Importing data sets from external files

You can quickly create a large number of data sets by creating an external text file that contains all the variable information and loading that file into a PSD document containing variables. One good way to accomplish this is to enter your data into a text file and then export it to a tab or comma-separated file.
The syntax of the external text file is as follows (where each line that starts with "Variable" or "Value" is an entire line by itself in your file):
VariableName1<sep>VariableName2<sep> <sep>VariableNameN <nl>
Value1-1<sep>Value2-1<sep> <sep>ValueN-1<nl>
Value1-2<sep>Value2-2<sep> <sep>ValueN-2<nl>
Value1-M<sep>Value2-M<sep> <sep>ValueN-M<nl>
All the variable names are listed on the first line, in the order that the values are given in subsequent lines. Each subsequent line represents one data set, with the values for each variable given.

External Text File Syntax Elements
<sep>	Either a comma-separated (CSV) or a tab (tab-delimited) file that separates each variable name or value.
<nl>	A newline that ends each data set and can be a line feed, carriage return, or both.
"true" and "false"	Allowed values for a visibility variable.
Spaces	Around the delimiter are removed when parsing the file; between words in a value string (e.g., two of a kind) are maintained and leading and trailing spaces are maintained if enclosed in double quotes (e.g. , "one kind ").
Double quotes	Can be part of a value if preceded by another double quote (e.g. , ""B"" would be "B" in the data set).

If <sep> or <nl> is part of the variable value, then the entire value must be enclosed in double quotes.
All variables defined in the PSD document must be defined in the text file. An error will be displayed if the number of variables in the text file does not match the document.

Example data set:

Using a template for flowers that holds variables for tulip and sunflower, you can set up a text file that looks like this:
{contents of FlowerShow.txt}
Variable1, Variable2, Variable3
true, TULIP, c:\My Documents\tulip.jpg
false, SUNFLOWER, c:\MyDocuments\sunflower.jpg
false, CALLA LILY, c:\My Documents\calla.jpg
true, VIOLET, c:\My Documents\violet.jpg

To import a data set:

1. Do one of the following
• Choose File > Import > Variable Data Sets.
• Choose Image > Variables > Data Sets.
2. Click the Import button.
3. Enter the name of the text file to import.
4. Set up your import options. There is a check box to use the first column value as the data set name. This is useful if your first variable is an identifier like a name or product number and you want to name your data sets with that value. Otherwise, the data sets are named "Data Set 1, Data Set 2, etc.." There is also a check box to delete all current data sets before importing new data sets.
5. Set the encoding of the text file or leave as "Automatic."
6. Click OK.

Processing all data sets

Once you have variables and one or more data sets defined, you can output, in batch mode, images using the data set values. You can output images as PSD files, optimized images, or SWF images.

To process data sets:

1. Choose File > Export > Data Sets as Files.
2. Enter a base name for all files generated. You may create your own file-naming scheme if you want.
3. Click the Choose button to select a destination directory for your files.
4. Choose data sets to export.
5. In the Save As text box, choose an export format and set the format-dependent export parameters.
6. Click OK.
Note: When exporting to SWF format, you can see multiple images in one HTML file. This is useful for quick visual scans. For instance, you can check if text was truncated, or choose a version from multiple data sets you've exported all to one file.

Saving templates for use with other Adobe products

You can save a template in PSD format for use with other Adobe products, such as Adobe Graphics Server (available only in English) and Adobe GoLive. For example, a GoLive user can place a PSD template in a page layout, bind its variables to a database using dynamic links, and then use Graphics Server to generate iterations of the artwork. Likewise, a developer working with Graphics Server can bind the variables in the PSD file directly to a database or another data source.
For more information on using PSD templates to create data-driven graphics, see the Adobe GoLive User Guide, GoLive online Help, and the Adobe Graphics Server Developer Guide.

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Previewing data-driven graphics

Preview Document mode lets you preview how a template will look when it is rendered using different sets of data.

To enable or disable Preview Document mode:

Do one of the following:
• Choose Image > Preview Document. A check mark appears next to the command when Preview Document mode is enabled.
• Click the Preview Document button in the tool box.

To preview data-driven graphics:

1. Enable Preview Document mode.
2. In the options bar, choose a data set from the Data Set pop-up menu, click the Previous Data Set button , or click the Next Data Set button .
The data changes in the document window.

Applying data sets

You can apply a data set's contents to the base document while leaving all the variables and data sets intact. This changes the look of the PSD document to contain the values of the data set.
Note: Applying a data set overwrites your original document.
To apply a data set:
Do one of the following:
1. Choose Image > Variables > Data Sets. Select the data set to apply from the list of data sets you've created or imported and click the Apply or OK button.
2. Choose Image > Apply Data Set. Select the data set to apply from the list of data sets and click OK.

Using data sets

A data set is a collection of variables and associated data. You can switch between data sets to upload different data into your template. 

Assigning data values to variables to create two data sets

To edit the default data set:

1. Do one of the following:
• Choose Image > Variables > Data Sets.
• If the Variables dialog box is open, choose Data Sets from the pop-up menu at the top of the dialog box, or click Next.
• Choose Variables from the Layers palette menu. Then choose Data Sets from the pop-up menu at the top of the dialog box, or click Next.
Note: You must define at least one variable before you can edit the default data set.
2. Select a variable from the Name pop-up menu or the list at the bottom of the dialog box.
3. Edit the variable data:
• For Visibility variables , select Visible to show the layer's content or Invisible to hide the layer's content.
• For Pixel Replacement variables , click Browse (Windows) or Choose (Mac OS) and select a replacement image file.
• For Text Replacement variables , enter a text string in the Value text box.
4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 for every variable in the template.
5. Click OK, or click Next.

To create a new data set:

1. Click the New Data Set button .
2. Edit the variable data.
3. Click OK.

To rename a data set:

Enter a name in the Data Set text box.

To select a data set:

Do one of the following:
• Choose a data set from the Data Set pop-up menu.
• Click the Previous Data Set button  to select the previous set in the list.
• Click the Next Data Set button  to select the next set in the list.

