Illustrator Scripting :: ScriptUI - Bring Palette To Front On Mac
Sep 15, 2012
on my Windows 7 home computer I am able to create UI progress bars and popup messages for my UI window and everything works just fine. Now, I come to work on the Macintosh and they don't work so well. In this question, I would like to learn if there is a technique to bring a palette to the front when one is created, such as for this progress bar example, on a Mac. The palette appears deactivated and in back for me. It is unseen most of the time because it appears in the center of the screen behind the window by default, and when I move my window we can see the palette but there is no progress bar going on.
As you can see in the screenshot, my main window is deactivated because I attempted to get the progress bar active by deactivating the main window, obviously not successful. I also set the palette to active, which did not work.And, as I have implied, on my home computer on Windows things appear just as expected with the progress bar working and palettes appearing in front and active.
ESTK for AI CS6 is already known to create problems (e.g. URL....).It’s possible that, in dialogs created with ScriptUI, AI CS6 also fails to display images with transparency properly. On my (Mac) system at least, such images appear with an aliased edge.
If this is true it’s doubly unfortunate, since with CS6 Adobe chose to make AI’s background interface colour adjustable—which makes interface images with transparency something of a requirement.
One workaround, which sadly negates the whole business of variable interface background colour, is to create dialog images with a background colour instead of transparency, and then force the dialog to display with the same background colour. For this technique we’re indebted again to Peter Kahrel’s invaluable ScriptUI for Dummies (URL...). Page 69 of that publication shows how to do this—for example:
The process is, to say the least, quirky: and, as Peter mentions, poorly documented by Adobe. But I hope it may be useful to others trying to use ScriptUI. The more I see of AI CS6 the more I like CS4! I develop scripts for CS6 using ESTK for CS4?
I've been trying to pull together the right info to use JavaScript to create a form to bring in particular symbols from the symbol library based on the variables taken from the form. I've taken bits and pieces from various sample scripts and tried to make this work, but my problem appears when I try to use conditionals.This is a limited version of what I want to do, but it is enough to get the point across.
1. I want to select a script that has various dropdown boxes. I would like the first dropdown to give me 3 options: 10, 13, 18 2. I would also like another drop down box that gives me three more options: single needle, double needle, and knife edge. 3. I would then like it to have an "ok" button and "Cancel" button. 4. From here when I click the ok button, a symbol is brought in from the library depending on what parameters were given to the form.
ex. If I selected 10 in the first drop down and double needle in the second, I would like "SYMBOL A" to be pulled from the library and centered on the artboard.ex. If I selected 13 in the first drop down and double needle in the second, I would like "SYMBOL B" to be pulled from the library and centered on the artboard.
I've gotten the UI to pop up and it works as planned as well as bringing in a symbol, my problem comes when I try to incorporate conditionals and functions.Here is my script.
I have a MText object and a solid hatch. Now the hatch is in front then I can't see the text. What can I do to use code bring the Mtext object to front?
I am having a problem with dimensions and making them opaque. I want to use "Bring to Front" to solve it, but Revit does not give me this option.
To detail out my problem: I have a dim style style setup to make dimesion text mask out objects behind it. The problem we are having is that if I draw one dimension, then draw a second dimenion that is over top of the first dim's text the second's extension line is not hidden behind the text. If I delete the first text and redraw it, it will then hide the second dim's extension line. The proper solution is to use "Bring to Front" to fix it. But Revit is not giving me this option. I am using 2011 right now. Has this been fixed in newer versions of Revit, or did the programmers never figure we would need to do that?
I have tried turning off all the other layers, selecting everything visible, invoking DRAWORDER, and selecting "front", but when I turn the other layers back on, some of them are still in front of what I want to be visible. It's a big document with a bazillion objects and 20+ layers; going through and selecting every one of them individually could take hours.
I remember reading a while ago about being able to select the layer you want and have everything on that layer brought to the front for ease of editing, however i can't remember the command name.
I installed GIMP onto my laptop. What I want to know how to do is to bring the image I'm working on in front of the toolbar windows. I thought I remember reading that you can change a setting but I couldn't find it when I looked in Preferences.
I am writing a script for Illustrator. I created a palette with some buttons. I like to keep the palette open while working in Illustrator. The problem is, that the buttons don't work. For example, I have a delete button that should delete my active selection. When I change the Window Type from palette to dialog everything works correctly.
var w = new Window ("palette"); w.orientation = "row"; w.text = "Path Transform"; var f = File ("/C/icons/corner-tr.png"); var corner_tr = w.add ("iconbutton", undefined, f ); var corner_tl = w.add ("iconbutton", undefined, f ); var corner_br = w.add ("iconbutton", undefined, f ); var corner_bl = w.add ("iconbutton", undefined, f ); corner_tr.onClick = function () { selectedObject[0].remove(); createLines(); }
When I run a script that brings up a palette window from ExtenScript toolkit the window behaves as I expect.But when I load the same script from illustrator (ctrl+12) the window does not show, or is instantly closed.
