Illustrator script to create symbols from images in folder

Question

Time to give back to the community...
Here is a script I recently devised to bulk create symbols from images in a folder. Tested with Illustrator CC 2014.
// Import Folder's Files as Symbols - Illustrator CC script
// Description: Creates symbols from images in the designated folder into current document
// Author     : Oscar Rines (oscarrines (at) gmail.com)
// Version    : 1.0.0 on 2014-09-21
// Reused code from "Import Folder's Files as Layers - Illustrator CS3 script"
// by Nathaniel V. KELSO ([email protected])
#target illustrator
function getFolder() {
  return Folder.selectDialog('Please select the folder to be imported:', Folder('~'));
function symbolExists(seekInDoc, seekSymbol) {
    for (var j=0; j < seekInDoc.symbols.length; j++) {
        if (seekInDoc.symbols[j].name == seekSymbol) {
            return true;
    return false;
function importFolderContents(selectedFolder) {
    var activeDoc = app.activeDocument;     //Active object reference
  // if a folder was selected continue with action, otherwise quit
  if (selectedFolder) {
        var newsymbol;              //Symbol object reference
        var placedart;              //PlacedItem object reference
        var fname;                  //File name
        var sname;                  //Symbol name
        var symbolcount = 0;        //Number of symbols added
        var templayer = activeDoc.layers.add(); //Create a new temporary layer
        templayer.name = "Temporary layer"
        var imageList = selectedFolder.getFiles(); //retrieve files in the folder
        // Create a palette-type window (a modeless or floating dialog),
        var win = new Window("palette", "SnpCreateProgressBar", {x:100, y:100, width:750, height:310});
        win.pnl = win.add("panel", [10, 10, 740, 255], "Progress"); //add a panel to contain the components
        win.pnl.currentTaskLabel = win.pnl.add("statictext", [10, 18, 620, 33], "Examining: -"); //label indicating current file being examined
        win.pnl.progBarLabel = win.pnl.add("statictext", [620, 18, 720, 33], "0/0"); //progress bar label
        win.pnl.progBarLabel.justify = 'right';
        win.pnl.progBar = win.pnl.add("progressbar", [10, 35, 720, 60], 0, imageList.length-1); //progress bar
        win.pnl.symbolCount = win.pnl.add("statictext", [10, 70, 710, 85], "Symbols added: 0"); //label indicating number of symbols created
        win.pnl.symbolLabel = win.pnl.add("statictext", [10, 85, 710, 100], "Last added symbol: -"); //label indicating name of the symbol created
        win.pnl.errorListLabel = win.pnl.add("statictext", [10, 110, 720, 125], "Error log:"); //progress bar label
        win.pnl.errorList = win.pnl.add ("edittext", [10, 125, 720, 225], "", {multiline: true, scrolling: true}); //errorlist
        //win.pnl.errorList.graphics.font = ScriptUI.newFont ("Arial", "REGULAR", 7);
        //win.pnl.errorList.graphics.foregroundColor = win.pnl.errorList.graphics.newPen(ScriptUIGraphics.PenType.SOLID_COLOR, [1, 0, 0, 1], 1);
        win.doneButton = win.add("button", [640, 265, 740, 295], "OK"); //button to dispose the panel
        win.doneButton.onClick = function () //define behavior for the "Done" button
            win.close();
        win.center();
        win.show();
        //Iterate images
        for (var i = 0; i < imageList.length; i++) {
            win.pnl.currentTaskLabel.text = 'Examining: ' + imageList[i].name; //update current file indicator
            win.pnl.progBarLabel.text = i+1 + '/' + imageList.length; //update file count
            win.pnl.progBar.value = i+1; //update progress bar
            if (imageList[i] instanceof File) {         
                fname = imageList[i].name.toLowerCase(); //convert file name to lowercase to check for supported formats
                if( (fname.indexOf('.eps') == -1) &&
                    (fname.indexOf('.png') == -1)) {
                    win.pnl.errorList.text += 'Skipping ' + imageList[i].name + '. Not a supported type.\r'; //log error
                    continue; // skip unsupported formats
                else {
                    sname = imageList[i].name.substring(0, imageList[i].name.lastIndexOf(".") ); //discard file extension
                    // Check for duplicate symbol name;
                    if (symbolExists(activeDoc, sname)) {
                        win.pnl.errorList.text += 'Skipping ' + imageList[i].name + '. Duplicate symbol for name: ' + sname + '\r'; //log error
                    else {
                        placedart = activeDoc.placedItems.add(); //get a reference to a new placedItem object
                        placedart.file = imageList[i]; //link the object to the image on disk
                        placedart.name =  sname; //give the placed item a name
                        placedart.embed();   //make this a RasterItem
                        placedart = activeDoc.rasterItems.getByName(sname); //get a reference to the newly created raster item
                        newsymbol = activeDoc.symbols.add(placedart); //add the raster item to the symbols                 
                        newsymbol.name = sname; //name the symbol
                        symbolcount++; //update the count of symbols created
                        placedart.remove(); //remove the raster item from the canvas
                        win.pnl.symbolCount.text = 'Symbols added: ' + symbolcount; //update created number of symbols indicator
                        win.pnl.symbolLabel.text = 'Last added symbol: ' + sname; //update created symbol indicator
            else {
                win.pnl.errorList.text += 'Skipping ' + imageList[i].name + '. Not a regular file.\r'; //log error
            win.update(); //required so pop-up window content updates are shown
        win.pnl.currentTaskLabel.text = ''; //clear current file indicator
        // Final verdict
        if (symbolcount >0) {
            win.pnl.symbolLabel.text = 'Symbol library changed. Do not forget to save your work';
        else {
            win.pnl.symbolLabel.text = 'No new symbols added to the library';
        win.update(); //update window contents
        templayer.remove(); //remove the temporary layer
    else {
        alert("Action cancelled by user");
if ( app.documents.length > 0 ) {
    importFolderContents( getFolder() );
else{
    Window.alert("You must open at least one document.");

Answer 1

Thank you, nice job & I am looking forward to trying it out!