Script to nudge by 1/10 in Illustrator

Question

I wrote a script to nudge by 1/10 in Illustrator (like in InDesign). It works, but only for the whole object, even if I only select some anchors. Is there a way for it to work as well when only anchors (or paths) are selected?

Here is the script:

var myDis = app.preferences.getRealPreference ('cursorKeyLength'); 
var myDis = myDis/10 
var myDoc = app.activeDocument;  
var mySel = myDoc.selection;  

for ( var i = 0; i < mySel.length; i++ ) {  
mySel[i].top = mySel[i].top-myDis; // so it moves by 1/10 of the cursorKeyLength to the top
}

Thanks!

Answer 1

I don't understand why you need a script for this.....

Set the Keyboard Increment in the preferences to 5:

• Tap any arrow key - ←, →, ↑, ↓ ... the nudge is 5
• Hold the Command/Ctrl key down and tap any arrow key - ←, →, ↑, ↓ ... the nudge is 0.5 (1/10 the increment setting) (this only works in InDesign, Illustrator won't recognize this)
• Hold the Shift key down and tap any arrow key - ←, →, ↑, ↓ ... the nudge is 50 (10x the increment setting)

This works with any selection be it merely anchor points or whole objects.

You can get a 1/10 nudge of any value just by using modifier keys in InDesign. If using an action, the modifiers are recorded. If using Illustrator I just set my nudge to a very small amount, then use Shift when I need it larger.

But then, perhaps I just don't understand why you feel a script is necessary.

Answer 2

Here's what I came with, wich will move selected anchors to the left by 1/10 of the Keyboard Increment saved in the Preferences:

var myLength = app.preferences.getRealPreference('cursorKeyLength') / 10,
    mySelection = app.activeDocument.selection,
    myDistance = [0 - myLength, 0]; // move selected anchors to the left


for (var i = 0; i < mySelection.length; i++) {
    // for anchors 
    if (mySelection[i].typename === 'PathItem') {
        var p = mySelection[i].pathPoints;
        for (j = 0; j < p.length; j++) {
            if (p[j].selected === PathPointSelection.ANCHORPOINT) {
                with(p[j]) {
                    anchor = [anchor[0] + myDistance[0], anchor[1] + myDistance[1]];
                    leftDirection = [leftDirection[0] + myDistance[0], leftDirection[1] + myDistance[1]];
                    rightDirection = [rightDirection[0] + myDistance[0], rightDirection[1] + myDistance[1]];
                }
            }
        }
    }
    // for anything else 
    else {
        with(mySelection[i]) {
            position = [position[0] + myDistance[0], position[1] + myDistance[1]];
        }
    }
}

To move the anchors in another direction, change variable myDistance:

var myDistance = [0 - myLength, 0]; // leftward
var myDistance = [0 + myLength, 0]; // rightward
var myDistance = [0, 0 + myLength]; // upward
var myDistance = [0, 0 - myLength]; // downward