I've got a script that creates a palette that does some calculations when a button is pressed - but something in the script is failing silently. (this question is about how to debug things like this, not what the problem is in my specific script)
I've read the debugging tips in the Javascript tools guide, and based on that, re-opened the script in the Extendscript Toolkit instead of my usual text editor, chosen Illustrator, and hit the green 'Go' button. But, either I've missed something fundamental, or this isn't designed for palettes - the script runs in Illustrator, successfully pops up the palette, considers the job done, pats itself on the back, and closes the palette before I can begin debugging the button.
I'm looking for something where I can test the palette doing regular Illustrator work and see debug messages, set breakpoints, etc. I've tried the old-school approach of just filling the code with 'alert("blah")'s but it doesn't work - my code reaches an
and doesn't alert either of them, or give any error message.
If I was working in a browser, I'd just plonk in a "console.log( app.activeDocument.selection )" and browse the object structure to see what's going on, is there any Illustrator equivalent?
I'm using a mac running illustrator cs5 and have about 4 thousand eps files (all vector paths filled with black) that need to be assigned colors randomly from a defined color palette (25 custom swatches). The first 2 swatches should be omitted- they aren't relevant to this task.
The script should open the file select all vector elements and assign a random color form the defined custom swatch palette then save the file and move on to the next.
I try to open mulitple ai files through palette dialog but it fails on Error:8702, there is no document. But if i change to var win = new Window ("dialog", "Batch"); the open file works well.
var txtSourceFolder = win.add("edittext",undefined); var btnOk = win.add("button",undefined,"Run"); btnOk.onClick=function(){ try
A lot of times I'll be working on multiple .psd files and as I'm moving between files I'll notice that all the layers & layer comps will disappear from their palette
[URL]
I can bring them back by doing something like clicking on the text tool and then clicking on a text item on the stage. It's annoying because it takes a couple of clicks for the palette(s) to redisplay.
Is this a bug or is there a setting in preferences that can control this?
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?
Yes i could open illustrator and bring art in photoshop. But that's very annoying there are things that i like about photoshop and there are that i like about illustrator so my opinion is to make a new version that have both this way it won't offend people who dont like what i like.
Photoshop: -line tool is bad. -Lacks much of the basic vector tools, which most are available in illustrator. (line width change, pen pressure dependent, smooth) -choosing color is much easier than illustrator. More sensible -You can more easily draw gradients on shapes.
Illustrator: -make lines that are trully art of work. -merge, combine seperate shapes just by overlaying them.
Basically, most tools in PS are great but it lacks a lot in vector area. I also like transform tool. I want all capabilities of illustrator on top of photoshop's but with some improvements at illustrator side. So i don't want adobe to bring bad things about illustrator in photoshop and break it.
There is a logo that I am trying to bring into Photoshop as a smart object. I'm copying it in Illustrator and pasting in PS. However, when I do, some of the color is missing.
I checked the mode and it's RGB Color and 8 bits per channel.
I brought a pdf into Illustrator and I want to draw a line over a portion of that pdf, but when I draw the line it appears to place it behind the pdf - obscuring portions of the line. I have tried selecting the new line and bringing it to the front or selecting the pdf and sending it to the back without any success.
what I do, my text box will not come to the front of my color-filled box. Is this a pc bug? I am used to working on Illustrator with a mac and experience little problems. I am using CS5 with Windows 7.
I use minus front all the time... well, I'm trying to make a pie chart with just the outside (see example). The logical way to do this to me is the make the pie chart, put an ellipse over everything and "minus front" it using the pathfinder tool. Well, I did this, and even though "minus front" is an available option--I can even click it--nothing happens when I click it. Even when I isolate each wedge of the pie chart, I cannot get any part of it to clip using "minus front."
I'm new to the adobe family and I'm working on a design for one of my friends and he came across a look he was wanting. The problem is I cant figure out how to get the text that is overlapping to alternate from in front to behind and so on and so forth.
I've been attempting to create a cut- out border using the Minus Front tool, within the Pathinder window, in order to cut small circles out of the edge of a rectangle, giving it that perforated, stamp-edge look to its sides. Unfortunately, everytime I try to use the Minus Front option to cut them away from the rectangle, I end up making all of the circles disappear, except for the one that was originally selected, and I simply cannot make the Minus Front happen the way I'm looking for.
What I have, with my circles drawn out and properly spaced, looks like this:
So, I take the regular selection tool, hold down Shift, and select them all, being extra careful not to click on the rectangle itself:
And select the Minus Front option, only to be left with:
I am creating some icons with numbers on. I need them to be on a transparent background. I have created the main shape and I simple what to cut out the number that I have put in the middle so it will appear the same colour as the background. I have successfully done this with some of the icons by using the following process:
Create the Number with the text tool > Create Outline > Select Object and main Shape > Use Minus Front Path Finder Tool.
This was all going really well until I got to 4. When I minus the number object the shape distorts so the upright column of the 4 becomes wide then the original text version. The change is too much to ignore. The same problem happens with 10, 11 and 12. The problem appears to be with the upright columns but strangely is not a problem with the 1.
It looks like the path anchors are snaping to the grid I have no the Artboards. The scale of the distortion depends on the distance from the nearest gridline. I have tried turn off snap to grid and the grid itself but I still get the same result.
