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Replacing Images in Illustrator
I must apologize if I’m not up on the Illustrator lingo. When I search for help on google, the lingo overwhelms me so after much frustration I’m hoping someone here can help me.
I use illustrator at work on occasion. I have this vector image/document that has 15 images (objects) of rabbits in it. I want to select all 15 rabbits, and replace them with 15 gold fishes. When the gold fishes replace the rabbits they do so in the same location. Basically swapping the 15 rabbits with the 15 gold fishes and the gold fishes maintains the same size and location as the rabbits.
At one time I actually done this but for the life of me I can’t remember how it I did it and I can’t find the help file searching google.
I can’t remember if I selected the layers than used a short cut key to replace it or if selected the objects and used the place command. I actually played around with the place command but no luck but maybe when I did it before I used the place command with another key combination. Again, my memory is not coming up with how I did it before.
When I search the net now, I come up with all these references to replacing symbols but I don’t think symbols is the same thing as objects (the 15 rabbit images).
Any help or thoughts would be appreciated.
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4 Replies
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You probably want to use the Links palette – Window > Links. Then select the image and click the Relink button.
Vince
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Hmmm, that didn’t help because when I go to the link panel, the file does not show up.
Let me explain again in case I did not explain well the first time.
1. I open a VECTOR image (the image is EPS format)
2. The vector image has 15 objects of a rabbit
3. I want to select the 15 rabbits and replace them with 15 gold fishes.
4. When I replace the rabbits with the gold fishes, I want the gold fishes be in the same size and same location as the rabbits were.
What I did was select one of the rabbits, went to the link panel in illustrator cs6, but there was noting in the link panel. Not sure why. I did it several times and made sure the object was selected but each time the link panel was empty.
I notice if the embedded image is a raster image (JPG or PNG) it shows up in the link panel but not when it is vector (EPS).
Any more thoughts or help.
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Oh. No, as you noticed, it doesn’t work with embedded items, it would have to be a placed/external/linked file. I misunderstood. I thought you were talking about linked files.
Using Symbols
Another setup might be to make a Symbol out of the rabbit, and another symbol out of the gold fish.
Drag a rabbit into the Symbols palette. Drag a gold fish into the Symbols palette.
Replace the each of the existing rabbits with the new rabbit symbol.
Now, you can programmatically replace these symbols with a different symbol.
Select all of the symbols in the artboard you want to replace (the rabbits), then click the symbol in the Symbols palette that you want to replace with (the fish), then click the drop-down menu in the Symbols palette and Replace Symbol.There are a few different ways you can set up an AI project, so that it meets certain workflow requirements.
We’ve looked at 2 options, so far – Linked files vs Symbol objects. Any option you take would basically be a variation of these two options.Vince
*Please remember to Rate our replies or check Solution if solved. If you get a good idea from the post, consider clicking the Kudos option.
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Hello, does this feature still come with Phantasm? I have Phantasm installed in CC and can’t seem to find “Edit>Edit Image”. Would love to find this feature, thanks.
https://www.thecheesyanimation.com/3D-Walkthrough.html
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