To change the data in a data set:

1. Select the data set you want to modify.
2. Edit the variable data.
3. Click OK.

To delete a data set:

1. Select the data set you want to delete.
2. Click the Trash button .

Using variables

You use variables to define which elements in a template are dynamic (changeable). A variable's type corresponds to the type of data you want to change in a template. Visibility variables let you show or hide the content of a layer. Pixel Replacement variables let you replace the pixels in the layer with pixels from another image file. Text Replacement variables let you replace a string of text in a type layer.

Note: You can use Photoshop to designate text as a variable for Adobe GoLive, if you put your variable text in the topmost text layer. Otherwise, you can use ImageReady to explicitly denote variables. GoLive recognizes all ImageReady text and visibility variables, but not pixel replacement variables.

Two versions of a Web image based on the same template A. Visibility variable B. Pixel Replacement variable C. Text Replacement variable

To define variables:

1. In the Layers palette, select a layer for which you want to define variables.
Note: You cannot define variables for the Background layer.
2. Choose Image > Variables > Define, or choose Variables from the Layers palette menu.
3. Select one or more types of variables:
• Visibility to show or hide the content of the layer.
• Pixel Replacement to replace the pixels in the layer with pixels from another image file.
Note: You specify the replacement image (as well as the replacement text and visibility states) when you define a data set. (See Using data sets.)
• Text Replacement to replace a string of text in a type layer.
4. If desired, enter names for the variables. Variable names must begin with a letter, underscore, or colon and cannot contain spaces or special characters (except for periods, hyphens, underscores, and colons).
5. For Pixel Replacement variables, click Pixel Replacement Options, and do the following:
• Choose a method for scaling the replacement image: Fit to scale the image to fit within the bounding box (which may leave parts of the bounding box empty), Fill to scale the image to entirely fill the bounding box (which may cause the image to extend beyond the bounding box), As Is to not scale the image, and Conform to scale the image non-proportionally to fit within the bounding box.
• Click a handle on the alignment icon  to choose an alignment for placing the image inside the bounding box.
• Select Clip to Bounding Box to clip areas of the image that do not fit within the bounding box. This option is only available when the Fill replacement method or As Is replacement method is selected.
6. To define variables for an additional layer, choose a layer from the Layer pop-up menu. Repeat Steps 3 through 5.
7. Click OK.

To rename a variable:

1. Choose Image > Variables > Define, or choose Variables from the Layers palette menu.
2. Choose the layer that contains the variable from the Layer pop-up menu.
3. Enter a name in the Name text box. Variable names must begin with a letter, underscore, or colon and cannot contain spaces or special characters (except for periods, hyphens, underscores, and colons).
Note: If you are using data sets and want to rename a variable globally (in all layers), change the name in the Data Sets section of the Variable dialog box. (See Using data sets.)

To remove variables:

1. Choose Image > Variables > Define, or choose Variables from the Layers palette menu.
2. Choose a layer from the Layer pop-up menu.
3. Deselect one or more variables.
4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 to remove variables from additional layers, and then click OK.

About data-driven graphics

Data-driven graphics make it possible to produce multiple versions of an image quickly and accurately. Let's say, for example, that you need to produce 500 different Web banners based on the same template. In the past, you had to manually populate the template with data (images, text, and so on). With data-driven graphics, you can quickly generate Web banners using variables and data sets.

You can turn any image into a template for data-driven graphics by defining variables for layers in the image. In addition, you can create different sets of variable data to view what your template will look like when it is rendered.

Creating different versions of an image using variables A. Source file template B. User defines layers as variables C. Different versions of the image can be created, each with a different variable data set

 

Supported Scripting Languages and Platform Issues

In Windows, you can use any scripting language that supports OLE automation, such as Visual Basic. In Mac OS, you can use Applescript. These languages are not cross-platform but can control multiple applications such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Microsoft Office.
You can also use Javascript on either platform. Javascript support lets you write scripts that will run on either Windows or Mac OS but can only control Photoshop. Photoshop includes a script editor and debugger for Javascript, but for other scripting languages you must use external tools to edit and debug the scripts.
Note: Please refer to the scripting documentation included with your Photoshop application installation: AppleScript Reference Guide.pdf, JavaScript Reference Guide.pdf, Photoshop Scripting Guide.pdf, and VisualBasic Reference Guide.pdf. These guides can be found in Photoshop CS/Scripting Guide.
If you have further questions about OLE, contact Microsoft Corporation. For questions about AppleScript, see your Mac OS documentation or contact Apple Computer.

External automation

Photoshop supports some external automation using OLE Automation (Windows) or AppleScript (Mac OS). Using either of these methods lets you start Adobe Photoshop and execute actions externally.
Using external automation lets you perform such tasks as:
• Having another scriptable application generate a series of files, and having Photoshop batch-process them.
• Having Photoshop batch-process files and save them to your Web site.
• Writing a script that runs an action and then shuts down your computer late at night after you've gone home.

Using the Automate commands (Photoshop)

The Automate commands simplify complex tasks by combining them into one or more dialog boxes. You can send files directly from the file browser to any of the automation plug-ins that process multiple images.

To use an automated command:

Choose File > Automate, and then choose any of the commands:
• PDF slideshow creates a PDF slideshow from multiple documents.
• Conditional Mode Change changes the color mode of an image to the mode you specify, based on the original mode of the image. Record this command in an action to ensure that images use the correct color mode and avoid generating unwanted error messages.
• Contact Sheet II produces a series of thumbnail previews on a single sheet from the files in the selected folder.
• Crop and Straighten (Photoshop) finds, separates and straightens one or more photographs from a single scan.
• Fit Image fits the current image to the width and height you specify, without changing its aspect ratio.
Note: This will resample the image, changing the amount of data in the image.
• Multi-Page PDF to PSD converts each page of a PDF document you select to a separate Photoshop file.
• Picture Package places multiple copies of a source image on a single page, similar to the photo packages traditionally sold by portrait studios. (See Creating picture packages.)
• Web Photo Gallery generates a Web site from a set of images--complete with a thumbnails index page, individual JPEG image pages, and navigable links.
• Photomerge merges multiple overlapping images into panoramas.

Using droplets to automate optimization settings (ImageReady)

You can save Optimize palette settings for use on individual images or batches of images by creating a droplet for the settings. The droplet lets you apply the compression settings to an image or batch of images that you drag onto the droplet icon.

