We have long kept an asset folder named The__PIT that has 1 copy of every file that has ever made it through Production so that if we bring up an InDesign IDML or INDD from any time in our history, ALL links are immediately restored using "Relink to Folder...". We need this same functionality with Illustrator. I understand that InDesign is a data based software and Illustrator is not. I also see that Illustrator does retain the file name though (which, as is noted in many other similar requests, does nothing as far as selecting a match within a CC Library)... Anyhow, isn't this enough info already to incorporate a one at a time "Relink to folder..." task? Definitely faster than relinking one at a time through a chooser. And still could be done all at once with a delimited internal array of multiple selected file names.

ThePIT has been one of my favorite additions to our workflow. It keeps duplication to a minimum (asset either filed or in ThePIT), repopulates assets whether the indd is from 2009 or 2020, and it allows us to archive all our indd's as idml's which are like 20x smaller & we never have to worry about relinking thanks to "Relink to Folder..." & The__PIT!

Illustrator layouts are becoming more popular at our agency and to have this functionality added to Illustrator would greatly improve efficiency, get all team members to adopt the same workflow, and free up tons of space compared to dev that is package based.

Our agency isn't large enough and doesn't have enough free people time to merit a full Adobe DAM solution. We are small & nimble AND outputting 5x the content we were capable of 5 years ago with the same number of staff, thanks in part to The_PIT and some other scripts and procedures I've implemented.

My agency closely guards the workflow methods I've enacted as they give us a clear advantage over other agencies. Our clients say as much.

Diminishing the gap in cross functionality between Adobe applications is crucial. The same features will never equate to the same usage. The Adobe apps are differentiated as much by personal preference, if not more, than anything else. It's only when a project in an app can't do something that's possible in another & moving the elements to the other app doesn't help either that the software shows its weakness. You can't copy and paste or drag and drop a placed graphic with a broken link from Illustrator to InDesign and retain a link that could be resolved by "Relink to Folder..." You can't do "Relink to Folder..." in Illustrator. There's no efficient resolution.

As to why I wouldn't just select "Relink..." and browse The__PIT...
That folder has thousands of files in it, it takes a seriously long time for the files to display in Finder. And sometimes, either by fault of OSX or Adobe's browse, the files don't display at all. You get the same result in InDesign if you try "Relink..." BUT with "Relink to Folder..." it's nearly instant. Even a document with more than 100 images. I guess it's the difference between Browse and relink compared to the data action of "GET in this folder, the file named this" which happens with "Relink to Folder..."

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