Reverse searching images

[JNYtrefzger]

Hello all,
First time poster, long time reader.
I am looking for a way to reverse search images. In other words, I want to be able to search a .psd file and find all the .ai files that have this file (.psd) linked to it. I cant believe there is not a way to search this. Please help.

 

[Stephen Marsh]

This might help

https://gist.github.com/jrk/333521

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/...paths-of-linked-images-in-adobe-illustrator-9


Stephen Marsh

 

[Stephen Marsh]

What you need is a way to search the metadata (XMP?) in an AI file. Probably easier said than done!

The following can't be recorded in an action in CS5 and would probably need to be scripted (if it is possible).

I am sure there are better ways, however Illustrator has a Document Info palette. It has an option to save the info to a text file (the script should ideally use the AI document file name as the name of the exported text file). If the option for "selection only" is unticked, then all info is saved.

The resulting text file will then have the file name and path of linked files. One could point a script at the AI files, export their document info to disk and then search the text within the documents for a particular known file name (such as using the Mac OS finder to search within the file contents).

Not very elegant, however it would work. Not being a scripter or programmer I am not sure if there are better ways to do this.


Stephen Marsh