Selections in Actions

G
Posted By
GaryLHoward
May 12, 2005
Views
402
Replies
12
Status
Closed
Hi
Can you operate on more than one selection in a single action ?

Thanks
Gary
Related Tags
action select

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Y
YrbkMgr
May 13, 2005
It depends on what you mean, but sure you can.
G
GaryLHoward
May 13, 2005
Hi
what I mean is I have several rectangles
and I need to apply gradients to them individualy
I record this process as an action. but when I play the action back…it selects the first object and applies the correct gradient….then selects the second path makes it a selection and
ADDS it to the first selection then applies the gradient and so on. so basically all the paths are turned into one big selection and the final gradient is applied…Why won’t it deselect the selection before selecting the next path? when I record the action it
says it deselects…but when I run the action is does not do it. I’m perplexed??

Gary
Y
YrbkMgr
May 13, 2005
Too hard to tell without knowing the composition of the image in terms of layers, alpha channels, etc. Is this for one image or many? Do they all have the same structure?

I have several rectangles

All on separate layers?

it selects the first object and applies the correct gradient….then selects the second path makes it a selection and ADDS it

So… you have paths. How are you telling it to load the path as a selection?

Why don’t you walk through your steps, and indicate what the image is in terms of layers paths, etc.
G
GaryLHoward
May 13, 2005
Hi Sorry for the ambiguity…so here goes
4 rectangle paths all different sizes
I have a 4 layer image but work just on the top (Number 4)layer I have a single Paths layer in the paths Pallet
when I select a rectangle I right click and "make a Selection" I then make a "New Selection" I then apply a gradient to that selection. I then Ctrl-D that selection and then move to the next
rectangle and repeat the process for all 4 paths. which is how I want it to look. Now when I record this sequence and play it back. the selections are "Added together" one right after the other. The Action
refuses to deselect the previous selection before moving to the next path. even though that step is recorded in the action.
I must be doing something fundamentally wrong…???

Thanks for your help
Gary
Y
YrbkMgr
May 13, 2005
Gary,

As a test, not knowing what the contents of your layers are, or if that’s even important yet, I created an image with 4 different rectangle paths over a blank layer.

When I try and reproduce your results, and right click (with the rectangle tool selected, and set to paths) on any one of the rectangle paths, all paths are selected.

So there’s something missing. Based on what you describe, there’s a reason why right clicking on one of the rectangles only selects one of the rectangles. Doesn’t work that way for me.

I would say, though, that if you are applying the gradient with a layer style, it affects the whole layer. So part of this is how exactly you’re applying a gradient – with a layer style or an adjustment layer, or what.

If you want to get to the bottom of it (quickly), post a reduced scale (if appropriate) copy of the PSD on a web site and tell us the link. I’d be happy to download it and follow along and see what’s happening.

I wouldn’t say that I’m an action expert, but I process lots of images per day using actions. And if I can’t help, popping a copy of the image up gives someone who knows more than I a chance to examine it and find a resolution – there’s good help here.

And keep in mind that if we get a clear idea of what you’re after, there may be a better way to get there from here, than the way you’re trying to do it. The old addage is that there are at least three ways to do anything in photoshop.

Peace,
Tony
DR
Danny Raphael
May 13, 2005
As each rectangle is originally created, is it possible to create a named alpha channel for it?

Or if you’re dealing with existing images, does each image have a set of consistently named paths which used to define alpha channels to which the gradients can be applied?
G
GaryLHoward
May 13, 2005
Hi Tony
When I select the paths I use the Path Selection Tool…I just tried making Selections with the Rectangle tool and it Selected all the rectangles.. so I see what you did. No I don’t apply the gradient using a style-layer or adjustment layer…I just apply to the current layer which is the top layer… I let the Selection act like a "Clipping Region" I try to keep it real simple.
I would post a .psd in heart beat IF I had a place to post. I’m sitting here looking at the Action as recorded. in the Action it’s recorded as..
"Set Selection"
"To: Current Path"
"With Anti Alias"
"Feather 0 Pixels"
Now if I look at the Layers Palett and the "Paths" tab I have a single "Path-1"layer there on that layer sit all my rectangle paths..so that would explain how everything gets selected… I Think??? the problem is If I put each Path on a seperate "Paths" layer I can only see one "Paths Layer at a time" I need to see all the Paths so I can Align them and move them…
How do I get around this??? I guess I have a techinque/workflow problem…I’m sorry I’m not a trained artist…so this is a little difficult for me…thanks for being so patient.

