Detecting Vector Art Layers in ExtendScript

[Dan Ebberts]

Probably something like this:


if((myComp.layer(a) instanceof AVLayer) && (myComp.layer(a).source instanceof FootageItem) && (myComp.layer(a).source.mainSource instanceof FileSource)){
var splitName = myComp.layer(a).source.mainSource.file.name.split(".");
if ((splitName[splitName.length-1].toLowerCase() == "ai") || (splitName[splitName.length-1].toLowerCase() == "eps")){
myComp.layer(a).selected = true;
app.executeCommand(app.findMenuCommandId("Create Shapes from Vector Layer"));
myComp.layer(a).selected = false;
}
}


Dan

[Jay Brown]

Thank you Dan, it works perfect! I haven’t ever used split before, that’s brilliant.

It seems like there should be a way to access the metadata in the Project Panel. In the Project panel the AI and EPS items Type category has “Vector Art” listed. Is it possible to read the project item’s Type category?

[Juanluis Vich]

hi!
I’m trying to get it working adding the possibility to convert text to shape as well, so if you select a bunch of vector art + text layers they are all converted together, but I cannot make it work properly, I added this to Dan’s code (changing “myComp.layer(a)” with “myLayer” to fit the rest of the working code.
If I select text layers it works well, but if I select both vector and text, it just does the vector conversion:


if((myLayer instanceof TextLayer)){
app.executeCommand(app.findMenuCommandId("Create Shapes from Text"));
}


any ideas? thanks!

the whole code looks like this:


app.beginUndoGroup("convert");
var myLayers = app.project.activeItem.selectedLayers;
var myLayer;
for (var i = 0; i < myLayers.length; i++){
myLayer = myLayers[i];

if((myLayer instanceof AVLayer) && (myLayer.source instanceof FootageItem) && (myLayer.source.mainSource instanceof FileSource)){
app.executeCommand(app.findMenuCommandId("Create Shapes from Vector Layer"));
}
else if((myLayer instanceof TextLayer)){
app.executeCommand(app.findMenuCommandId("Create Shapes from Text"));
}
}
app.endUndoGroup();

[Dan Ebberts]

I think the issue is probably that when you execute one of those menu commands, it expects the target layer(s) to be selected, but after the operation, the new layer becomes selected, messing up the next iteration.

Dam

[Juanluis Vich]

oh! thanks for the idea!

I added this but still not working, I guess it’s not enough for make it work properly? (I played with several selected/unselected combinations, but nothing)


if((myLayer instanceof AVLayer) && (myLayer.source instanceof FootageItem) && (myLayer.source.mainSource instanceof FileSource)){

myLayer.selected = true;
app.executeCommand(app.findMenuCommandId("Create Shapes from Vector Layer"));
myLayer.selected = false;

}

if((myLayer instanceof TextLayer)){

myLayer.selected = true;
app.executeCommand(app.findMenuCommandId("Create Shapes from Text"));
myLayer.selected = false;

}

anyway, thanks!!

[Dan Ebberts]

This seems to work:


function processLayer(theComp,theLayer){
for (var i = 1; i <= theComp.numLayers; i++){
theComp.layer(i).selected = false;
}
if((theLayer instanceof AVLayer) && (theLayer.source instanceof FootageItem) && (theLayer.source.mainSource instanceof FileSource)){
var splitName = theLayer.source.mainSource.file.name.split(".");
if ((splitName[splitName.length-1].toLowerCase() == "ai") || (splitName[splitName.length-1].toLowerCase() == "eps")){
theLayer.selected = true;
app.executeCommand(app.findMenuCommandId("Create Shapes from Vector Layer"));
theLayer.selected = false;
}
}else if (theLayer instanceof TextLayer){
theLayer.selected = true;
app.executeCommand(app.findMenuCommandId("Create Shapes from Text"));
theLayer.selected = false;
}
}
var myComp = app.project.activeItem;
var myLayers = myComp.selectedLayers;

app.beginUndoGroup("convert");
for (var i = 0; i < myLayers.length; i++){
processLayer(myComp, myLayers[i]);
}
app.endUndoGroup();


Dan

[Juanluis Vich]

awesome!!! thank you!!!

[Juanluis Vich]

just a quick question related to your code,
is there a way to manipulate the new converted layers? How it would be possible to access them?
I’d like to change the label color of these new shape layers, or their opacity, or set some scale values, etc
something like
newLayer.label = 3
etc

thanks!!

[Dan Ebberts]

This should work:


function processLayer(theComp,theLayer){
for (var i = 1; i <= theComp.numLayers; i++){
theComp.layer(i).selected = false;
}
if((theLayer instanceof AVLayer) && (theLayer.source instanceof FootageItem) && (theLayer.source.mainSource instanceof FileSource)){
var splitName = theLayer.source.mainSource.file.name.split(".");
if ((splitName[splitName.length-1].toLowerCase() == "ai") || (splitName[splitName.length-1].toLowerCase() == "eps")){
theLayer.selected = true;
app.executeCommand(app.findMenuCommandId("Create Shapes from Vector Layer"));
theLayer.selected = false;
theComp.selectedLayers[0].label = 3;
}
}else if (theLayer instanceof TextLayer){
theLayer.selected = true;
app.executeCommand(app.findMenuCommandId("Create Shapes from Text"));
theLayer.selected = false;
theComp.selectedLayers[0].label = 3;
}
}
var myComp = app.project.activeItem;
var myLayers = myComp.selectedLayers;

app.beginUndoGroup("convert");
for (var i = 0; i < myLayers.length; i++){
processLayer(myComp, myLayers[i]);
}
app.endUndoGroup();


Dan

[Juanluis Vich]

super!! infinite thanks!