Selection Inspector

Script for Adobe Illustrator

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Functionality

Selection Inspector is a powerful tool for Adobe Illustrator that provides a comprehensive analysis of your current selection. By categorizing and counting various elements, it offers detailed insights into the composition of your artwork. Additionally, it allows you to filter, re-select, and locate objects based on specific attributes such as color, transparency, blending mode, path type, and text properties, streamlining the management and organization of complex designs with precision and efficiency.

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Key Features:

• Detailed Analysis: Breaks down the current selection into categories, including paths, text, compound paths, groups, color modes, and count the occurrences of each category.
• Re-Selection and Location: Quickly locate and highlight items that match your chosen criteria within your artwork.
• Search Functionality: Use the integrated search bar to find categories effortlessly.
• Selection Saving: Save and reuse custom selections for future adjustments.
• Efficient Workflow: Save valuable time by quickly identifying and selecting specific objects within complex artwork.

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Installation

• Place the script file in your Adobe Illustrator scripts folder:
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  MacOS: /Applications/Adobe Illustrator <Version>/Presets/<Language>/Scripts
  Windows: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator <Version>\Presets\<Language>\Scripts
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• Restart Adobe Illustrator to load the script into the File > Scripts menu.

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Using the Script

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1. Make a Selection

• Use Illustrator’s selection tools (e.g., Selection Tool, Group Selection Tool) to select the objects you want to analyze.

2. Run the Script

• Go to File > Scripts > Selection Inspector to launch the script.

3. Analyze the Selection

• A dialog box will appear, providing a detailed breakdown of your selection:

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➊ Detailed Selection Breakdown

Selection Inspector serves as an interactive interface for displaying and managing the categorized breakdown of your current selection. Here’s what it does:

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1. Displays Categories and Counts:

• The list shows the categorized breakdown of selected items, such as Open Paths, Text Objects, Linked Documents, Symbol Instances, Gradient Meshes, etc.
• Each category is accompanied by a count, indicating the number of items in that category.

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2. Allows Selection of Categories:

• Users can select one or more categories to filter the selection.
• Multi-selection is supported:
  
  • Hold Ctrl (Cmd) to select multiple non-contiguous categories.
  • Hold Shift to select a range of categories.

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3. Search Integration:

• Works with the search bar above it, dynamically filtering the list to display only categories matching the search query.

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4. Filter and Highlight:

• Once categories are selected, pressing the Select button filters the current selection in the Illustrator document, highlighting only the items that belong to the chosen categories.
• Tip: Double-clicking an item in the listbox acts as a shortcut to apply the selection filter without needing to click the Select button.

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➋ Functionality of the Select Button

The Select button in the Selection Inspector dialog filters and updates the selection in your Adobe Illustrator document based on the categories chosen in the listbox. Here’s a detailed explanation:

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• When clicked, the button isolates and highlights only the objects in your document that match the selected categories in the listbox.
• If multiple categories are selected in the listbox, the button combines them, allowing you to locate and highlight all items across the chosen categories.
• For example, if you select “Paths with Fill” and “Text Objects,” clicking “Select” will deselect all other objects and retain only those that belong to these categories.

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Comprehensive List of Selectable Categories

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The Selection Inspector script categorizes and tracks selected objects in your Adobe Illustrator document based on their type, attributes, properties, and other characteristics. Below is a comprehensive breakdown of all categories:

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General Categories

• Total Items Selected: The total number of items currently selected in the document.
• Anchor Points: Counts the total number of anchor points across all selected paths.
• Partially Transparent Objects: Objects with an opacity value between 0% and 100%.
• Fully Transparent Objects: Objects with an opacity value of 0%.
• Groups: Grouped objects in the selection.
• Items in Groups: Individual objects that are part of a group.
• Guides: Selected guide elements in the document.

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Paths

• Any Paths: All paths in the selection.
• Open Paths: Paths that are not closed.
• Closed Paths: Fully enclosed paths.
• Paths With Fill: Paths containing a fill color.
• Paths Without Fill: Paths without a fill color.
• Paths With Stroke: Paths with a stroke applied.
• Paths Without Stroke: Paths without a stroke applied.
• Paths Without Fill & Stroke: Paths with neither a fill nor a stroke.
• Paths With Dashed Stroke: Paths with a dashed stroke applied.
• Paths With Undashed Stroke: Paths with a continuous stroke.
• Stray Points: Isolated points without connecting paths.
• Compound Paths: Compound paths within the selection.
• Clipping Paths: Paths used as clipping masks.

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Text

• Any Text Frames: All text objects in the selection.
• Empty Text Frames: Text objects with no content.
• Area Type Objects: Text confined within a bounding area.
• Point Type Objects: Text anchored at a specific point.
• Type on Path Objects: Text that follows a path.
• Total Characters: The total number of characters in all text objects.
• Total Words: The total number of words in all text objects.
• Total Text Lines: The total number of text lines across all text objects.
• Fonts Used: A number of fonts applied in the selected text objects.

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Images and Graphics

• Embedded Images: Embedded raster images.
• Linked Images: Linked raster images.
• Gradient Meshes: Objects using gradient mesh attributes.
• Graphs: Graph objects in the selection.
• Symbol Instances: Instances of symbols used in the selection.

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Blending Modes

• Normal: Objects using the "Normal" blending mode.
• Darken: Objects using the “Darken” blending mode.
• Multiply: Objects using the “Multiply” blending mode.
• Color Burn: Objects using the “Color Burn” blending mode.
• Lighten: Objects using the “Lighten” blending mode.
• Screen: Objects using the “Screen” blending mode.
• Color Dodge: Objects using the “Color Dodge” blending mode.
• Overlay: Objects using the “Overlay” blending mode.
• Soft Light: Objects using the “Soft Light” blending mode.
• Hard Light: Objects using the “Hard Light” blending mode.
• Difference: Objects using the “Difference” blending mode.
• Exclusion: Objects using the “Exclusion” blending mode.
• Hue: Objects using the “Hue” blending mode.
• Saturation: Objects using the “Saturation” blending mode.
• Color: Objects using the “Color” blending mode.
• Luminosity: Objects using the “Luminosity” blending mode.

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Color Attributes

• RGB Paths: Paths using RGB colors for fills or strokes.
• CMYK Paths: Paths using CMYK colors for fills or strokes.
• Grayscale Paths: Paths using grayscale colors for fills or strokes.
• Pattern Paths: Paths filled or stroked with patterns.
• Gradient Paths: Paths filled with gradient colors.
• Global/Spot Color Paths: Paths using global or spot colors.

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➌ Additional Features

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🅰 Resizable Dialog Window

The dialog window can be resized to fit your workspace preferences.

• You can manually resize the dialog by dragging its edges.
• The layout automatically adjusts to maintain visibility of all categories.

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🅱 Search Bar

Quickly filters the categories displayed in the listbox based on a typed query.

• As you type into the search bar, the script dynamically updates the list to display only the categories that match your query.
• It performs a case-insensitive search, making it easy to locate categories by partial names or keywords.

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🅲 Save Selection Shortcut

Saves the current selection for quick access later.

• Clicking the Save Selection icon stores the active selection in a reusable slot.
• This saved selection can be re-accessed directly from Illustrator’s native Select menu.

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🅳 Close Button

The Close button simply closes the dialog window without applying any changes to your selection or the Illustrator document.

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☻ Wrap-Up

Selection Inspector empowers you to take full control of your selections in Adobe Illustrator, saving you time and effort when working with complex artwork.

From identifying specific object types to filtering by detailed attributes, this script provides the insights and tools you need to enhance your design process. We hope you find it a valuable addition to your workflow.

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