notice them most around the CD in the center.) Is there anyway around bringing the PDFs in without having them reinterpreted? I do not want to make them jpegs and then bring them in.
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Oct 22, 2013
When i open a PDF in acrobat X Pro, edit object, it open in Illustrator, its coming normal with all editable text, after making the changes saved the file. Again if I open same pdf in Illustrator (from as edit object in Acrobat X Pro) some text fields are becoming outline (The document contains PDF objects that have been reinterpreted: To preserve appearance, some text has been outlined.
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Mar 2, 2013
1. How can I save the contents in my Appearance Panel so I can reuse it later?
2. How can I save the contents of my Appearance Panel from one file to another?
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Mar 6, 2014
I am constantly getting the error message: "an error occurred while processing the appearance of an object". I get this error even on very simple artwork, one layer / one filter. Having this problem with the "latest and greatest" version of CC products?
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Jul 22, 2013
Just passing along this preview "glitch" in CS5 that could cause some headaches or costly reprints.
We had a file where some text "appeared"on screen as a solid fill even though it was mistakenly filled with a gradient in the colour panel.
When the job was output the type was missing.
Upon investigation it was noted the text was filled with a gradient through the color panel....however the preview did not reflect this. The proper way to apply a gradient to text is in the appearance panel> add new fill>gradient.
This will preview the gradient in the text properly. Shouldn't there be an friendly error message or pop up to warn users that this fill option is not available?
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Sep 30, 2012
Is it possible to add text to the fills, strokes, drop shadows & textures that I already created using the appearance panel? Seems like you can build upon text using the appearance panel, but not visa-versa. Is that correct? I thought I was being proactive using the appearance panel the other day to build a burst that I was later going to add text to. But now that I have the text I cant find a way to add it into the appearance panel. I got around it by making what I had built into a graphic style and then applying that to the text. But I had to redefine the shapes that I had originally built to make it work.
Also, is there any way to break these elements apart when you use transform in the appearance panel? For instance, sometimes I will create a pattern using the transform tool and then I am asked to change the color of the shape in the middle.
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