To create a droplet for automating Optimize palette settings:

1. With an image displayed in the image window, choose a compression format and desired compression options in the Optimize palette.
2. Create a droplet:
• Drag the droplet icon  from the Optimize palette onto the desktop.
The droplet is named with a brief description of the compression settings, including file format and color palette or quality setting information. You can rename the droplet as you do other desktop icons.
• Click the droplet icon on the Optimize palette. Name the droplet, choose a location where the droplet will be saved, and click Save.
• Choose Create Droplet from the Optimize palette menu. Name the droplet, choose a location where the droplet will be saved, and click Save.
You can add optimization settings to an action by dragging the droplet icon in the Optimize palette to the Actions palette.

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Editing droplets (ImageReady)

In ImageReady, you can edit the commands in a droplet in the same ways you edit the commands in an action. You can also set batch options for a droplet before or after you create it. For example, you can set the droplet to operate in the background during execution, so that you can work in other applications while ImageReady processes images.

To edit a droplet:

1. Double-click the droplet or Choose File > Open and select the action to open the droplet window. The droplet window looks like a simplified version of the Actions palette.
2. Edit the droplet in the same ways you would edit an action:
• Change the order of commands by dragging them in the droplet list.
• Delete commands by dragging them to the Trash button .
• Add a command by dragging a state from the History palette to the area in which you want the command recorded in the droplet window.

To adjust droplet batch options:

1. Do one of the following:
• Before you create the droplet, select an action and choose Batch Options from the Actions palette menu.
• After you create the droplet, double-click the droplet to open the droplet window, and double-click Batch Options at the top of the droplet list.
2. Select Original (same name and folder) to save the original file with the same name and in the same folder.
3. Select Optimized to save an optimized version of the file. Then do any of the following:
• For In, choose the location in which you want to save the optimized file.
• For If Duplicate File Name, choose how and whether to append numbers or letters to indicate the optimized file in cases of duplicate filenames.
• For Modify File Name For, choose whether ImageReady appends or rewrites the filename using Windows, Mac OS 9, or UNIX file-naming conventions.
4. Select playback options:
• Run In Background to hide ImageReady during droplet execution, so that you can work in other applications while processing takes place. When you select Run In Background, other playback options requiring user input during processing are turned off, unless you have specifically set the dialog to pop ImageReady back up. ImageReady appears when the droplet completes execution.
Note: ImageReady is not available for creating and modifying current images while background processing is taking place.
• Display Image to show the images as they are being processed.
• Pause Before Save to stop the processing of each image before saving it.
5. Choose error options from the Errors menu:
• Stop to suspend the process until you confirm the error message.
• Skip Step to not process steps in which errors are encountered.
• Skip File to not process files in which errors are encountered.

Creating droplets for use on different operating systems

To use a droplet, simply drag a file or folder onto the droplet icon  in Photoshop or  in ImageReady. If the application you used to create the droplet is not currently running, the droplet launches it.
In ImageReady, you can control droplet processing in the following ways:
• To temporarily pause processing, click Pause. Click Resume to continue the processing.
• To cancel processing, click Stop.

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Creating droplets for use on different operating systems

When creating droplets that may be used in both Windows and Mac OS, keep the following compatibility issues in mind:
• After moving a Photoshop droplet created in Windows to Mac OS, drag the droplet onto the Photoshop icon. Photoshop will launch and update the droplet for use in Mac OS.
• After moving an ImageReady droplet from Windows to Mac OS, drag the droplet onto the ImageReady icon for use on the Mac OS.
• When creating a droplet in Mac OS, use the .exe extension to make droplets compatible with both Windows and Mac OS.
• References to filenames are not supported between operating systems. Any action step that references a file or folder name (such as an Open command, Save As command, or adjustment command that loads its settings from a file) will pause and prompt the user for a filename.

Creating a droplet from an action

Actions are the basis for creating droplets--you must create the desired action in the Actions palette prior to creating a droplet.
In ImageReady, you can also create droplets with the Optimize palette, so that you can apply Optimize palette settings to single images or batches of images.

To create a droplet from an action (Photoshop):

1. Choose File > Automate > Create Droplet.
2. Click Choose in the Save Droplet In section of the dialog box, and select a location to save the droplet.
3. Select the desired set and action from the Set and Action menus.
4. Set Play options for the droplet:
• Select Override Action "Open" Commands if you want Open commands in the action to refer to the batched files, rather than the filenames specified in the action. Deselect Override Action "Open" Commands if the action was recorded to operate on open files or if the action contains Open commands for specific files that are required by the action.
• Select Include All Subfolders to process files in subdirectories.
• Select Suppress Color Profile Warnings to turn off display of color policy messages.
• Select Suppress File Open Options Dialogs to hide File Open Options dialogs. This is useful when batching actions on camera raw image files. The default or previously specified settings will be used. For information about using droplets to open camera raw image files,
5. Select a destination for the processed files from the Destination menu:
• None to leave the files open without saving changes (unless the action included a Save command).
• Save and Close to save the files in their current location.
Note: If you selected the Save and Close option, you can select the "Override Action "Save As" Commands option." This option causes the droplet to override any action Save As commands and saves the file back to its original filename in its original folder.
6. Select Folder to save the process files to another location. Select Override Action "Save As" Commands if you want the Save As instructions from the droplet instead of the Save As instructions in the action. If you select this option, the action must contain a a Save As command, because the droplet will not automatically save the source files. This is useful for saving documents with options not available in the droplet (such as JPEG compression or TIFF options).
Note: No matter how you've recorded your action's Save As steps (with or without filename specifications), if this option is selected, the file is saved to the folder and the filename in the droplet.
Deselect Override Action "Save As" Commands will save the files processed by the droplet in the location specified as the destination in the Create Droplet dialog box.
Note: You can record an action that saves with a specified filename and folder. If you've done this, and have Override Action "Save As" Commands off, the same file will be overwritten each time. If you've recorded your Save As step in the action without specifying a filename, the droplet will save it to the same folder each time but will use the filename of the document being saved.
7. If you chose Folder as the destination, specify a file-naming convention and select file compatibility options for the processed files:
• For File Naming, select elements from the pop-up menus or enter text into the fields to be combined into the default names for all files. Elements include document name, serial number or letter, file creation date, and file extension. Starting serial number specifies the starting number for any serial number fields. Serial letter fields always start with the letter "A" for the first file.
• For Compatibility, choose Windows, Mac OS, and UNIX to make filenames compatible with Windows, Mac OS, and UNIX operating systems.
8. Select an option for error processing from the Errors pop-up menu:
• Stop for Errors to suspend the process until you confirm the error message.
• Log Errors to File to record each error in a file without stopping the process. If errors are logged to a file, a message appears after processing. To review the error file, open it in a text editor after the batch command has executed.

