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Cs5 Actions problem.
oakfieldphotography.com
Registered Users Posts: 376 Major grins
Hi everyone
I was learning how to automate actions i had created in Cs5 when i ran up against a problem that i cant find an answer to online.
I recorded resizing photos and adding a thin black frame around them. The problem of adding a logo that i drag over the picture does not work when the batch automate is in operation. A message appears on the screen saying "the command "move" is not available."
The logo was a psd file when it was originally emailed to me and when i made some changes to it i saved it as a jpeg.
I dont know if the recording process of making an action can actually record you dragging the jpeg logo across the picture you are working on and dropping it in the part of the picture you are happy with.
Can anyone here help me please?
Regards
Patrick:dunno
I was learning how to automate actions i had created in Cs5 when i ran up against a problem that i cant find an answer to online.
I recorded resizing photos and adding a thin black frame around them. The problem of adding a logo that i drag over the picture does not work when the batch automate is in operation. A message appears on the screen saying "the command "move" is not available."
The logo was a psd file when it was originally emailed to me and when i made some changes to it i saved it as a jpeg.
I dont know if the recording process of making an action can actually record you dragging the jpeg logo across the picture you are working on and dropping it in the part of the picture you are happy with.
Can anyone here help me please?
Regards
Patrick:dunno
0
Comments
Drag and drop won't work for placing a logo on multiple images.
Try recording the action using the "Place" command. Menu>Place.
A browser opens. Select the logo file. The logo will appear on the image in a bounding box. Reposition and resize. Enter.
But first, make sure your ruler is set to "Percent". View>Rulers (Ctrl+R). Right click on ruler. Select "Percent". This allows your logo to size and position correctly on different size images.
"The logo was a psd file when it was originally emailed to me and when i made some changes to it i saved it as a jpeg."
Most logos have transparent elements, and jpg doesn't support transparency. If your logo has them, it would be better to leave it as a PSD with a transparent background. Or, PNG, TIFF, & GIF also support transparency.
Hope this helps.
Lee
Thunder Rabbit GRFX
www.thunderrabbitgrfx.com
Thanks for quick responce. I am having trouble finding the Menu-Place.
I looked in all of the menus but to no avail. I am using vista 32 bit.
Regards
Patrick:D
I sold you a bum steer. It's Menu>File>Place.
First button top left then about halfway down.
Lee
Thunder Rabbit GRFX
www.thunderrabbitgrfx.com
This is a great tool but for the fact that when it runs through the steps it stops for you to confirm the saved image quality of each picture. i.e 1 to 10.
Regards
Patrick
Regards,
Stephen Marsh
http://binaryfx.customer.netspace.net.au/ (coming soon!)
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~binaryfx/
http://prepression.blogspot.com/
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~binaryfx/
http://prepression.blogspot.com/
I done as you said and it says that the command move is currently unavailable!
Getting ticked off with cs5 at the moment as even the small triangles are dissapearing beside the astions
ARRRGH
Frustration looks like it is winning on this one.
Ok here is what i have done so far.
On the recommendations of another forum i opened one picture and the psd of my logo in cs5.
After unlocking the layer with my photograph on it i turned to my psd and flattened it so i could pull it over to the layers pallett.If i didnt flatten it i would be just dragging parts of it which was no good.
Next after i had the logo positioned where i wanted it i went into image-canvas size. Here i increased the canvas by 3mm as my photos were resized small enough for upload already.
Then i repositioned the logo into the right bottom corner in line with the increased canvas size.
Then i went over to my layers pallett and dumped the photograph so i was left with my template on a transperent background.
Finally saving it to my desktop as it was a psd.
Nest i went to the actions panel and opened a new set and a new action.
When i pressed the record button i began by opening a picture in a folder set for flickr done a smart sharpen, Increased the canvas.
Next i opened the psd in cs5 from my desktop and after unlocking the layer with the photo on it i dragged it over the picture as this layer was transparent so i could see my logo on the new picture. Then i flattened the picture and saved it as a jpeg in another folder which i called flickr upload.
before i stopped the recording i closed the logo and the picture.
Now i get the command move is currently unavailable eventhough i went into the batch menu and clicked on the over ride actions save as command. even when i uncheck this box the problem persists.
This is as much as i can tell you all of my problem. Mabey someone outthere can help me please!!
Regards
Patrick
Drag and drop won't work. The "Place" command is the appropriate method to use within an action.
Other things to consider:
Are your master files RAW or jpg? How are you creating the jpg copies for output with the logo?
In my case, Lr is the core of my image processing. My masters are RAW. If I need jpgs with a logo, I generate them to the right size and quality using the Lr Export function. Then I run my logo and frame action through the Batch Processor in Ps. The batch action doesn’t make copies or change formats. It’s already been done by Lr. This removes one level of possible confusion. Lr can also be set up to run the Ps action after it creates the jpg.
Here is a detailed discussion from a while back.
If I didn't have Lr, I wouldn't use the Batch function. I would use the Ps Image Processor. (Menu>File>Scripts>Image Processor). It allows you to output batches as jpgs (or Psd, or TIFF) at your desired size and quality, and will run an action on the batch.
The crux of your issue is not the action. If you follow the instructions in the link above, using the "Place" command, I guarantee you the action will run. What it will come down to is your master file format, and how and when you convert it to a jpg for output. The devil is in the details.
Below is a shot of my watermark and frame action. The watermark is done at the "Merge Layers" step. The rest is the frame.
Stay with us. We'll get it figured out.
Lee
Thunder Rabbit GRFX
www.thunderrabbitgrfx.com
Hi Thunder rabbit.
This is great. At last Someone to help me with my problem.
Ok
I will give this a go and see how i get on with it.
Regards
Patrick:D
Yes, my suggestion was right under your comment about the batch command constantly asking you to select a JPEG quality level option (which was recorded into your action). The "override" option should help with this step only - it does not apply to the move tool which is not available for recording into an action.
EDIT: One can record the offset filter into an action, which combined with the layer lock transparency option could be used for moving an "object" on a transparent layer. The downside is that this is moving in pixels, rather than %.
TIP: It is good to record actions with explicit layer names for referencing in an action, rather than default layer names which may not work on a different document.
Regards,
Stephen Marsh
http://binaryfx.customer.netspace.net.au/ (coming soon!)
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~binaryfx/
http://prepression.blogspot.com/
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~binaryfx/
http://prepression.blogspot.com/
I did make one small change to the directions given and now i can sit back and let my computer batch its self to death. I can honestly say that this forum is a great source of inspiration and encouragement for anyone like me who likes to get help now and then.
Now its time to sit down with a strong cup of coffe and bask in the glow of success.
Thanks again everyone.
Regards
Patrick