Scott,
When you record a Save As action, you are "hard coding" the filename and the destination in the action. Thus if you run it without the dialog toggled, exactly what is in the action will run.
The only way to do what you are apparently wanting to do, is to toggle the dialog box for the Save As action to ON (the square next to the action name). Then you will be prompted for filename and location. In this case, it will usually default to the filename of the document you are saving, and it’s original location.
This method however, will require that you accept the dialog box ("ok")
Peace,
Tony
This I knew. But as I understood action recoroding, only what you chagne is part of the action. So, If I change the format of the file, but nothing else, only that is recorded with the step. That’s how filters and image commands work. Why not saving a file?
This is from Photoshop 6 help:
When recording actions that include dialog box and palette settings, keep in mind that only changed settings are recorded. For example, to record an action that sets a particular preference to its current value, you must first change that preference to some other value, and then record the action as you change the preference back to its original value.
So this is wrong?
I’m not sure I get what you’re trying to do.
If you have an action that saves as JPG, for example, one of the parameters you will be recording is compression level. That will be embedded in the action. When you change the action, unless you specifically change that compression setting, it will remain the same as the orginal action.
Now, if you have that same Save As action, and you double click on the Save As Step in the action palette, you begin recording that step. If you change file type and destination, that will again, be hard coded into the action.
But the question is, really, do you want to save every file as that filename, and at that location? Probably not. Thus the only way to work around it, is to have the dialog presented.
It’s possible I’m missing your meaning entirely. But it sounds like you want to click the action and have it automatically do a File|Save As… and accommodate the file name of the open image, and default to it’s source as a save destination, without a prompt. It won’t work with Save As that way since the filename and location are embedded in the action, and the destination isn’t relative; it’s absolute.
If I’ve missed your point, sorry…
Peace,
Tony
NO, you got my point. Can later versions of Photoshop (7 and CS) do this? As I stated, the help file says I can. Not explicitly, but it says that actions record only changes made in a dialogue. Since all I changed was type, that — again, according to the help file — is all the action step would record. Supporting this should not be hard, so if it is missing in 7 and CS, then it should not be. This is an extremely useful feature that belongs in the program.
I don’t know about CS, but 7 cannot.
Not explicitly, but it says that actions record only changes made in a dialogue.
That statement is true. You are asking it to be different. Sorry, don’t mean to sound argumentative, but consider this.
If you change the file type in a previously recorded action, what changes?
You will be prompted for filename, location, file type, and optional params (layers, compression, etc.) Those are considered changes.
So. When you run the action with the dialog toggled off. It will do exactly that – each file will be named according to what is in the action, and where the action told it to save it, with all the params. It incorporates only the changes you made. You made a change in file name and location by virtue of the Save As function – that gets recorded.
You are wanting it to behave differently. You want it to ignore some pieces of the action, but not others. I see that as more of an opportunity to screw the pooch than to add functionality, no offense.
By toggling the dialog to ON, you have the option to override some of these. So I don’t see where there’s an issue.
Functionally, the only time the dialog becomes an issue is when processing many files, which is adequately addressed by the logic and function of the batch (and droplet) dialogs.
Again, pardon my candor, but it doesn’t sound like there’s an issue with functionality or workflow, just a preference for how the action behaves. And it sounds like it’s behaving just as it says in the help file.
<shrug>
Peace,
Tony
You will be prompted for filename, location, file type, and optional params (layers, compression, etc.) Those are considered changes.
Cosidered changes, pehaps, but wrongly so. That Photoshop assumes they are changed, and that the help file does not make this clear, were the source of my confusion. I still say that the help file is not accurate, in that it does not exclude the save dialogue.
Now, can anyone tell me if this has been added to PSSC?
Scott:
RE: Now, can anyone tell me if this has been added to PSSC? [PS CS]
It has not.
Backing up a bit, is what you’re trying to do is convert a folder full of files in .jpg format to .tif (and perhaps sharpen or color correct –or not– while you’re at it)?
If so this can be done by an action invoked through the File > Automate > Batch dialog where you have control over:
* The source of images (either \folder or File Browser selection) * Destination folder
* Processed image file name (retain the original or create your own) …despite having recorded a specific destination folder and file name in the Save As… command.
If your workflow is one image at a time, unfortunately you’ve discovered a peculiarity of the architecture and misleading, at best, documentation. What can I tell you?
———-
Tony:
PS7 has the ‘check the "Ignore Action ‘Save as’ commands" trick to suppress the .jpg dialog.
Between PS6 and PS7 I believe there was a change to batch processing based on the forum rants I read from PS6 folks who upgraded to 7 and didn’t know about "the trick" yet.
Do you know if there were any special settings in PS6 regarding File > Automate > Batch and format comversion?
~Danny~
Danny,
In the original post he says:
I don’t want to run this as a batch action.
He want’s to have the action ignore some of the params but not others, on a "one off" basis. I’ve already explained that from a workflow perspective, there are ways around it, including the logic and function of the batch and droplet dialogs.
He wants to hit a Save As button, get no dialog, and have it saved to the location from which it was opened, using the same file name. It’d be a modified "save" button, only different.
Personally, I don’t see the utility in it, but that’s what he’s asking for.
Yer right, Tony. I missed that.
Way too obvious. 🙂
I don’t want o run a batch action because many of these images need custom cropping. As it is now, I open my twenty or so images, make a selection one image one, hit F4, then change the format (Sazve As… step in action). File is closed when done, and I’m ready to select and F4 on the next image.
So a batch will skip the selectiopn & cropping steps.
Scott,
What I do in that situation is, I open the twenty images, edit them by whatever means, then minimize each one as it is finished. When I’m finished with the 20, I run a Batch Save As operation, that saves them to the directory of choice in one fell swoop.
Peace,
Tony
Not too shabby. I completely overlooked "Open Files" as my batch source.
<smile> Glad I could help.