To create a droplet from an action (ImageReady):

1. For best results, make sure that the action contains at least one Set Optimization command. To add a Set Optimization command, adjust the settings in the Optimize palette, and then drag the droplet icon  from the Optimize palette onto the part of the Actions palette where you want to add that command. Or click the Insert Step button  at the bottom of the Actions palette and choose Add Set Optimization Settings.
If you do not add a Set Optimization command to the droplet, ImageReady will process files using the optimization settings in place at the time the droplet was created.
2. Create the droplet:
• Drag the name of the action from the Actions palette onto the desktop. The droplet has the same name as the action it was created from. You can rename the droplet as you do other desktop icons.
• Select an action, and choose Create Droplet from the Actions palette menu. Name the droplet, choose a location where the droplet will be saved, and click Save.

Using droplets

A droplet is a small application that applies an action to one or more images that you drag onto the droplet icon  in Photoshop or  in ImageReady. You can save a droplet on the desktop or to another location on disk.

Using the Batch command (Photoshop)

The Batch command lets you play an action on a folder of files and subfolders. If you have a digital camera or a scanner with a document feeder, you can also import and process multiple images with a single action. Your scanner or digital camera may need an acquire plug-in module that supports actions. (If the third-party plug-in wasn't written to import multiple documents at a time, it may not work during batch-processing or if used as part of an action. Contact the plug-in's manufacturer for further information.)
You can also import PDF images from Acrobat Capture or other software programs.
When batch-processing files, you can leave all the files open, close and save the changes to the original files, or save modified versions of the files to a new location (leaving the originals unchanged). If you are saving the processed files to a new location, you may want to create a new folder for the processed files before starting the batch.
For better batch performance, reduce the number of saved history states and deselect the Automatically Create First Snapshot option in the History palette.

To batch-process files using the Batch command:

1. Choose File > Automate > Batch.
2. For Play, choose the desired set and action from the Set and Action pop-up menus.
3. For Source, choose a source from the pop-up menu:
• Folder to play the action on files already stored on your computer. Click Choose to locate and select the folder.
• Import to import and play the action on images from a digital camera, scanner, or PDF document.
• Opened Files to play the action on all open files.
• File Browser to play the action on the selected files in the File Browser.
4. Select Override Action "Open" Commands if you want Open commands in the action to refer to the batched files, rather than the filenames specified in the action. If you select this option, the action must contain an Open command because the Batch command will not automatically open the source files.
Deselect Override Action "Open" Commands if the action was recorded to operate on open files or if the action contains Open commands for specific files that are required by the action.
5. Select Include All Subfolders to process files in subfolders.
6. Select Suppress File Open Options Dialogs to hide File Open Options dialogs. This is useful when batching actions on camera raw files. The default or previously specified settings will be used. For more information on using the Batch command to open camera raw image files,
7. Select Suppress Color Profile Warnings to turn off display of color policy messages.
8. Choose a destination for the processed files from the Destination menu:
• None to leave the files open without saving changes (unless the action includes a Save command).
• Save and Close to save the files in their current location, overwriting the original files.
Note: If you choose the Save and Close option, you can select the Override Action "Save As" Commands option. This option causes the Batch command to override any action Save As commands, and saves the file back to its original filename in its original folder.
• Folder to save the processed files to another location. Click Choose to specify the destination folder.
9. Select Override Action "Save As" Commands if you want the Save As instructions from the Batch command instead of the Save As instructions in the action. If you select this option, the action must contain a a Save As command because the Batch command will not automatically save the source files. This is useful for saving documents with options not available in the Batch command (such as JPEG compression or TIFF options, etc.)
Note: No matter how you've recorded your action's Save As steps (with or without filename specifications), if this option is selected, the file is saved to the folder and the filename in the Batch command.
Deselect Override Action "Save As" Commands will save the files processed by the Batch command in the location specified as the destination in the Batch dialog box.
Note: You can record an action that saves with a specified filename and folder. If you've done this, and have Override Action "Save As" Commands off, the same file will be overwritten each time. If you've recorded your Save As step in the action without specifying a filename, the Batch command will save it to the same folder each time, but will use the filename of the document being saved.
10. If you chose Folder as the destination, specify a file-naming convention and select file compatibility options for the processed files:
• For File Naming, select elements from the pop-up menus or enter text into the fields to be combined into the default names for all files. The fields let you change the order and formatting of the filename parts. You must include at least one field that is unique for every file (for example, filename, serial number, or serial letter) to prevent files from overwriting each other. Starting serial number specifies the starting number for any serial number fields. Serial letter fields always start with the letter "A" for the first file.
• For File Name Compatibility, choose Windows, Mac OS, and UNIX to make filenames compatible with Windows, Mac OS, and UNIX operating systems.
Saving files using the Batch command options usually saves the files in the same format as the original files. To create a batch process that saves files in a new format, record the Save As command followed by the Close command as part of your original action. Then choose Override Action "Save In" Commands for the Destination when setting up the batch process.
11. Select an option for error processing from the Errors pop-up menu:
• Stop for Errors to suspend the process until you confirm the error message.
• Log Errors to File to record each error in a file without stopping the process. If errors are logged to a file, a message appears after processing. To review the error file, open with a text editor after the batch command has run.
To batch-process using multiple actions, create a new action that plays all the other actions, and then batch process that one (you can nest actions within actions). To batch-process multiple folders, create aliases within a folder to the other folders you want to process, and select the Include All Subfolders option.

