Tardypizza was helping me with some Action macros in Photoshop CS2 the other night (thanks, TP!), and I ran into a snag doing batch image processing: When I try to run a batch process, I got the JPG save options dialog box popping up after every image closes in the action process. If I try to put the Save command in the Action itself, then it doesn't apply the file renaming rules from the Batch dialog (in fact, it seems to just re-use the same file-name over and over). Needless to say, this is bad. As it stands now, I have to click "OK" on the save image dialog box after every image is processed, which is a royal pain in the ass!

Any ideas?

I'm not sure I like you referring to me as TP

I came across this http://www.texasphotoforum.com/forum...ad.php?t=34125 not sure if it will help. It's in reference to the 'Override Action Save As' option in the save dialogue.

In my action I use "save for web" and it just uses the original file name. I've never had it try to re-use the same file name over and over. Maybe try trashing that step of your action and recording a new one with "save for web" or "save as" with the "Override Save As" option clicked?

Make sure not to over write your originals!

Oh, also read through this article http://theonlinephotographer.typepad...-improve-.html
It concerns the first unsharp mask in your action and further down in the comments there are a few more suggestions/techniques you may want to try.

Can't wait to see your wedding pics!

Originally Posted by tardypizza

Oh, also read through this article http://theonlinephotographer.typepad...-improve-.html
It concerns the first unsharp mask in your action and further down in the comments there are a few more suggestions/techniques you may want to try.

Can't wait to see your wedding pics!

I'm hoping to have them posted by Friday night. I only have Photoshop on the wife's laptop, so I'm at the mercy of whenever she brings the laptop home (and lets me use it!).

One other thing - what dimensions do you resize to for portrait shots?

Originally Posted by tardypizza

I'm not sure I like you referring to me as TP

I came across this http://www.texasphotoforum.com/forum...ad.php?t=34125 not sure if it will help. It's in reference to the 'Override Action Save As' option in the save dialogue.

In my action I use "save for web" and it just uses the original file name. I've never had it try to re-use the same file name over and over. Maybe try trashing that step of your action and recording a new one with "save for web" or "save as" with the "Override Save As" option clicked?

Make sure not to over write your originals!

Can't see that post without being registered - can you cut and paste?

When running the batch:
Set destination to 'folder' or 'save and close'
Then choose the 'Override Action Save As' option

See if that works.

Originally Posted by banman

One other thing - what dimensions do you resize to for portrait shots?

For web use it's 533x800. I can't remember what camera you have so your sensor dimensions may be different.

I'm also at 800x533 or 533x800...
But I'm thinking I'll be dropping down to x700 soon as my widescreen clips things on display...

Why do you NEED to rename them?
When I do batches I always save them to a new folder so I don't risk overwriting what I'm using. Then I use the original file names and it's fine. I use a open and save command in the action for when I'm doing that though. I don't do that very often though, only when I need to post >50 images at once. Otherwise I process each separately, then have an action that resizes and closes them.

Anyone figure out a way to have an action that works (resizes) for both layouts? Right now I have one for verticals and one for horizontals. I just put them in different folders before I start and save to the same folder coming out. Works, but it would be nice if it could always resize to 800 on the biggest dimension.

Originally Posted by jacobsen1

I'm also at 800x533 or 533x800...
But I'm thinking I'll be dropping down to x700 soon as my widescreen clips things on display...

Why do you NEED to rename them?

Anyone figure out a way to have an action that works (resizes) for both layouts? Right now I have one for verticals and one for horizontals. I just put them in different folders before I start and save to the same folder coming out. Works, but it would be nice if it could always resize to 800 on the biggest dimension.

I think the main problem was it kept using the same file name for each image, ie IMG_1234.jpg for each picture over and over.


And as far as an action for both layouts you can either keep using your 2 actions, or you can use 1 action with 2 resize steps and just click one on and the other off depending on your layout.

Originally Posted by tardypizza

Originally Posted by jacobsen1

I'm also at 800x533 or 533x800...
But I'm thinking I'll be dropping down to x700 soon as my widescreen clips things on display...

Why do you NEED to rename them?

Anyone figure out a way to have an action that works (resizes) for both layouts? Right now I have one for verticals and one for horizontals. I just put them in different folders before I start and save to the same folder coming out. Works, but it would be nice if it could always resize to 800 on the biggest dimension.

I think the main problem was it kept using the same file name for each image, ie IMG_1234.jpg for each picture over and over.


