I developed a CEP extension for Adobe Illustrator to assist clients in setting up and inspecting templates for use with LEAP, an automated workflow. The extension was designed to automate template validation, streamline the process of creating required layers and artboards, and provide real-time feedback on the status of essential template elements. This ensured that clients could quickly set up and validate their templates for use in production workflows, minimizing errors and manual interventi
What I delivered:
- Graphic Validation: The extension inspected graphics to ensure they were properly named and structured, including:
- CAD Artboard Validation: Checked for artboards prefixed with CAD: to validate their pairing with guides on the CADS layer.
- Product Artboard Validation: Ensured that all product artboards were correctly named, starting with the string PRODUCT:.
- Alert System: Incorporated a dynamic alert system that displayed warnings and instructions for resolving template issues.
- CEP (Common Extensibility Platform): Used JavaScript, HTML, and CSS to develop the Illustrator extension UI.
Result: The LEAP Template Helper improved the accuracy and efficiency of template setup for clients, reducing manual errors and providing a more seamless integration with the LEAP process . The extension simplified template inspection by giving real-time visual feedback and offering one-click solutions to create missing layers and artboards. It enabled
Overview
I developed a CEP extension for Adobe Illustrator to assist clients in setting up and inspecting templates for use with LEAP, an automated workflow. The extension was designed to automate template validation, streamline the process of creating required layers and artboards, and provide real-time feedback on the status of essential template elements. This ensured that clients could quickly set up and validate their templates for use in production workflows, minimizing errors and manual intervention.
Key Features & Responsibilities:
- Layer Validation & Creation: Implemented logic to check the existence of three essential layers: LIVE_ART, SIZED_ART, and CADS. If missing, the extension provided options to create the required layers automatically.
- Visual Status Indicators: Displayed checkmarks for existing layers and warnings with an option to "Create Layer" for missing ones.
- Create All Button: Added a one-click option to create all missing layers.
- Graphic Validation: The extension inspected graphics to ensure they were properly named and structured, including:
- Verifying sublayers named GRAPHIC:[Name] within the LIVE_ART layer.
- Checking corresponding guide layers named BOUNDS:[Name] in both the LIVE_ART and SIZED_ART layers.
- CAD Artboard Validation: Checked for artboards prefixed with CAD: to validate their pairing with guides on the CADS layer.
- Identified unmatched artboards or guides, alerting users when corrections were needed.
- Product Artboard Validation: Ensured that all product artboards were correctly named, starting with the string PRODUCT:.
- Alert System: Incorporated a dynamic alert system that displayed warnings and instructions for resolving template issues.
- Alerts and text content were dynamically pulled from a leap_template_helper.json file, allowing for easy updates.
Technologies & Tools:
- CEP (Common Extensibility Platform): Used JavaScript, HTML, and CSS to develop the Illustrator extension UI.
- Adobe Illustrator Scripting: Utilized Illustrator’s scripting API to automate layer and artboard creation, validation, and modification.
- JSON Configuration: The extension's alert system was configurable through an external JSON file, allowing easy maintenance of warning messages and button actions.
Skills Applied:
- CEP Development: Created a custom extension panel in Adobe Illustrator for template validation and automation.
- Adobe Illustrator API: Programmed automated validation and creation workflows for layers, artboards, and guide objects.
- JavaScript and JSON: Used for scripting and dynamically configuring alerts and actions within the extension.
Outcome:
The LEAP Template Helper improved the accuracy and efficiency of template setup for clients, reducing manual errors and providing a more seamless integration with the LEAP process. The extension simplified template inspection by giving real-time visual feedback and offering one-click solutions to create missing layers and artboards. It enabled users to quickly validate templates for production, ensuring all necessary elements were in place before export.