Illustrator Automation Scripts

Two scripts for selecting objects in Adobe Illustrator by size:

• selectcirclesbyrange.jsx: Select circles within a diameter range.
  Usage: Run script, enter min/max diameter (mm or pt).

• selectobjectsbybounds.jsx: Select objects by width and height ranges.
  Usage: Run script, enter min/max width and height (mm or pt).

Ensure your document is open and objects are unlocked and visible before running.

HOW TO: Illustrator Selection Scripts

This guide explains how to install and run two Adobe Illustrator ExtendScript (JSX) utilities for selecting objects by size.

Scripts Covered

• selectcirclesbyrange.jsx — Selects circular items (including symbol instances) within a diameter range.
• selectobjectsbybounds.jsx — Selects any items by width/height ranges.

One‑Time Run

1. Open your Illustrator document.
2. Save the desired script as a .jsx file.
3. Illustrator → File → Scripts → Other Script… → choose your .jsx.
4. Follow the prompts.

Permanent Install (Menu Integration)

Copy .jsx files into the Illustrator Scripts folder, then restart Illustrator.

• macOS: /Applications/Adobe Illustrator [version]/Presets/en_US/Scripts
• Windows: C:\\Program Files\\Adobe\\Adobe Illustrator [version]\\Presets\\en_US\\Scripts

The scripts will appear under File → Scripts.

Input & Units

• Accepted units: mm and pt.
• If no unit is entered, the scripts default to mm.
• A small internal tolerance is used to handle rounding (no exact match required).

Usage Details

selectcirclesbyrange.jsx

• Prompts for Minimum diameter and Maximum diameter (leave blank for none).
• Treats items with width ≈ height as circles.
• Scans visible, unlocked items (paths, compound paths, symbol instances by rendered bounds).
• Result: matching items are selected; a dialog displays the count.

Examples

• Min: 50mm, Max: 100mm → selects circles 50–100 mm in diameter.
• Min: 200pt, Max: (blank) → selects circles ≥ 200 pt.
• Min: (blank), Max: 75mm → selects circles ≤ 75 mm.

selectobjectsbybounds.jsx

• Prompts for min/max width and min/max height (leave any blank for none).
• Matches any PageItem with width/height (paths, groups, compound paths, symbol instances, etc.).
• Skips hidden/locked items.
• Result: matching items are selected; a dialog displays the count.

Examples

• Width >= 20mm and Height <= 40mm.
• Width between 10mm–30mm, Height between 10mm–30mm.

Best Practices

• Save your document before running selections on large files.
• Lock or hide layers you don’t want processed to reduce scan time.
• Prefer these targeted scripts over Select → Same on very large documents.

Compatibility Notes

• Illustrator’s ExtendScript engine is ES3-level JavaScript.
• Avoid modern JS features when modifying scripts (e.g., trim, let/const, arrow functions).
• Use ES3-safe patterns (e.g., manual whitespace trim with regex) as already included in these scripts.

Troubleshooting

• Nothing selected: Check units and ranges; verify items are visible/unlocked and meet criteria.
• Invalid input: Enter numeric value plus optional unit (12, 34mm, 48pt).
• Script not in menu: Ensure file extension is .jsx and Illustrator was restarted after copying.
• Symbol instances not caught (circles script): Ensure the instances actually render as circles (equal width/height) and fit the range.

Notes on Performance

• Both scripts run in O(n) over pageItems and are faster than appearance-based global selection.
• Tolerance defaults:
  • Circles: ~0.25 pt for width≈height, ±0.5 pt for range checks.
  • Bounds: ~0.25 pt for range checks.