Offset Paths in Actions problem...

Hi guys!
I work in the printing industry and am trying to create an action that would automatically create a trap and pullback for a certain item. The action has been created and works well except for one thing.
When I record the step where I offset a path by a negative amount (in this case -.0035), the action will work every time UNTIL I quit Illustrator and reopen. It will instead offset that path by positive .0035. I checked the action steps in TextEditor and it registers that I want it offset -.0035, but the step inside the Actions panel says .0035.
The total action is to change the color from MYK to K set to darken, then offset -.0035. Then, it's to change that offset path from K to MY and then offset again to -.0065. That offset path is changed from MY back to MYK and set to normal. So I basically end up with 3 layers of the object each set to a different color and smaller than the previous.The entire action script is posted below.
Has anyone else experienced this? I'm a novice when it comes to creating actions so please feel free to let me know if I've missed a step or done something wrong. Thanks so much!
/version 3
/name [ 5
    41646f6265
/isOpen 1
/actionCount 2
/action-1 {
    /name [ 6
        4b6574746c65
    /keyIndex 0
    /colorIndex 0
    /isOpen 1
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    /event-1 {
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        /internalName (adobe_ungroup)
        /localizedName [ 7
            556e67726f7570
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        /isOn 1
        /hasDialog 0
        /parameterCount 0
    /event-2 {
        /useRulersIn1stQuadrant 0
        /internalName (ai_plugin_setColor)
        /localizedName [ 9
            53657420636f6c6f72
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        /parameterCount 7
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            /type (boolean)
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            /type (enumerated)
            /name [ 10
                434d594b20636f6c6f72
            /value 4
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            /showInPalette 4294967295
            /type (unit real)
            /value 0.0
            /unit 592474723
        /parameter-5 {
            /key 1835496545
            /showInPalette 4294967295
            /type (unit real)
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        /parameter-6 {
            /key 2036690039
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            /type (unit real)
            /value 0.0
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        /parameter-7 {
            /key 1651270507
            /showInPalette 4294967295
            /type (unit real)
            /value 82.0
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    /event-3 {
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            /type (enumerated)
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            /value 8
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    /event-6 {
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            /type (enumerated)
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            /type (enumerated)
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                434d594b20636f6c6f72
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            /type (unit real)
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            /key 1835496545
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            /type (unit real)
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            /unit 592474723
        /parameter-6 {
            /key 2036690039
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            /type (unit real)
            /value 58.0
            /unit 592474723
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            /key 1651270507
            /showInPalette 4294967295
            /type (unit real)
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    /event-8 {
        /useRulersIn1stQuadrant 0
        /internalName (ai_plugin_offset)
        /localizedName [ 11
            4f66667365742050617468
        /isOpen 0
        /isOn 1
        /hasDialog 1
        /showDialog 0
        /parameterCount 3
        /parameter-1 {
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            /showInPalette 4294967295
            /type (unit real)
            /value -0.4679999948
            /unit 592476268
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            /key 1785623664
            /showInPalette 4294967295
            /type (enumerated)
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                4d69746572
            /value 2
    /event-9 {
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        /localizedName [ 9
            53657420636f6c6f72
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            /type (unit real)
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            /type (unit real)
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            /showInPalette 4294967295
            /type (unit real)
            /value 82.0
            /unit 592474723
    /event-10 {
        /useRulersIn1stQuadrant 0
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        /localizedName [ 12
            5472616e73706172656e6379
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            /showInPalette 4294967295
            /type (enumerated)
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                4e6f726d616c
            /value 0
    /event-11 {
        /useRulersIn1stQuadrant 0
        /internalName (adobe_stop)
        /localizedName [ 4
            53746f70
        /isOpen 0
        /isOn 1
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        /parameter-1 {
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            /type (ustring)
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        /parameter-2 {
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            /type (boolean)
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/action-2 {
    /name [ 13
        4f666673657420456666656374
    /keyIndex 39
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    /event-1 {
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            53657420636f6c6f72
