artboardGrid.js

Area: Layout
Builds a grid of artboards from dialog inputs (position, size, spacing, count). Each artboard is a ShapeNodeDefinition with ShapeRectangle.create() and setBoundingRectangle, added via DocumentCommand.createAddArtboard. The same live-preview pattern is used: the dialog's onControlValueChangedHandler re-runs the command with preview = true so you see the grid form as you type.
Source: artboardGrid.js
Example scripts

artboardGrid.js

Download artboardGrid.js
artboardGrid.js
/*
BSD 3-Clause License

Copyright (c) 2026, Canva Pty Ltd.

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this
list of conditions and the following disclaimer.

Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice,
this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation
and/or other materials provided with the distribution.

Neither the name of the copyright holder nor the names of its
contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from
this software without specific prior written permission.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS"
AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE
DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE
FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR
SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER
CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY,
OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
*/

'use strict';

// Makes a grid of artboards from a starting position, size, spacing and count, with a live preview.

const { CompoundCommandBuilder, DocumentCommand } = require('/commands.js');
const { Dialog, DialogResult } = require('/dialog.js');
const { Document } = require('/document.js');
const { ShapeNodeDefinition } = require('/nodes.js');
const { Rectangle } = require('/geometry.js');
const { ShapeRectangle } = require('/shapes.js');
const { UnitType } = require('/units.js');

function isOk(result) {
    return (result?.value ?? result) == DialogResult.Ok.value;
}

function buildDialog(docUnits, initialSize) {
    const dlg = Dialog.create("Add Artboards");
    const col = dlg.addColumn();

    const posGroup = col.addGroup("Initial Position");
    dlg.posX = posGroup.addUnitValueEditor("X", UnitType.Pixel, docUnits, 0);
    dlg.posY = posGroup.addUnitValueEditor("Y", UnitType.Pixel, docUnits, 0);

    const sizeGroup = col.addGroup("Artboard size");
    dlg.width = sizeGroup.addUnitValueEditor("Width", UnitType.Pixel, docUnits, initialSize, 0);
    dlg.height = sizeGroup.addUnitValueEditor("Height", UnitType.Pixel, docUnits, initialSize, 0);
    dlg.spaceWidth = sizeGroup.addUnitValueEditor("Spacing width", UnitType.Pixel, docUnits, 0, 0);
    dlg.spaceHeight = sizeGroup.addUnitValueEditor("Spacing height", UnitType.Pixel, docUnits, 0, 0);

    const countGroup = col.addGroup("Number of artboards");
    dlg.horzCount = countGroup.addUnitValueEditor("Horizontally", UnitType.Number, UnitType.Number, 1, 1).setPrecision(0);
    dlg.vertCount = countGroup.addUnitValueEditor("Vertically", UnitType.Number, UnitType.Number, 1, 1).setPrecision(0);
    return dlg;
}

function readOptions(dlg) {
    return {
        x: dlg.posX.value,
        y: dlg.posY.value,
        width: dlg.width.value,
        height: dlg.height.value,
        spaceWidth: dlg.spaceWidth.value,
        spaceHeight: dlg.spaceHeight.value,
        horzCount: Math.round(dlg.horzCount.value),
        vertCount: Math.round(dlg.vertCount.value)
    };
}

function createGridCommand(opts) {
    if (opts.width < 1 || opts.height < 1 || opts.horzCount < 1 || opts.vertCount < 1)
        return null;
    const builder = CompoundCommandBuilder.create();
    for (let j = 0; j < opts.vertCount; ++j) {
        for (let i = 0; i < opts.horzCount; ++i) {
            const x = opts.x + i * (opts.width + opts.spaceWidth);
            const y = opts.y + j * (opts.height + opts.spaceHeight);
            const def = ShapeNodeDefinition.createDefault();
            def.shape = ShapeRectangle.create();
            def.setBoundingRectangle(new Rectangle(x, y, opts.width, opts.height));
            builder.addCommand(DocumentCommand.createAddArtboard(def));
        }
    }
    return builder.createCommand();
}

function main() {
    const doc = Document.current;
    if (!doc) {
        alert("This script requires an open document");
        return;
    }
    if (doc.isMultiPage) {
        alert("Artboards cannot be inserted into a multi-page document");
        return;
    }

    const units = doc.units;
    const initialSize = 100 * doc.unitValueConverter.getConversionFactor(units, UnitType.Pixel);
    const dlg = buildDialog(units, initialSize);

    const update = (preview) => {
        const cmd = createGridCommand(readOptions(dlg));
        if (cmd)
            doc.executeCommand(cmd, preview);
        else
            doc.clearPreviews();
        return cmd != null;
    };
    dlg.onControlValueChangedHandler = () => update(true);
    update(true);
    while (isOk(dlg.runModal())) {
        if (update(false))
            break;
        alert("Artboards need a size of at least one pixel and a count of at least one");
    }
    doc.clearPreviews();
}

module.exports.main = main;
Example scripts​

artboardGrid.js​

Example scripts

artboardGrid.js
