John Garrett describes a bug with Adobe Illustrator's handling of the visibility variable after importing. He then shows how to counter this bug by using the "Cycle Update All Datasets" button in the Variable Importer script, and explains the potential cost in time of using the Variable Importer Cycle Update feature.
- [Voiceover] In this video,…I want to show you a minor issue I've seen…with regards to the visibility variable.…I'm gonna import all the variables again,…and because I have my presets loaded,…I can do this again very quickly.…So I'll choose the Variable Importer script.…When it loads, I'll choose our CSV file.…And as we can see,…the directories for my graphs and my image…are already filled in,…Bind By Name is already selected,…all the settings that I chose before are already selected.…I can refresh the tests…and see that everything's fine.…
So I'll go ahead and click Import Variables.…I'll click OK here.…And we can see, everything is looking fine.…So, let's take a look at my Layers panel.…We can see that the deputy badge is currently hidden,…because the eye icon is turned off.…I'm gonna turn that back on now.…If we check our variables panel,…we'll see that everything's fine.…The only problem is…showing the deputy badge…should have triggered an update warning…in the data set name.…To quickly switch back to our Excel file…
Author
John Garrett
Released
4/26/2016Designer John Garrett appreciates the many different types of variables and their practical uses, including generating business cards and direct mailers. In this course, he explains how to use variable data including managing linked images, graphics, tables of data, and graphs. He covers the entire workflow, from setup to exporting dynamic batches.
- Setting up Illustrator files
- Using Appearances
- Setting up data sources
- Importing data
- Managing linked variables
- Binding and using prepend paths and presets
- Using the Variables panel
- Naming data sets
- Generating multiple versions with batch exporting
Skill Level Advanced
Duration
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Introduction
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1. Exploring Variable Data
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What Is Variable Data?1m 12s
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Different types of variables4m 16s
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2. Setting up Illustrator Files
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Naming objects4m 25s
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Using area type2m 32s
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Using point type1m 57s
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Using variable data graphics4m 50s
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3. Setting up a CSV Document
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Setting up data in Excel3m 25s
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Saving a CSV file3m 11s
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4. Importing using Variable Importer Script
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Opening Variable Importer3m 19s
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Creating and using presets1m 32s
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Testing and importing a CSV2m 22s
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5. Working with the Variables Panel
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Uploading data sets4m 8s
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Dealing with overset text3m 41s
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6. Exporting and Reviewing
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Creating a save action3m 25s
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Conclusion
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Next steps1m 12s
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Video: Resolving the visibility variable issue