To batch process files in nested folders into different formats:

1. Process your folders as you would normally, until the Destination step.
2. Choose "Save and Close" for the destination. You can select the Override Action "Save As" Commands options to do the following:
• If the "Save As" step in the action contains a filename, this overrides it with the name of the document being saved; all "Save As" steps are treated as if they were recorded without a filename.
• The folder you specified in the "Save As" action step is overridden with the document's original folder.
Note: For this to work properly, you must have a "Save As" step in the action; the Batch command does not automatically save files.
This procedure lets you, for instance, sharpen, resize and save the images as JPEGs back into their original folders. You create an action that has a sharpen step, a resize step, and then a "Save As JPEG" step. When you batch process this action, you set "Include All Subfolders," make the destination "Save and Close," and you set "Override Action "Save As" Commands" to on.

Organizing sets of actions (Photoshop)

To help you organize your actions, you can create sets of actions and save the sets to disk. You can organize sets of actions for different types of work--such as print publishing and online publishing--and transfer sets to other computers.
Although ImageReady doesn't allow you to create sets, you can manually organize actions in the ImageReady Actions folder. For example, if the Actions palette contains too many actions, create a new folder inside the ImageReady Actions folder and move less-used actions from the ImageReady Actions folder to this new folder. The relocated actions are removed from the palette until you return them to the ImageReady Actions folder.

To create a new set of actions:

1. In the Actions palette, click the New Set button , or choose New Set from the palette menu.
2. Enter the name of the set, and click OK.

To move an action to a different set:

In the Actions palette, drag the action to a different set. When the highlighted line appears in the desired position, release the mouse button.

To rename a set of actions:

1. In the Actions palette, choose Set Options from the pop-up menu.
2. Enter the name of the set, and click OK.

Saving and loading actions

Actions are automatically saved to the Actions Palette folder in the Adobe Photoshop or Adobe ImageReady CS Settings folder. If this file is lost or removed, the actions you created are lost. You can save your actions to a separate actions file so that you can recover them if necessary. You can also load a variety of action sets that are shipped with Photoshop (Photoshop).
Note: The default location of the Adobe Photoshop CS Settings folder varies by operating system. Use your operating system's Find command to locate this folder.

To save a set of actions:

1. Select a set.
2. Choose Save Actions from the Actions palette menu.
3. Type a name for the set, choose a location, and click Save.
You can save the set anywhere. However, if you place the file in the Presets/Photoshop Actions folder inside the Photoshop program folder, the set will appear at the bottom of the Actions palette menu after you restart the application.
Press Ctrl+Alt (Windows) or Command+Option (Mac OS) when you choose the Save Actions command to save the actions in a text file. You can use this file to review or print the contents of an action. However, you can't reload the text file back into Photoshop.

To load a set of actions:

Do one of the following:
• Choose Load Actions from the Actions palette menu. Locate and select the action set file, and then click Load. (In Windows, Photoshop action set files have the extension .atn.)
• Select an action set from the bottom of the Actions palette menu.

To restore actions to the default set:

1. Choose Reset Actions from the Actions palette menu.
2. Click OK to replace the current actions in the Actions palette with the default set, or click Append to add the set of default actions to the current actions in the Actions palette.

Managing actions in the Actions palette

By default, the Actions palette displays predefined actions (shipped with the application) and any actions you create. You can also load additional actions into the Actions palette.
Note: Photoshop actions are not compatible with ImageReady, and vice versa.

Changing action options

ou can change the name, keyboard shortcut, and button color (Photoshop) for an action in the Action Options dialog box.

To rename an action:

Double-click the action name in the Actions palette and enter a new name.

To change action options:

1. Do one of the following:
• Select the action, and choose Action Options from the Actions palette menu.
2. Type a new name for the action, or change other options. For more information about action options,
3. Click OK.

Deleting actions and commands

If you no longer need an action or command, you can delete it from the Actions palette.

To delete an action or command:

1. In the Actions palette, select the action or command you want to delete.
2. Delete the action or command:
• Click the Trash button on the Actions palette. Click OK to delete the action or command.
• Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) the Trash button to delete the selected action or command without displaying a confirmation dialog box.
• Drag the action or command to the Trash button on the Actions palette to delete the selected action or command without displaying a confirmation dialog box.
• Choose Delete from the Actions palette menu.

To delete all actions in the Actions palette (Photoshop):

Choose Clear All Actions from the Actions palette menu.

Even after clearing all actions, the Actions palette can be restored to its default set of actions.

Rerecording and duplicating actions and commands

Rerecording an action or command lets you set new values for it. Duplicating an action or command lets you make changes to it without losing the original version.

To record an action again (Photoshop):

1. Select an action, and choose Record Again from the Actions palette menu.
2. For a modal tool, do one of the following:
• Use the tool differently, and Press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS) to change the tool's effect.
• Press Cancel to retain the same settings.
3. For a dialog box, do one of the following:
• Change the values, and click OK to record them.
• Click Cancel to retain the same values.

To record a single command again:

1. In the Actions palette, double-click the command.
2. Enter the new values, and click OK.

To duplicate an action or command:

Do one of the following:
• Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac OS) the action or command to a new location in the Actions palette. When the highlighted line appears in the desired location, release the mouse button.
• Select an action or command. Then choose Duplicate from the Actions palette menu. The copied action or command appears after the original.
• Drag an action or command to the New Action button at the bottom of the Actions palette. The copied action or command appears after the original.
In Photoshop, you can duplicate sets as well as actions and commands.

Recording additional commands

You can add commands to an action using the Record button or the Start Recording command in the Actions palette.

To record additional commands:

1. Do one of the following:
• Select the action name to insert a new command at the end of the action.
• Select a command in the action to insert a command after it.
2. Click the Record button, or choose Start Recording from the Actions palette menu.
3. Record the additional commands.
4. Click the Stop button to stop recording.
In ImageReady, you can drag any nonitalicized command from the History palette to the Actions palette without clicking the Record button or choosing Start Recording from the Actions palette menu.

Rearranging actions and commands

You can rearrange actions in the Actions palette and rearrange commands within an action to change their order of execution.

To rearrange actions:

In the Actions palette, drag the action to its new location before or after another action. When the highlighted line appears in the desired position, release the mouse button.
You can edit conditionals in actions. See Editing conditionals.