And as far as an action for both layouts you can either keep using your 2 actions, or you can use 1 action with 2 resize steps and just click one on and the other off depending on your layout.

I don't really NEED to rename them, but if for some reason I decide to dump all the photos in the same folder down the road, it does make life easier. I'm not in the habit of renaming files from the default camera filenames, either, so having a lot of DSC_XXXX.JPG filenames gets confusing quickly.

Also, is Windows just retarded about image orientation? Windows Explorer always displays all my shots in the same orientation until I go in and manually rotate them. Picasa seems to be more clever about it.

I wonder if it's just easier to do a batch-resize on unrotated photos, then rotate them afterwards as necessary (rather than manually sorting portrait/landscape shots, then running separate batch-resize jobs on them).

Be careful as to how PS "sees" them... It might already be flipping them too...

But yeah, for me I process everything to a temp folder, upload that to the site, then delete it. I rarely keep anything process on my HD, and if I do I'll usually keep it a .tif so I can't overwrite the original JPEG... But if you shoot RAW you can't have this issue...

Don't put the save action in the recorded action and it might work. I just converted almost 300 images from indexed to grayscale using a batch action. CS3 seems to have made some aspects of the actions system a little better.

I've yet to try it in CS3...

BTW, can you save a CS2 action and import it into CS3? I know you can get them in and out of the same version (IE I can send one to someone) but can CS3 use an old one? I didn't even try the other day and just redid mine...

Originally Posted by jacobsen1

I've yet to try it in CS3...

BTW, can you save a CS2 action and import it into CS3? I know you can get them in and out of the same version (IE I can send one to someone) but can CS3 use an old one? I didn't even try the other day and just redid mine...

What file do you copy to share your actions? Tardypizza tried it and it didn't work (although that might have been a CS3->CS2 issue).

Originally Posted by emorphien

Don't put the save action in the recorded action and it might work. I just converted almost 300 images from indexed to grayscale using a batch action. CS3 seems to have made some aspects of the actions system a little better.

Yeah, when I first tried it, there was no Save in the action, but there was a Close - so when the action went to close the image, I'd get the JPEG options dialog box popping up.

Originally Posted by banman

Yeah, when I first tried it, there was no Save in the action, but there was a Close - so when the action went to close the image, I'd get the JPEG options dialog box popping up.

Oh! I didn't know that you didn't have a save step in your action. That's why PS keeps asking you to save your work before you close it. I thought we had a "save for web" step in your action.

Originally Posted by tardypizza

Originally Posted by banman

Yeah, when I first tried it, there was no Save in the action, but there was a Close - so when the action went to close the image, I'd get the JPEG options dialog box popping up.

Oh! I didn't know that you didn't have a save step in your action. That's why PS keeps asking you to save your work before you close it. I thought we had a "save for web" step in your action.

Ha! I'll try that. I think I left that out because I assumed the Batch process step would take care of that.

Originally Posted by banman

What file do you copy to share your actions? Tardypizza tried it and it didn't work (although that might have been a CS3->CS2 issue).

Well in CS3, you have to have the actions in a folder (what they call a "set"):

then once in there click that funny button at the top right with the down arrow and the 3 lines.
In there go "Save Actions" then the other person picks "Load Actions" once they have the file.


BTW, that was a PITA to print screen... You can't press Alt as that makes the drop down disappear, and if you don't press Alt with CS3 it tries to guess what you want... So it clipped it the first try...

CS2 used sets as well.

cool
I never transfered them before personally. I just knew you could somehow.

Ah, I just went into the Adobe/CS3 folder and uploaded everything in the action folder. Figures that they would have a better way to do it in program that actually works!

I've never transferred actions or sets, but I imagine you can just copy them right out of a CS2 actions folder in to CS3's.

Originally Posted by jacobsen1

Originally Posted by banman

What file do you copy to share your actions? Tardypizza tried it and it didn't work (although that might have been a CS3->CS2 issue).

Well in CS3, you have to have the actions in a folder (what they call a "set"):

then once in there click that funny button at the top right with the down arrow and the 3 lines.
In there go "Save Actions" then the other person picks "Load Actions" once they have the file.


BTW, that was a PITA to print screen... You can't press Alt as that makes the drop down disappear, and if you don't press Alt with CS3 it tries to guess what you want... So it clipped it the first try...

I see why people like Canons so much now. Vertical AND horizontal blowjobs! :P

I was waiting for that...