Duplicate Paths in Illustrator

[SNYCI_44]

We have need to take Illustrator files containing only Vector(Path) data and send to a CAD plotter. In many cases, the supplied artwork will contain duplicate paths of the elements which causes issues with the plotter. Currently we need to manually search out the duplicate paths and delete them. Is there a more efficient method, either in Illustrator or some other application that can interpret Illustrator vector files, or a Plug-in for Illustrator that will recognize these duplicates to allow them to be deleted.
Thank you.

 

[MJNC]

Dupe Paths

Dupe Paths

Hey SNYCI;
This is a manual process; but it may help.
When you select all of the lines in the Illustrator doc; do they all have the same color value? I ask because In Illustrator; if you select a path that you know is a duplicate, you can then use the “Select > Same > Stroke Color” and eliminate that way.
The other way is for you to create a new layer, turn the eyeball off on it, then keep selecting individual lines and moving their layer dot to the new layer one at a time. You can always undo if you move something that you need; but with the eyeball off on the new layer, each line will disappear when it gets its layer moved. Keep doing that until you have only one set of lines left.
When you are down to the last line for any position, select it and lock it (command-2). You should end up with one set of lines all locked on your live layer. Then you can throw away the layer you created for the duplicates and unlock.
Or select the topmost stroke for each line and throw them all on another layer; should end you up with one set of lines.
There are a bunch of ways to do this in Illustrator manually that should not take you very long.
Hope this helps!! Peace to the PrintPlanet!
_mjnc

 

[kyle]

Select all, change stroke colors (and fills if you have any) to CMYK white, then change the blending mode to "difference" in the transparency palette, making sure the opacity is 100%. This should hide all of the unique objects and show the duplicates in black. Then revert the document and delete the duplicates. You should probably do Object > Unlock All first, and also change all stroke weights to something like 10 points so they are more visible.

To detect an odd number of identical objects, you should also turn on the overprint attribute for all strokes and fills.