Find and replace objects


You can find objects so that you can quickly replace them or select them for editing.

The search criteria you use can include object type and its related properties, fill and outline properties, vector effects applied to objects, or the name of an object or style. For example, you can search for and select all rectangles with rounded corners and without fill. You can also search for objects that contain the same properties as a selected object. You can change the search criteria in the middle of a search. You can also save search criteria for later use.

You can find objects that contain the properties you specify and then replace those properties with others. For example, you can replace all object fills of a certain color with fills of a different color. You can also replace color models and palettes, outline properties, and text attributes, such as font and font size.

You can also search for specific words and replace them with other words. For more information, see Find, edit, and convert text.

By default, the application searches only the current page. When working with multipage documents, you can expand the search range to find and replace objects on all document pages, a range of pages, or specific pages. Conversely, you can limit the search range to only currently selected objects.

To find and select objects

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1 Click Edit Find and Replace.
2 In the Find and Replace docker, choose Find Objects from the list box at the top of the docker.
3 Enable the Properties option.
4 Click Add Query, and then in the dialog box that appears, do any of the following:
Click the arrow beside Object Types, and enable check boxes corresponding to object types to include in the search. You can narrow the search by specifying object properties. To include all objects in a search, enable the Object Types check box.
Click the arrow beside Fills, and enable check boxes corresponding to fill types to include in the search. You can narrow the search by specifying fill properties. To include fill types in a search, enable the Fills check box.
Click the arrow beside Outlines, and enable check boxes corresponding to outline types to include in the search. You can narrow the search by specifying outline properties. To include all outline types in a search, enable the Outlines check box. For more information about outlines and their properties, see Format lines and outlines.
Click the arrow beside Special Effects, and enable check boxes corresponding to special effects to include in the search. You can narrow the search by specifying special effect properties. To include all objects with a special effect in a search, enable the Special Effects check box.
5 Click OK.
6 In the Find and Replace docker, click any of the following:
Find Next > or Find Previous < to scroll through objects that meet the search criteria.
Find All or Find All on Page to select all objects on the active page that meet the search criteria.
Edit Query to modify the search criteria.

 

You can also
Search for objects by name
In the Find and Replace docker, enable the Names or Styles option, enable the Object name check box, and type the object name.
Search for objects by style
In the Find and Replace docker, enable the Names or Styles option, enable the Style check box, and then either enable the Name option and choose the style name, or enable the Type option and choose the style type.
Save object-search criteria
Click the Save button, type a name in the File name box, and then click Save. The search criteria is saved to a FIN file.
Reuse object-search criteria
Click the Load button, navigate to the folder where the FIN file is stored, and click Open.

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You can also initiate an object search by pressing Ctrl + F.

To find objects with similar properties

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1 Select an object.
2 Click Edit Find and Replace.
3 In the Find and Replace docker, choose Find Objects from the list box at the top of the docker.
4 Enable the Properties option.
5 Click From Selection.
The Search query area displays all the properties of the selected object.
6 Click any of the following buttons:
Find Next > or Find Previous < to scroll through objects that meet the search criteria.
Find All or Find All on Page to select all objects on the active page that meet the search criteria.
Edit Query to modify the search criteria.

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The application can find and replace objects on multiple pages at once; however, it can select only objects on the active page.

To replace object properties

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1 Click Edit Find and Replace.
2 In the Find and Replace docker, choose Replace Objects from the list box at the top of the docker.
3 To specify which object properties you want to replace, enable one of the following options: Color, Color model or palette, Outline properties, or Text properties.
4 Choose the settings you want in the Find and Replace areas.
5 Click one of the following buttons:
Replace — to replace the properties of the selected objects
Replace All — to modify all objects that meet the search-criteria.

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For more information about how to replace colors, see Find and replace colors.

For more information about how to replace outline colors, see To find and replace outline colors.

For more information about how to replace outline widths, see To find and replace outline widths.

For more information about how to replace text properties, see To find and replace text properties.

To set the search range

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1 Click Edit Find and Replace.
2 In the Find and Replace docker, expand the Search range section.
3 Enable any of the following options:
Selection — to search only the currently selected objects
Current page — to search the page you are working on
All pages — to search all document pages
Pages — to set the page range or identify specific document pages you want to search

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The application can find and replace objects on multiple pages at once; however, it can select only objects on the active page.

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