help i need a script for illustrator cs

[pcfd]

i have to save all my design to version 8 Ai and it's a pain doing the same old export etc etc so i'm looking for a script that will always save the design to v 8 is this possible ?

pcfd

 

[jmgalvin]

Window Menu/Actions

Open a current ILL doc

Click triangle at top, select New Action & give it a name. Hit start recording.

Go to File/Export/Legacy Illustrator. Select destination folder and AI version 8 and save. Hit Stop Recording button in Actions window.

The weakness is that you have to have a default folder to save all your AI docs since the script is set that way. To change, you'd have to have 2 scripts breaking at the save window with the destination and placing them both under the new script. Then click the master to run with toggle dialog enabled

You'll get the warning box about saving to older version unless yu disable that before recording the script.

Open any current AI doc, click the script(s) and hit Play current Selection in the Actions window

 

[pcfd]

the problem with this is when the dialog box for filename the script seams to stop.

do you think a vba routine would be better?

cheers
pcfd

 

[jmgalvin]

I work on a mac - can't help with vba.

I ran the script and it worked - created a folder "AI8" saving all to that. I didn't use the dialog for name. I recorded it without the giving the AI8 doc a name - relying onthe name of my ILL CS doc. Saving to the AI8 folder stops any naming conflicts in one folder.

 

[pcfd]

What i find is that it will always ask for a filename and i think thats because it's a new filename and a new name, so the script remembers the name of the doc you used when you made the script.

Cheers
pcfd

 

[jmgalvin]

I know know about Windows, but mac automaically uses the name of the present file. You get a conflcit if you try to put something in the same folder as the original, so I made the script pick the AI8 folder that I created and the whole thing runs.

If I have a doc named "picture.ai", when I export it the name that comes up witout typing is "picture.ai" and when I choose something like eps the name automatically becomes "picture.eps".

In the case of the script, it called for exporting "picture.ai" as a legacy .ai. That keeps the name as "picture.ai" without any intervention on my part, but the script changed the destination folder to "AI8".

Since it's better to keep your originals in your latest ILL version and only export to older when it's needed by a recipient, I don't think it's such a good idea to backsave all documents - replacing yur originals.

 

[pcfd]

I think what is happening is that the script is ok until you use a ill doc with a different name . ie open picture1.ai then create a script and that will work fine then open picture2.ai and that's when it will full over because the script remembers the filename when the script was created.

cheers
pcfd

 

[jmgalvin]

Do not enter a filename when recording the script. Leave what's there. That's unless Windows requires it. Mac doesn't as long as the destination folder is different from the origin.