Thanks on the actions and Batch File work

[nstock]

To everyone who gave advice on the actions and Batch file method of

resizing photos or the gallery method, THANK YOU.

 

I admit to not having much formal computer training tho I have

successfully used AutoCad and Microstation for Engineering drawings

and design.. that is NOT Photo shop (tho both have layers and levels

and view ports and paper space etc.).

 

I went into Photoshop (CS) help and they had all sorts of information

on writing actions and using batch files which was very helpful

(unlike the help files in Engineering Software programs). Here is

what I figured out:

 

An "Action" is sort of a photoshop specialized Macro or set of

commands. You set up the action and give it a name and then hit that

little arrow in the dialog box (or assigned function key)(after you

stop recording commands that is) and it will run that set of commands

on whatever is open and active.

 

You can run that same set of instructions on a batch of files either

from a file located on the hard drive or a bunch of open files in

PhotoShop.

 

By the time I got done with my little job I had that batch thing

working SWEEEET! It was taking files off a CD, resizing 'em and then

saving 'em as Jpegs to a folder on the hard drive.. and from there I

burned CD's for the customer. Job was done very quickly as you all

predicted.

 

Thank you all for the advice. You guys are the best!

 

This old pony IS learning new tricks. Might be a bit rickety at first

but once the kinks are worked out things flow.

[david_schilling___chicago_]

You're welcome...... but I was kinda hoping you'd call :-)

[nstock]

Hi Dave!

 

I would have called but it seemed to me that if it was so dang easy I ought to be able to figure it out. I mean.. I figured out how to fix the Big tractor when it used to get stuck in two gears at once and I have had to figure out engineering drafting and design with very little help from anyone (the "real" engineers were too busy to explain anything.. they just gave me work and a deadline and said to figure it out... the books are over there).

 

When the old gas engine on the silo blower quit EVERY afternoon during milking I had to learn how to take off, clean and adjust a carburetor while milking cows. It was an updraft so not too hard to deal with.

 

I have been in more serious jams (some life threatening) farming or working with cows and horses all by myself than most ppl EVER have to deal with and I have had to "figger it out" on the spot. It is sort of a habit this "figgerin' stuff out" thing.

 

Now I am doing photography and my Film based mentor has taught me a great deal. My addition of digital is a real aggravation at times due to the false intelligence of the computer interfacing between where I am and where I want to be. However, with a bit of direction (sort of a 'look at this thing' direction) I try first to figure it out.

 

Believe me, if old rusty brain and figuring had not worked I would have called!!! :) THANK YOU for the offer. I may be calling you yet!

[jon jacobson]

Actions are a MUST. And it doesn't end there. I'll get to that in a second.

<p>

I create actions for anything I will be certain to do again at least two more times. I've currently got in my head a nifty action that will create an 8x10 sheet of variations for high school yearbook shots, color and black/white.

<p>

In <i>The Photoshop CS2 Book for Digital Photographers</i> by Scott Kelby there's a formula for correcting skin tones. I created an action based on that formula.

<p>

What's next?

<p>

Droplets.

<p>

Don't let the funny name fool you. Droplets are powerful little "external programs" based on actions. Once you create your action, create a droplet (See PS help for specifics) and save the "program" on your desktop. From Bridge, drag and drop (thus Droplet) a handful of images to the droplet icon on your desktop, and presto, batch process those images with the action.

<p>

You will do well Grasshopper

[wistler]

Anyone have any advice concerning them?

MR

[EricM]

MC, can you be more specific?

[randalldouglas]

Actions are often the way to go. Scripts are also helpful.

 

I read your previous post, and I'm surprised no one mention Dr. Brown's Image processor. Russell Brown provided this script on his site for older versions. Now it's actual built into cs2 bridge under: tools --> photoshop --> image processor. Anyway, it seems like it might work for what you're trying to do, and there's some how-to on his site:

 

http://www.russellbrown.com/tips_tech.html

[manuel_garcia5]

Nancy,

 

Since you're an expert can you share with the rest of us? I'm using PS 7 I would love to create a macro to do basically the same thing. I want to open my large Tiff files and convert them to smaller JPEG files for posting on the web. Are you able to specify the JPEG quality (1-12) too? Let me know.

 

Thanks!

[nstock]

I don't know if you can do this in PS 7? I was using PS CS (not CS2 which I don't have). I did not find the actions commands in the help screen for PS 6 either.

 

At any rate, if you drop down the window menu you get this dialog box for actions. Then you go up top and there is an arrow pointing to the right which you click on and you get a drop down menu where you click on New Action. Another dialog box comes up and you name your new action then you hit record.

 

Next you do whatever it is you want in the sequence you want and then hit the stop recording button in the actions dialog box. Now, if you hit that action button and you have an image open, all the stuff you wanted to do to it happens automatically. You can open the action in the dialog box and WATCH as the thing works thru the command, which is sort of cool. In my world NOTHING is automatic and works nice, but this does.

 

To do an action you created on a batch, you go to the file tab in PS CS and go down to Automate and follow over to batch and this opens another box. Follow thru on the commands in the box and it will run the action on the batch you choose.

 

For my job I opened each roll of film (giant TIF files) and I first did a reduction of the image for size then I did a "save as" to save the image an put it in a folder that I had previously created in Windows Xplorer followed by close, which closed that image. When I recorded the action, I had the record button running and did what I wanted to that first image and then stopped recording. When I did the Automate to batch work, I chose the action I created in the Batch dialog box and it ran it on every image I had open in PS CS.

 

Figuring out how to do it took most of the time I spent. Doing it was very little time. Recording it to CD's was the biggest part of the time spent for the whole job.

 

If you go to the Help Screen and open the index and then find actions you can work through all of this on your own. I did.. and I am surely not a genius at this (or much of anything else for that matter!).

 

As Edison said, genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. I got the 99% down real well. The 1% often escapes me.