To rearrange commands:

In the Actions palette, drag the command to its new location within the same or another action. When the highlighted line appears in the desired position, release the mouse button.

Setting playback options (Photoshop)

Sometimes a long, complicated action does not play properly, but it is difficult to tell where the problem occurs. The Playback Options command gives you three speeds at which to play actions, so that you can watch each command as it is carried out.
When working with actions that contain audio annotations, you can specify whether or not the action will pause for audio annotations. This ensures that each audio annotation completes playing before the next step in the action is initiated.

To specify how fast actions should play:

1. Choose Playback Options from the Actions palette menu.
2. Specify a speed:
• Accelerated to play the action at normal speed (the default).
• Step by Step to complete each command and redraw the image before going on to the next command in the action.
• Pause For to enter the amount of time Photoshop should pause between carrying out each command in the action.
3. Select Pause For Audio Annotation to ensure that each audio annotation in an action completes playback before the next step in the action is initiated. Deselect this option if you want an action to continue while an audio annotation is playing.
4. Click OK.

Playing actions

Playing an action executes the series of commands you recorded in the active document. You can exclude specific commands from an action or play a single command. If the action includes a modal control, you can specify values in a dialog box or use a modal tool when the action pauses.

Note: In button mode, clicking a button executes the entire action--though commands previously excluded are not executed.

To play an action on a file:

1. Open the file.
2. Do one of the following:
• To play an entire action, select the action name, and click the Play button in the Actions palette, or choose Play from the palette menu.
• If you assigned a key combination to the action, press that combination to play the action automatically.
• To play part of an action, select the command from which you want to start playing, and click the Play button in the Actions palette, or choose Play from the palette menu.

To play a single command in an action:

1. Select the command you want to play.
2. Do one of the following:
• Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) the Play button in the Actions palette.
• Press Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS), and double-click the command.

To undo an entire action:

Do one of the following:
• (Photoshop) Take a snapshot in the History palette before you play an action, and then select the snapshot to undo the action.
• (ImageReady) Choose Edit > Undo Action Name.

Inserting optimization settings for selected slices (ImageReady)

When you record a Save Optimized action step, ImageReady includes optimization settings for the entire image. You can insert optimization settings for individual slices using the Insert Set Optimization Settings command.

To insert optimization settings in an action:

1. Select the slice or slices for which you want to record optimization settings. (See Selecting slices.)
2. Select the action in which you want to insert the optimization settings.
3. Do one of the following:
• Choose Insert Set Optimization Settings to current file format from the Actions palette menu. (The command indicates the optimization file format currently applied to the selected slice.)
• Drag the droplet icon from the Optimize palette onto the Actions palette.
• Click the Insert Step button  at the bottom of the Actions palette. Choose Insert Set Optimization Settings To, and choose a format.

Recording image size options (ImageReady)

Resizing images is a typical step in preparing irregularly sized images for use on the Web. You can automate this task by creating an action that includes the Image Size command. ImageReady provides several options that give you control over how an action resizes images.

To record Image Size options:

1. Start recording an action.
2. Choose Image > Image Size, and enter the desired image dimensions.
3. Select Action Options.
4. Choose an option from the Fit Image By menu:
• Width to constrain proportions using the new width value.
• Height to constrain proportions using the new height value.
• Width & Height to constrain proportions using either the new width value or the new height value.
• Percent to constrain proportions using the new percent value.
5. Select Do Not Enlarge to prevent images that are smaller than the new dimensions from being sized up.
6. Click OK and continue recording the action.

Specifying an output folder (ImageReady)

If you include a Save Optimized step in your action or create a droplet from the action, you can specify the folder in which images are placed after the action is performed.
Note: In Photoshop, you can set an output folder when using the Batch command to process files.

To specify an output folder:

1. Select the action for which you want to specify an output folder in the Actions palette.
2. Choose Insert Set Output Folder from the Actions palette menu, or click the Insert Step button  at the bottom of the palette and choose Insert Set Output Folder.
3. Select a folder, and click OK.

Inserting nonrecordable commands (Photoshop)

You cannot record the painting and toning tools, tool options, view commands, and window commands. However, you can insert many nonrecordable commands into an action using the Insert Menu Item command.
You can insert a command when recording an action, or after it has been recorded. An inserted command doesn't execute until the action is played, so the file remains unchanged when the command is inserted. No values for the command are recorded in the action. If the command has a dialog box, the dialog box appears during playback, and the action pauses until you click OK or Cancel.
Note: When you use the Insert Menu Item command to insert a command that opens a dialog box, you cannot disable the modal control in the Actions palette.

To insert a menu item in an action:

1. Choose where to insert the menu item:
• Select an action's name to insert the item at the end of the action.
• Select a command to insert the item at the end of the command.
2. Choose Insert Menu Item from the Actions palette menu.
3. With the Insert Menu Item dialog box open, choose a command from its menu.
4. Click OK.

Excluding commands

You can exclude commands that you don't want to play as part of a recorded action. In Photoshop, you must be in list mode--not button mode--to exclude commands.

To exclude or include a command:

1. To expand the listing of commands in an action, click the triangle to the left of the action you want to work with.
2. Click the check mark to the left of the specific command you wish to exclude; click again to include the command. To exclude or include all commands in an action, click the check mark to the left of the action name.
When you exclude a command, its check mark disappears. In addition, the check mark of the parent action turns red to indicate that some of the commands within the action are excluded.

Setting modal controls

A modal control pauses an action so that you can specify values in a dialog box or use a modal tool. You can only set modal controls for actions that launch dialog boxes or activate modal tools. If you do not set a modal control, dialog boxes do not appear when you play the action, and you cannot change the recorded values.
A modal control is indicated by a dialog box icon  to the left of a command, action, or set in the Actions palette. Actions and sets in which some, but not all, available commands are modal display a red dialog box icon . In Photoshop, you must be in list mode--not button mode--to set a modal control.

To set a modal control:

Do one of the following:
• Click the box to the left of the command name to display the dialog box icon. Click again to remove the modal control.
• To turn on or disable modal controls for all commands in an action, click the box to the left of the action name.
• (Photoshop) To turn on or disable modal controls for all actions in a set, click the box to the left of the set name.

