Creating a document automatically from several ai-files?

Question

Hi,
Does anyone know whether it's possible to create a document based on the content on folders?
We regularely create indesign-documents 40-80 pages long, where our designers has to place every single Illustrator-file. Would it be possible to automate that? Perhaps by using a script?
Lets say we have a folder called SALES. In that folder we have several sub-folders (called 1 ProductA, 2 ProductB, 3 ProductC etc.) containing one or more Illustrator-files. I would like to be able to open InDesign, start a script or an action, select the "SALES"-folder and then end up with a PDF.
Thanks in advance
Thomas

Answer 1

You would have to choose File > Save As > Adobe PDF (.pdf) in Illustrator in order to be able to combine the files in Acrobat Pro. It has no way to open Illustrator (.ai) files, whether they're saved with PDF compatibility or not.
The PDF compatibility works when you're PLACING a PDF file in a program like InDesign, but not when an application needs to work with the "guts" of the file as Acrobat would do.
Similarly, when you combine Word files in Acrobat Pro, it has to have access to Microsoft Word during the combination process. It doesn't read the Word file itself.