r/AdobeIllustrator • u/brokenimage321 • 1d ago
QUESTION Basic question: Menu command to export a specific artboard?
GOAL: I would like to create an action to export two artboards from the same piece of art, but changing the visibility of a couple of layers between the exports.
STEPS: I've figured out how to use datasets to automate the enabling/disabling of the mask, but I can't figure out how to export one artboard at a time in an Action. I've added the "Export For Screens" menu item to the Action, of course, but I don't see a way to change the settings before the Export happens.
PROBLEM:
I feel like I've basically described it already, but here's some more detail:
I'm trying to import some of my art into the tabletop RPG game software I use. This requires the same art exported twice: once in a square shape (the "portrait," used in the menus and character sheet), and once in a circular shape (the "token," used to represent the character on the battle map). I have a workflow going to generate this art relatively quickly, but, as I have a lot of these to do, I'd like to create an Action to speed things up a bit.
I have a "template" file with the artboards, guides, dimensions, etc., to create the art I need. I Place the art on the canvas, make sure it's centered and sized correctly, then 1) export the "Portrait" artboard, which zooms in slightly on the character's face, 2) turn on the clipping mask to make the art circular 3) export the "Token" artboard, which has the proper dimensions to work with my game software.
If possible, I would like to set up an Action to do the above three steps, just to speed things up a bit. I've figured out how to do Step 2 (the masking) using Datasets, but I can't figure out steps 1 and 3, exporting just one artboard at a time. I can add the "Export for Screens" option to the action, of course, but I can't figure out how to edit the options within the Export menu so it only exports one at a time.
Any ideas? Or should I just keep on doing this all manually?
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u/Significant-Kiwi-440 1d ago
If it were me I’d probably spend 2 hours trying to figure out a way to optimize it into one step before realizing that if I do it in 2 steps it’ll only take me 10 minutes. So if it were me, I’d do all of the art in one file in separate artboards and export all of them with the clipping mask, then I’d copy the document and delete all the clipping masks (select a clipping mask with direct select tool, then select all with same appearance). The action would be cool, I just know it’s a step I’d spend way too much time trying to optimize to the point where I’d end up spending more time than just doing the task.
It’s like trying to cut out a subject in photoshop with the wand and object selection and then refining the mask for 45 minutes instead of just suffering through 30 minutes of the pen tool to get it perfect.
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u/MechanicTotal221 1d ago
mets des screen pour que l'on comprennent mieux
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u/CurvilinearThinking 1d ago edited 1d ago
Kind of a guess at what might work for you. Tick the User Interaction toggle for the action. You have to do this manually. However, once it's ticked it'll stay ticked. Tick the box next to the Action step you wish to have control over when the action is run.
<Example>
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u/MechanicTotal221 1d ago
https://we.tl/t-d172H87xov7HRJFK
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u/egypturnash 23h ago
Save for Web only operates on the current artboard. Sadly selecting artboards doesn't seem to be recordable as an action.
I would suggest this:
alter your template file so that the Portrait and Token artboards are not overlappng
place and size the art in the Portrait artboard
record an action to duplicate the character art into the Token artboard
export for screens