Legacy Code
March 1st, 2010, 04:06 PM
In PS you can create Actions and use them to speed up tasks and perform the same task over and over again. Im sure you have all seen actions available to download on DeviantArt or other sites on the net.
Actions are basically a recording of your key strokes in PS.They are very easy to make and you can pretty much record anything you do in PS and save it as an action and use it at a later date. In this tutorial i will show you how to create an action and also how to run it as an automated batch. But don't panic its very easy to do.
I always run through what im going to do first and make sure the results are what i want and im happy with things in general. In this example i will edit a file from Windows Media Player 12 and then repeat that edit on multiple files. So lets start.....
With Ps open and no document created i selected WINDOW > ACTIONS
http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/8365/1windowaction.png (http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/8365/1windowaction.png)
Then i selected New action (bottom of the actions palette ,icon next to the rubbish bin)
http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/2104/3selectaction.jpg (http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/2104/3selectaction.jpg)
I named it to What i wanted then pressed RECORD. *from now on , every button your press and confirm will be recorded in your action*
http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/8404/2actionrecord.png (http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/8404/2actionrecord.png)
i went to FILE > OPEN and selected the file i wanted. In this case i had a folder on my desktop with all the files i wanted to edit. Its always a good idea to have everything ready before you start.As you can see the OPEN action has been recorded.
http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/6662/4open.png (http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/6662/4open.png)
So now the file is open I can edit it the way i want , So i will mess about with the hue and saturation to change its colour. I ticked colourize in the hue and saturation palette and moved the sliders about until i got my desired colour.Again you can see hue and satuaration was recorded in the actions palette.
http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/5236/6colourdone.png (http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/5236/6colourdone.png)
When i was happy with it i then went to FILE > SAVE AS ... I made sure it was saved as the correct file type. Then i pressed STOP (To the left of the Record button) in the actions palette and that's it your action is done.As you can see Save is now in the action.
http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/9016/7save.png (http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/9016/7save.png)
Now lets say you have more than one file you wish to edit , in my case i have 14 but you could do 200 if you really wanted to.
So i went to FILE > AUTOMATE > BATCH ....
http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/4951/8auto.png (http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/4951/8auto.png)
Now select the following options just like you see below, just tick the boxes like i have.As you can see i selected my source folder and saved into a new folder on my desktop, that way i keep the original files and an edited copy of them are made in a new one.
http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/3744/autorunu.png (http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/3744/autorunu.png)
Now press OK and your action will be applied to everything in your source folder and saved in your new one. How easy was that ?
Your action you create can be applied to anything in PS , you can add a nice frame to all your family pictures at once , edit files for a theme or create a nice text effect to share with everyone on Virtual Customs. Or just use it at a later date when ever needed. Its up to you what you do , just be creative and most of all enjoy what you do.... Its meant to be fun !!!!
Any questions, better tips for actions (I'm no expert and still learning) or comments please either send me a PM or post here. If i dont know an answer to your problem i will do my best to find out for you.
Actions are basically a recording of your key strokes in PS.They are very easy to make and you can pretty much record anything you do in PS and save it as an action and use it at a later date. In this tutorial i will show you how to create an action and also how to run it as an automated batch. But don't panic its very easy to do.
I always run through what im going to do first and make sure the results are what i want and im happy with things in general. In this example i will edit a file from Windows Media Player 12 and then repeat that edit on multiple files. So lets start.....
With Ps open and no document created i selected WINDOW > ACTIONS
http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/8365/1windowaction.png (http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/8365/1windowaction.png)
Then i selected New action (bottom of the actions palette ,icon next to the rubbish bin)
http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/2104/3selectaction.jpg (http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/2104/3selectaction.jpg)
I named it to What i wanted then pressed RECORD. *from now on , every button your press and confirm will be recorded in your action*
http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/8404/2actionrecord.png (http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/8404/2actionrecord.png)
i went to FILE > OPEN and selected the file i wanted. In this case i had a folder on my desktop with all the files i wanted to edit. Its always a good idea to have everything ready before you start.As you can see the OPEN action has been recorded.
http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/6662/4open.png (http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/6662/4open.png)
So now the file is open I can edit it the way i want , So i will mess about with the hue and saturation to change its colour. I ticked colourize in the hue and saturation palette and moved the sliders about until i got my desired colour.Again you can see hue and satuaration was recorded in the actions palette.
http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/5236/6colourdone.png (http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/5236/6colourdone.png)
When i was happy with it i then went to FILE > SAVE AS ... I made sure it was saved as the correct file type. Then i pressed STOP (To the left of the Record button) in the actions palette and that's it your action is done.As you can see Save is now in the action.
http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/9016/7save.png (http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/9016/7save.png)
Now lets say you have more than one file you wish to edit , in my case i have 14 but you could do 200 if you really wanted to.
So i went to FILE > AUTOMATE > BATCH ....
http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/4951/8auto.png (http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/4951/8auto.png)
Now select the following options just like you see below, just tick the boxes like i have.As you can see i selected my source folder and saved into a new folder on my desktop, that way i keep the original files and an edited copy of them are made in a new one.
http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/3744/autorunu.png (http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/3744/autorunu.png)
Now press OK and your action will be applied to everything in your source folder and saved in your new one. How easy was that ?
Your action you create can be applied to anything in PS , you can add a nice frame to all your family pictures at once , edit files for a theme or create a nice text effect to share with everyone on Virtual Customs. Or just use it at a later date when ever needed. Its up to you what you do , just be creative and most of all enjoy what you do.... Its meant to be fun !!!!
Any questions, better tips for actions (I'm no expert and still learning) or comments please either send me a PM or post here. If i dont know an answer to your problem i will do my best to find out for you.