Better "Saved Selection" handling.

using "select>save selection" in illustrator 5.1 i'm linking compound paths in multiple layers need maintain relative positions each other. problem's of work requires many of these selections per file , that's current ai implementation falls short. i'd able organize these selections in tree view structure , have in open palette add, delete, rename , categorize them.

 

i've been looking @ reference materials, object model , peter kahrel's "scriptui dummies". @ first appearance doesn't doable without more advanced knowledge judging posts i've seen here. in particular, discussion points using "bridge talk" maybe roll own version of selection set ui. tremendously useful feature i'm far behind curve in reasonable time frame on own. willing put time real hope has done or portion of , willing share insight and/or code.

i wonder kind of treeview structure have in mind storing sets of selections.

my big idea using special adobe illustrator 'scripting tag' objects, can assign these special tags objects inside selection , give each 1 value consisting of name of current selection. you'll able assign multiple selections same items if needed, create combinations of items selecting kinds of different ways.

one problem having loop through items in document read tags when selection activated slowness of process in situations document has many many items (i'd on 5000-10,000). if document has 'reasonable' amount of art, depending on circumstances allow, selection effect should instant.

the ui & bridgetalk portions of potential tool possible , proven, take effort create robust treeview editing capabilities.

and, these selections stored inside of document art special tag information, scriptui palette need refreshed manually inside of new document because not able sense when you've switched documents or opened one. in order categorize 'selection' ui items in more involved way selection's 'name' value, and have order stick around next time work inside document, script need store own document-specific settings somewhere, such external text file or document's own metadata spot, , need read in 'load' category/order structure along reading of document's art named 'selection' tags.

so, yea - that's take on it, you'll have accept manually refreshing palette per document , waiting on script go through every item in it, , possibly using metadata or data file store additional saved data -- , should totally mc-totally possible!

More discussions in Illustrator Scripting

adobe