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        /parameter-1 {
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            /type (ustring)
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            /type (enumerated)
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                434d594b20636f6c6f72
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            /type (unit real)
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            /unit 592474723
        /parameter-5 {
            /key 1835496545
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            /type (unit real)
            /value 78.0
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        /parameter-6 {
            /key 2036690039
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            /type (unit real)
            /value 0.0
            /unit 592474723
        /parameter-7 {
            /key 1651270507
            /showInPalette 4294967295
            /type (unit real)
            /value 82.0
            /unit 592474723
    /event-8 {
        /useRulersIn1stQuadrant 0
        /internalName (ai_plugin_setColor)
        /localizedName [ 9
            53657420636f6c6f72
        /isOpen 0
        /isOn 1
        /hasDialog 0
        /parameterCount 7
        /parameter-1 {
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            /showInPalette 4294967295
            /type (ustring)
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        /parameter-2 {
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            /type (boolean)
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            /showInPalette 4294967295
            /type (enumerated)
            /name [ 10
                434d594b20636f6c6f72
            /value 4
        /parameter-4 {
            /key 1668899182
            /showInPalette 4294967295
            /type (unit real)
            /value 0.0
            /unit 592474723
        /parameter-5 {
            /key 1835496545
            /showInPalette 4294967295
            /type (unit real)
            /value 78.0
            /unit 592474723
        /parameter-6 {
            /key 2036690039
            /showInPalette 4294967295
            /type (unit real)
            /value 58.0
            /unit 592474723
        /parameter-7 {
            /key 1651270507
            /showInPalette 4294967295
            /type (unit real)
            /value 82.0
            /unit 592474723
    /event-9 {
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        /internalName (ai_plugin_setColor)
        /localizedName [ 9
            53657420636f6c6f72
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        /parameter-1 {
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            /showInPalette 4294967295
            /type (ustring)
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        /parameter-2 {
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            /type (boolean)
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            /showInPalette 4294967295
            /type (enumerated)
            /name [ 10
                434d594b20636f6c6f72
            /value 4
        /parameter-4 {
            /key 1668899182
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            /type (unit real)
            /value 0.0
            /unit 592474723
        /parameter-5 {
            /key 1835496545
            /showInPalette 4294967295
            /type (unit real)
            /value 78.0
            /unit 592474723
        /parameter-6 {
            /key 2036690039
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            /type (unit real)
            /value 58.0
            /unit 592474723
        /parameter-7 {
            /key 1651270507
            /showInPalette 4294967295
            /type (unit real)
            /value 0.0
            /unit 592474723
    /event-10 {
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        /internalName (adobe_copy)
        /localizedName [ 4
            436f7079
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        /isOn 1
        /hasDialog 0
        /parameterCount 0
    /event-11 {
        /useRulersIn1stQuadrant 0
        /internalName (adobe_pasteInFront)
        /localizedName [ 14
            506173746520696e2046726f6e74
        /isOpen 0
        /isOn 1
        /hasDialog 0
        /parameterCount 0
    /event-12 {
        /useRulersIn1stQuadrant 0
        /internalName (ai_plugin_setColor)
        /localizedName [ 9
            53657420636f6c6f72
        /isOpen 0
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        /parameter-1 {
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            /type (ustring)
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                46696c6c20636f6c6f72
        /parameter-2 {
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            /showInPalette 4294967295
            /type (boolean)
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        /parameter-3 {
            /key 1954115685
            /showInPalette 4294967295
            /type (enumerated)
            /name [ 10
                434d594b20636f6c6f72
            /value 4
        /parameter-4 {
            /key 1668899182
            /showInPalette 4294967295
            /type (unit real)
            /value 0.0
            /unit 592474723
        /parameter-5 {
            /key 1835496545
            /showInPalette 4294967295
            /type (unit real)
            /value 78.0
            /unit 592474723
        /parameter-6 {
            /key 2036690039
            /showInPalette 4294967295
            /type (unit real)
            /value 58.0
            /unit 592474723
        /parameter-7 {
            /key 1651270507
            /showInPalette 4294967295
            /type (unit real)
            /value 82.0
            /unit 592474723
    /event-13 {
        /useRulersIn1stQuadrant 0
        /internalName (ai_plugin_transparency)
        /localizedName [ 12
            5472616e73706172656e6379
        /isOpen 0
        /isOn 1
        /hasDialog 0
        /parameterCount 1
        /parameter-1 {
            /key 1836016741
            /showInPalette 4294967295
            /type (enumerated)
            /name [ 6
                4e6f726d616c
            /value 0

