PS 7 Batch and Actions Questions..

[mike_lepp1]

Hi, I have two questions concerning batch processing and actions in

PS7.

 

1) How can you edit actions? I would think that there would be an

editor that one could do this with. I know you can delete steps and

start and stop recording. But that's a Pain in the arse! It ends up

being easier to start from scratch. As an easy example, I add text

to photos, but just can't open up the write step and change what it

says!

 

2) When you batch process, how can you save files automatically? I

can't seem to find a way to get PS to save without asking about

compression (jpeg or tiff) when it's closing the files. Strangely, I

tried a "save" when making the action so it won't ask. Yet when I

run the action it defaults somehow to asking about compression when

saving. The best I found is to close PS and hit "return" over and

over again. I suppose I still save time over manually doing a couple

of hundred pictures, but still....

 

Thanks for any help and comments, Mike

[erb_duchenne]

I'm not quite sure what you're asking... but the batch process applies the same actions to ALL pictures within that batch. You can't, for example, add different text to each picture with 'batch.'

 

In the batch window, you usually choose the source and destination folders. When you start the automation it'll create the new files in the folder you specified, automatically, without asking you format/quality etc.

[mendel_leisk]

Haven't got it open, but as I recall, in the automate dialogue window you can pick option "save and close" to be the last step. Just omit save from your action, and do it thru this option. If it's asking re compression, sounds akin to a "save as".

[mike_lepp1]

>but the batch process applies the same actions to ALL pictures within that batch. You can't, for example, add different text to each picture with 'batch.'

 

Of course!!! My question is how do you modify an action for a different use. I'll try an example. I shot an event for a company, I want to put the companies name and event name on the photo's. Now I do ANOTHER event and want to add text to their shots. There is no simple way I can find to change the text in the action for the new event. Hence, I make a new action for the new event. This is a simple case. Not all my actions are this simple and I would like to be able to SIMPLY (yes, you can delete steps and start and stop recording until you're done) make changes without recreating the action. For example, I will adjuts opacity for different for a DIFFERENT set of images I want to run in batch mode. You can't go to that step and just change from 25% to 40% and go. Why isn't there an editor associated with the actions to do things like this? Or is there and I'm not finding it?

 

>In the batch window, you usually choose the source and destination folders. When you start the automation it'll create the new files in the folder you specified, automatically, without asking you format/quality etc.

 

No it doesn't. At least not for me! I've tried all three options, none of them will save without asking me for compression (format/quality). I even modified my actions for the NONE option with a save and close at the end (coppied my images to a different folder so they can be over written). But when I run batch mode it still asks about quality. I may be doing something wrong, but that's why I'm asking.

 

Based on my use with batch mode, it is faster than doing it all manual, but still needs me to interface while it's running. Or, I don't save, then come back and close all the opened images.

 

Mike

[marshall]

Hm. Don't know the good answers to your questions, though I suspect there are some.

 

If you want to change just one step of an action, you can delete that step, start recording, perform the step again with the changes you want, stop recording, and then your old action is your new action.

 

If you use the Save For Web dialog box, it will continue to save files as you want wherever you specified in the dialog box without asking you for each file. Of course, then you can't use the Destination Folder option to change the Action for another use. The Destination folder selection worked for me, but I don't remember if I have done that when saving to jpegs or just to psd's.

 

Others are probably more expert with Actions than I, but maybe that helps you a little. Enjoy.

[jim_cooper1]

I use PS 7.0 and I do this all the time. I go to the Actions pulldown and hit the 'arrow and circle' button on top. In this menu is an item 'Record again...' Highlight your action, go to this menu and hit it, and it will take you through your steps one-by-one. Edit accordingly and save.

 

Works for me.

 

Coop

[ellis_vener_photography]

<I>My question is how do you modify an action for a different use. I'll try an

example. I shot an event for a company, I want to put the companies name and event

name on the photo's. Now I do ANOTHER event and want to add text to their shots.

There is no simple way I can find to change the text in the action for the new event.

Hence, I make a new action for the new event. </I><P>That is the way to do it. That

isn't a bad thing. when you arethrough with the action delete it or keep it. what you

might do is make actions with justthe client's name for regular clients and add new

actions to name the event and possibly specify the date.<P>

To save files automatically I create a new folder to receive the images after they have

been batch processed. Try doing this: when building your action tell it to flatten your

layers this is necessary if you have a step that adds text to the image and you are

saving as a JPEG compressed iamge. then tell it where to save it (as I suggest save it

in a new folder) and then to close the image. When you choose Automate > BAtch and

choose that action , turn on the "Override Action "Save As" Command. These steps

should solv your problems.

[mark_simms]

For adding text and other more sophisticated image modifications, YOU MUST USE THE NEW SCRIPTING feature. In Photoshop 7, this was "good". In Photoshop CS, the scripting feature is GREAT !!!

Actions are "dumb" versions of scripts.

See your PS 7 Scripting docs....

[mike_lepp1]

Thanks for the responses. The best work around I can find for saving and closing files in batch mode after the action is run is to convert all the images to tiff's in breezebrowser prior to running them. Then they open, run the action, and save, without any pop up's. Other than that, I can't seem to get around this with jpegs without me interacting with the program.

 

To re-reiterate again, I know that I can delete steps, and start recording again, then stop to modify actions! However, most SOPHISTICATED software offers scripts, or a text version of the action/netlist/recording that is easily and readily modified. With this, you can open up actions you have in a text editor, modify, COMBINE, MIX, Cut and Paste, them in any manner you want.

 

Mark, hopefully we are talking the same thing, can you elaborate more? I'm looking for a text file that I can open up that's the backbone of the actions (.atn). Lots of programs have things like this that simplify making minor (or major) changes to something without having to redo them by pushing buttons or from scratch. If we are referring to the same thing, where are these scripts? I can't find them or reference to them in my manuals or books.

 

Thanks, Mike

[kevinconnery]

I've got an action I use to resize and border images for the web. It

calls 2 sub-actions--leftside text and rightside text. Each of those

actions does what the name implies: puts text on the left or right

side.<p>

Before running a batch, I select the step in the action which

actually writes the label on the image (usually date and event

name), and use the Action fly-out menu to choose Record Again.

I then type the text I want to use, click on the text Accept button,

and run the batch. <p>

Record Again is a handy way to change individual

steps--different curve settings, or layer names, or text entered, or

such. Better would be scripting capabilities with variable names

and such, but that's beyond the scope of Actions. It IS available in

v7 with the Scripting plug-in (JavaScript, AppleScript, or VBasic),

or in CS (same languages)