Batch trace SVG paths

Question

I have around 1000 png files that need to have an SVG path traced around them, that can be used in HTML.

Is there anyway to do this as a batch, or automate it in any way? Perhaps with auto trace and export?

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Illustrator CC2017 comes with a script that will batch trace under File>Scripts>Image Tracing...
You point it to a source folder and an output folder (that can be the same) and it automatically traces and saves. It is NOT a robust solution and it isn't customizable out of the box. You can, however, change the preset used by the script by editing it in a text editor. On the PC the scripts are located by default here:
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator CC 2017\Presets\en_US\Scripts

Make a copy of "ImageTracing.jsx" then edit the copy in a text editor. Find the line:
t.tracing.tracingOptions.loadFromPreset(tracingPresets[3]);
Replace the 3 inside the brackets with a different number to choose a different preset. I've had the best results with 7 and 8. 7 will give you more color levels. 8 is good for a basic trace for a simple logo with no gradients.

You will need to restart Illustrator before the new script will show up, but you can then edit and save the script without closing Illustrator to see different results.

Did I mention to make a copy of the original script before editing? Because do that.