Editing conditionals

The conditionals you create appear in the Actions palette. Clicking the triangle to the left of the conditional action reveals its conditions and actions. You can edit the conditional by double-clicking any of its conditions or actions, which will open the Conditional dialog box.

Inserting Conditionals (ImageReady)

A conditional is a statement of a situation that must be met before the next step of an action can take place. You set both the condition situation and the steps to take if the condition is met. Conditionals are extremely useful in limiting the range of items an action will work on. For instance, say you have hundreds of images to import into a Web-based photo gallery, but you have to resize any that are too large for your specifications. You can add a conditional to your action that looks at all the files, checks the size, and changes only the ones that are too large, thus saving much time and space. Conditionals are also useful for nesting actions within actions, only playing the nested action under specified conditions.

To insert a conditional:

1. In the Actions palette, choose the step you want the conditional to appear after.
2. Choose Insert Conditional from the Actions palette menu, or click the Insert Step button  at the bottom of the palette and choose Insert Conditional.
   
Setting up a conditional for a recorded action
3. Choose when to execute the conditional action steps:
• Always executes the condition actions every time.
• Ask pops up a dialog during the condition to ask the user if the condition has been met.
• Never does not execute the condition actions.
Note: If you choose Always, Never, or Ask, you will not have the option of choosing one of the other conditions.
In the If The Following Condition Is Met area of the dialog box, choose a condition. You can only choose one property to base your condition on. If you choose Image Width, for instance, you can't also choose another image property, nor can you choose a layer or a document property.
Image Aspect Ratio
Lets you choose between Landscape, Portrait and Square, and lets you ask if the aspect ratio is or is not one of those.
Image Width
Sets the conditional to ask if the image width is equal to or not equal to, greater than, greater than or equal to, less than, or less than or equal to a width you can specify in the box.
Image Height
Sets the conditional to ask if the image height is equal to or not equal to, greater than, greater than or equal to, less than, or less than or equal to a width you can specify in the box.
Layer count
Sets the conditional to ask if the layer count is equal to or not equal to, greater than, greater than or equal to, less than, or less than or equal to a width you can specify in the box.
Layer type
Lets you choose between Pixel, Text, Adjustment, Fill and Layer Set, and lets you ask if the layer type is or is not one of those.
Layer name
Sets the conditional to ask if the name contains, does not contain, begins with, does not begin with, ends with, does not end with, or is equal to or not equal to a name you can specify in the box.
Document name
Sets the conditional to ask if the document name contains, does not contain, begins with, does not begin with, ends with, does not end with, or is equal to or not equal to a name you can specify in the box.
4. In the Perform the Following Actions area of the dialog box, choose an action to perform if the condition has been met:
• Play Action launches the action you choose from the pop-up menu.
• Include lets you specify the number of steps the action will continue before ending. The steps will be performed only if the condition is met, and ignored otherwise.
• Skip lets you specify a number of subsequent steps the action should ignore if the condition is met. If the skip condition is not met, the steps will be executed.
• Skip Remaining Steps in the Action finishes the action without executing the remaining steps if the condition is met; otherwise, all steps are executed.
• Cancel Playing the Action terminates the action at this point if the condition is met.
• Repeat lets you specify the number of times the chosen number of previous steps are to be repeated.
• Beep notifies you with an alert sound when the condition you specify has been met.

Inserting stops

You can include stops in your action that let you perform a task that cannot be recorded (for example, using a painting tool). Once you've completed the task, click the Play button in the Actions palette to complete the task. You can insert a stop when recording an action or after it has been recorded.
You can also display a short message when the action reaches the stop. For example, you can remind yourself what needs to be done before continuing with the action. Photoshop gives you the option of including a Continue button in the message box. This lets you check for a certain condition in the file (for example, a selection) and continue if nothing needs to be done. ImageReady automatically provides the Continue button.

To insert a stop:

1. Choose where to insert the stop by doing one of the following:
• Select an action's name to insert a stop at the end of the action.
• Select a command to insert a stop after the command.
2. Choose Insert Stop from the Actions palette  menu and choose Insert Stop. In ImageReady you can also click the Insert a Step button at the bottom of the palette.
3. Type the message you want to appear.
4. (Photoshop) If you want the option to continue the action without stopping, select Allow Continue.
5. Click OK.

Recording paths (Photoshop)

The Insert Path command lets you include a complex path (a path created with a pen tool or pasted from Adobe Illustrator) as part of an action. When the action is played back, the work path is set to the recorded path. You can insert a path when recording an action or after it has been recorded.
Note: Playing actions that insert complex paths may require significant amounts of memory. If you encounter problems, increase the amount of memory available to Photoshop.

To record a path:

1. Do one of the following:
• Start recording an action.
• Select an action's name to record a path at the end of the action.
• Select a command to record a path after the command.
2. Select an existing path from the Paths palette.
3. Choose Insert Path from the Actions palette menu.
If you record multiple Insert Path commands in a single action, each path will replace the previous one in the target file. To add multiple paths, record a Save Path command using the Paths palette after recording each Insert Path command.

Creating a new action

When you create a new action, the commands and tools you use are added to the action until you stop recording.

To create a new action:

1. Open a file.
2. In the Actions palette, click the New Action button , or choose New Action from the Actions palette menu.
3. Enter a name for the action.
4. (Photoshop) Choose a set from the pop-up menu.
5. If desired, set one or both of the following options:
• Assign a keyboard shortcut to the action. You can choose any combination of a Function key, the Ctrl key (Windows) or Command key (Mac OS), and the Shift key (for example, Ctrl+Shift+F3), with these exceptions: In Windows, you cannot use the F1 key, nor can you use F4 or F6 with the Ctrl key.
• (Photoshop) Assign a color for display in Button Mode.
6. Click Record. The Record button in the Actions palette turns red .
Important: When recording the Save As command, do not change the filename. If you enter a new filename, Photoshop records the filename and uses that filename each time you run the action. Before saving, if you navigate to a different folder, you can specify a different location without having to specify a filename.
7. Choose the commands, and perform the operations you want to record.
8. To stop recording, either click the Stop button, choose Stop Recording from the Actions palette menu, or press the Escape key. To resume recording in the same action, choose Start Recording from the Actions palette menu. 

