information graphics - Illustrator variables / data-driven documents: how to batch-export one file for each data set?

With the Variables window in Illustrator you can make something a bit like a data-merge document with lots of variants for different records (InDesign’s data merge is usually better, but I have to use Illustrator for this, for other features that are in Illustrator and not in InDesign).

After setting these up, you get an Illustrator document with a drop-down menu in the Variables window that lets you switch between different many variants on a template.

How do I turn this into lots of static files (or a static file with lots of artboards), similar to the Create merged document option in InDesign?

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Some handy links on Illustrator variables / dynamic documents:

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Example. Say, you’ve done the following steps in Illustrator, creating a dynamic document with variants:

1. Create a chart with the graph tool, put some data in it.


2. Open Variables window, select the chart, click Make Graph Dynamic and create a new graph variable.


3. Capture data set from the variables flyout menu.


4. Save variable library as XML.


5. Put data in the XML – e.g. for testing you could just open the XML in a plain text editor, find the chunk from to , and copy and paste it a few times, varying the data values and dataSetName.


6. Reload the new XML variable library from the variables flyout menu.

You now have a drop-down menu that lets you switch the chart between each data set you created.

Let’s say there were 1,000 variants. How would you turn this into a directory of 1,000 separate files (any format: PDF or AI are both fine) with filenames based on the data set name, without manually switching and doing Save as each time?

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I'd have thought there would be an option, like InDesign Data-Merge’s Create merged document, but I can’t find one anywhere. Failing that, I'm sure that Actions should be able to do this, but I can't figure out how. If not Actions, maybe a script can do it.

Or if that’s not possible directly, is there a way to make one mega-file with an artboard for each data set (which can then be split into separate files)?

Answer

Yes, the data set exporting is very well tucked away.

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To export the data sets into pdf's you need to do this:

• Make a new action where you simply save a pdf document.


• Then from the corner menu in Actions window, select Batch...

You should:

• Select the action you just made


• Select source: Data sets


• and Override action "save" commands.

Then press ok.

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I have never used this for thousands of pdf's, so I'm not sure how long it'll take, but that should do the job.