Gary
G
GaryLHoward
May 13, 2005
Hi
Just wanted you to know that When I put the individual paths on Seperate "Path Layers" and Selected the Rectangles using the Paths layers the "Action" worked correctly!!!
Sorry but one more question…is there any way to change the selected gradient in the "Action" when I click on the little triangle it gives me line after line of information about the gradient but I cannot seem to change the "applied" gradient I dont want to change angle or length Of the gradient …just the gradient itself…is there a way to do that???

Thanks For everything
Gary
Y
YrbkMgr
May 13, 2005
Hi Gary,

Okay, the best way to explain this is to cut to the quick. The way you’re trying to do this is not going to work in an automated fashion with a single path (of four rectangles).

One thing I don’t understand is:

I just apply to the current layer which is the top layer.

How are you applying the gradient? With the gradient tool?

By the way, you can upload a layered Tif file to Image Shack, provided it is less than a one meg file.

If you wish to use paths as the selection determinate, then you will be far better off using four separate paths. But let’s talk about this.

We have two issues: setup, and automation. Let’s do setup first.

You would want to create a work path and then double click on that work path in the Paths palette, converting the Work Path to an actual path with a name (Path 1). Then you create a second work path (your second rectangle) and do the same thing to create Path 2 – rinse and repeat until you have all four paths, 1-4 in the paths palette.

By doing this, you can then record an action that loads path 1 as a selection (by control clicking on path 1), add gradient to layer in selection 1; then Control Click on path 2 (load path 2 as a selection), add gradient, and so on.

As long as your image starts with 4 separate paths in the paths palette, regardless of the actual shapes or contents of the paths themselves, the action will load path 1 through path 4 sequentially and apply the gradient to each.

So the second thing to talk about is automation. Why are you trying to create an action out of this?

Normally, you create an action to save repetative steps from image to image. That can include the idea of running an action on a series of images.

So in order for an action to be of value, the image structure must be the same from image to image. Once you open an image that does not have Paths 1-4 in the paths palette, then the action errors out.

I don’t know what kind of work you’re doing so I can’t really comment on the probity of using an action to perform these steps – maybe you have thousands of images with these paths in them <shrug>, I dunno. But if you don’t have the same structure in each image, an action will be of limited value.

I hope that helps some.

Peace,
Tony <http://www.imageshack.us>
Y
YrbkMgr
May 13, 2005
is there any way to change the selected gradient in the "Action"

Yes, two ways. If the action is already recorded and you want to change the action, simply highlight the step in question, and click the record button. Then click on your gradient tool, and change the gradient type in the options bar at the top. Then, stop recording.

You could also change the gradient while you are recording the action.

If you change the action (as opposed to recording a new one), you should manually select the area to which you will apply the gradient. Once you ahve the selection, then simply highlight the gradient step and press record.
G
GaryLHoward
May 13, 2005
Hi
thanks for the tips !!!…I’ve been trying to use adjustment layers and that might be the way to go. In a Nutshell what I’m doing is… I have "6 Cells"… Images actually and they all have the same Indentical paths some of them have 80 or more paths..what I do is apply different gradients to the interior of each path. then I take the next cell(Image) and apply the same gradient to the same path
just in a different angle or direction…Until I have all the cells colored in …Then the programmer part of me takes and blends each Of these 6 cells over a 2-4 second period of time one right after the other in a random order….it’s a pretty cool effect but very labor intensive…hence the "Actions" I really appreciate all the help
you’ve given me… thanks dude you rock!

Gary
Y
YrbkMgr
May 13, 2005
Well, I don’t really get it, but I’m glad I could help <grin>.

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