Recording actions

Keep in mind the following guidelines when recording actions:
• You can record most--but not all--commands in an action.
• You can record operations that you perform with the Marquee, Move, Polygon, Lasso, Magic Wand, Crop, Slice, Magic Eraser, Gradient, Paint Bucket, Type, Shape, Notes, Eyedropper, and Color Sampler tools--as well as those that you perform in the History, Swatches, Color, Paths, Channels, Layers, Styles, and Actions palettes.
• Results depend on file and program setting variables, such as the active layer or the foreground color. For example, a 3-pixel Gaussian blur won't create the same effect on a 72-ppi file as on a 144-ppi file.  Nor will Color Balance work on a grayscale file.
• When recording actions that include dialog boxes and palettes, the settings recorded will be the ones that are presently in the dialog box and palette at the time of the recording. If you change a setting in a dialog box or palette while recording an action, the resulting value will be the one recorded.
Note: Most dialog boxes retain the values of their previous settings; when they next appear they may already have values. Be sure to check carefully to see if the values are the ones you want to record.
• Modal operations and tools--as well as tools that record position--use the units currently specified for the ruler. A modal operation or tool is one that requires you to press Enter or Return to apply its effect, such as the transformation and crop commands. Tools that record position include the Marquee, Slice, Gradient, Magic Wand, Lasso, Shape, Path, Eyedropper, and Notes tools.
In Photoshop, when recording an action that will be played on files of different sizes, set the ruler units to percent. As a result, the action will always play back in the same relative position in the image.
• You can record the Play command listed on the Actions palette menu to cause one action to play another.
• In ImageReady, you can drag a command from the History palette to the action in the Actions palette in which you want the command recorded. Commands in italics are not recordable in an action. You cannot drag italicized commands from the History palette to the Actions palette.
• Photoshop and ImageReady cannot share actions.

Using the Actions palette

You use the Actions palette to record, play, edit, and delete individual actions. This palette also lets you save and load action files.
In Photoshop, actions are grouped into sets--you can create new sets to better organize your actions.  In ImageReady, you cannot group actions into sets.



Photoshop Actions palette A. Action or set with excluded command B. Action or set with a modal control C. Included command (toggles command on or off) D. Modal control (toggles modal control on or off) E. Excluded command F. Set G. Action H. Recorded commands

To display the Actions palette:

Choose Window > Actions and press Alt +F9 (Windows) or Window > Actions (Mac OS), or click the Actions palette tab if the palette is visible but not active.
By default, the Actions palette displays actions in list mode--you can expand and collapse sets, actions, and commands. In Photoshop, you can also choose to display actions in button mode (as buttons in the Actions palette that play an action with a single mouse click). However, you cannot view individual commands or sets in button mode.

To expand and collapse sets, actions, and commands:

Click the triangle to the left of the set, action, or command in the Actions palette. Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) the triangle to expand or collapse all actions in a set or all commands in an action.

To select actions:

Do one of the following:
• Click an action name to select a single action.
• (Photoshop) Shift-click action names to select multiple, contiguous actions.
• (Photoshop) Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) action names to select multiple, discontiguous actions.

To display actions as buttons (Photoshop):

Choose Button Mode from the Actions palette menu. Choose Button Mode again to return to list mode.

To create a new set (Photoshop):

1. Do one of the following:
• In the Actions palette, click the Create New Set button .
• In the Actions palette menu, choose New Set.
2. Enter the name of the new set.
Note: If you plan to create a new action and group it in a new set, make sure you create the set first. Then, the new set will appear in the set pop-up menu when you create your new action.

About actions

An action is a series of commands that you play back on a single file or a batch of files. For example, you can create an action that applies an Image Size command to change an image to a specific size in pixels, followed by an Unsharp Mask filter that resharpens the detail, and a Save command that saves the file in the desired format.
Most commands and tool operations are recordable in actions. Actions can include stops that let you perform tasks that cannot be recorded (for example, using a painting tool). Actions can also include modal controls that let you enter values in a dialog box while playing an action. Actions form the basis for droplets, which are small applications that automatically process all files that are dragged onto their icon.
Both Photoshop and ImageReady include a number of predefined actions, although Photoshop has significantly more user-recordable functionality than ImageReady. You can use these actions as is, customize them to meet your needs, or create new actions.

Function keys

§ ImageReady only

Result	Windows	Mac OS
Invoke Help	F1
Undo/Redo*		F1
Cut*	F2	F2
Copy*	F3	F3
Paste*	F4	F4
Show/Hide Brushes palette* Show/Hide Slice palette§	F5	F5
Show/Hide Color palette	F6	F6
Show/Hide Layers palette	F7	F7
Show/Hide Info palette	F8	F8
Show/Hide Actions palette*	F9	Option + F9*, Control + F9§
Show/Hide Optimize palette§	F10	Control + F10
Show/Hide Animation palette§	F11	Control + F11
Revert	F12	F12
Fill*	Shift + F5	Shift + F5
Feather Selection*	Shift + F6	Shift + F6
Inverse Selection*	Shift + F7	Shift + F7

Keys for using the Web Content palette (ImageReady)

Result	Windows	Mac OS
Edit image map name and show Image Map palette	Double-click image map thumbnail	Double-click image map thumbnail
Edit mouse action for rollover state	Double-click rollover state thumbnail	Double-click rollover state thumbnail
Edit image slice name and show Slice palette	Double-click image slice thumbnail	Double-click image slice thumbnail
Toggle visibility of animation frames	Right-click state with an animated frame icon and select new state from context menu	Control-click state with an animated frame icon and select new state from context menu
Create an image map rollover	Control-click Create Layer-based Rollover button	Command-click Create Layer-based Rollover button

Keys for using the Swatches palette

§ ImageReady only

Result	Windows	Mac OS
Create new swatch from foreground color*	Click in empty area of palette	Click in empty area of palette
Select background color	Control-click swatch	Command-click swatch
Delete color	Alt-click swatch	Option-click swatch
Select multiple contiguous colors§	Shift-click on a second color	Shift-click on a second color
Select multiple discontiguous colors§	Control-click on multiple colors	Command-click on multiple colors