Hi Sudheer,
I think I am using the same method. the follwing seeting have been maintained for that action.
Form name - SCMG_SMART_FORM_CASE
Processing Class - CL_SAMPLE_PROCESSING_CLASS_PPF
Processing Method - COPY_1_OF_EXEC_SMART_FORM
Archive Mode - 1 Mail Only.
Still the problem exist.
Please help me resolve this issue.
Best regards,
Raghu ram

Similar Messages

  • Offset Path in an Action Question

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    Thanks for the reply. Yeah I know that, its just a little tedious. It would be nice if they made it a little more accessible like the scripting languages in a lot of 3d packages.

  • Offset path dimension bug

    Using Illustrator CC (18.1.1 64bit)
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    My plotter won't be happy with that solution when he starts cutting vinyl...
    But for designing no problem.
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    But since CS4 fixes the problem the better solution is to upgrade and there are other benefits by upgrading to CS 4 as well.
    So as far as i can see Doug still has the answer and they should mark it answered ok they don't like that answer then let them make your answer as the right way to go but it has been answered. One way or the other.
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  • Offset path has a math error at 4 decimal places

    I have Illustrator CC 2014 running in Mac OS X 10.9.3, and discovered tonight while making a test pattern that if I do an offset path of -0.0005" it doesn't calculate the size of the resulting objects correctly. If I do +0.0005" it works fine, if I do -0.0015" it works fine. I obviously haven't tested exhaustively, but there is definitely a reproducible error there. It's not even off consistently in the width and height. The sizes listed refer to the size of the individual squares in the 4x4 grid of filled rectangles.

    The black squares are what I'm building. So I didn't have to go one by one and apply offset path, I did three across and then noted that the next row above would be .003 difference, so I could apply a .0015 offset to all items in the row and move it up, then repeat. This works well for a while, but then it starts to get off. It doesn't appear to be cumulative which was my fear. The black squares I checked each one and redid them if they didn't come out right. The blue ones I just did an offset from the previous row. At .015 it should be .065x.065 and they are .065x.0649. That's the behavior I normally see, not a big deal. In that group, all 16 squares were the same, but in the .018 group above it, the first two rows of 4 were .062x.0619 while the 3rd row of 4 were all .062x.062 and then the top row were off again. By the top, the ones that are off are still only off by .0001 when they are off. So that implies that this is at least a rendering thing, it thinks the squares are what they are supposed to be when it applies future offsets.
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  • Offset Path Leaving Undesired Result

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  • Offset Path in AI CS4 added overlaping unnecessary anchor points.

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    > You could use a script to find and remove these points (JET?).
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  • Illustrator CS6 Mirror or resize -100% messes up my offset path gradient stroke.

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  • CS5 Offset Path gone wonky

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    TDToomey wrote:
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  • Offset path

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    To make the ArtBrush result in a "thicker outline" on one side of the path, and a "thinner outline" on the other side, you don't have to do all that rigamarole. Just offset the alignment box of the Brush:
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  • How do I thin a font in CS6? I tried a negative number in offset path and it didn't work.

    Hi!
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    I am going to share with you the secret to using type with appearance. After setting type change the fill to none(characheter level), then add a fill(type level). This way you do nto have 2 fills fighting with each other.
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  • How can I delete the image outside of this offset path?

    I'm really new to Illustrator, and I'm trying to print an image that will have a CutContour swatch around it, with a bleed outside of the CutContour line. You'll see that I set up the bleed by creating an offset path outside of the CutContour path. However, I would like to delete the rest of the image outside of that, but I'm not sure how to do this. I don't want to print the entire block of the photograph, just the image inside the tracing, leaving the outside white. I thought I could select the offset path and make a Clipping Mask from that but it says it's "too complex" or doesn't do anything at all. I've attached an example since it will probably make more sense to have something to look at in addition to my explanation...

    If there are a lot of points in the path you are trying to use as a clipping mask, you could try;
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  • Negative (to inline a letter or to thin it) offset path does not work in Illus-CC 2014 (when preview is on- nothing happens). How can I get this to work like in previous versions.

    Negative (to inline a letter or to thin it) offset path does not work in Illus-CC 2014 (when preview is on- nothing happens). How can I get this to work like in previous versions.

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  • Offset Path doesn't create a separate path

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    I confirmed that it WAS working in Ai CS6, and recall using Offset Path previously in Ai CC, though I can't check a prior build of CC to find out when it last worked.
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