VG SmudgeCheata action available...

[VG-vizualgroove]

Hey, everybody! I've developed a fairly simple action that allows you to get a start on the smudge paintings that are so popular now. It is written for CS2 but median or dust&scratches could be substituted for smart and surface blur. It works better on large images, say 1800 pixels and up.
Here are some samples outta the box:
http://www.vizualgroove.com/digitalimaging/cheata1.htm
http://www.vizualgroove.com/digitalimaging/beach1a.htm
http://www.vizualgroove.com/digitalimaging/beach1.htm
http://www.vizualgroove.com/digitalimaging/buck1.htm
http://www.vizualgroove.com/digitalimaging/heron1.htm
http://www.vizualgroove.com/digitalimaging/tigers1.htm
http://www.vizualgroove.com/digitalimaging/velvet1.htm
The heron and tiger pics are something else I'm working on with enhanced texturing. The velvet pic is one with enhanced facial skin quality in the works.
The action itself:
http://www.vizualgroove.com/digitali...gecheata4d.atn
You can control the texture/type or turn it off, control the amount of effect and have complete color/tonal control with adjustment layers.
Sorry, but there are no detailed instructions as each image has to be treated on its own merits but it shouldn't be hard to figure out, especially if you set the action to play one step at a time.
Regards,
VG

[palms]

Hi VG
Do You mean that by using the substitutions this action could be used in ps7 ?
If yes, Could you please explain how you would do the substitution

Palms

[VG-vizualgroove]

Open the action in the action pallete so it spreads out downward by clicking the arrow beside the action name. Find any steps named smart blur or surface blur. Left click on the first instance, then click on the record button. Select dust&scratches or median, make some settings then click apply. Click the action stop recording button. You can then do this for the rest of the other blurs and just leave the new smart and surface blur intact for when you upgrade by just unchecking that step. Be sure and save the action when you get through, preferably appending something to it so it won't get ovrerwritten.
HTH,
VG

[palms]

Thanks vg
will try this tomorrow when the old grey cells are not so tired

Palms

[palms]

Hi Vg
It took a bit longer for the grey cells to recuperate but i got there i done the alterations as you suggested ( i just ignore the filter gallery and highlight shadow ones that appear) and it was easier that i anticipated ( me getting technical )
I have then spent to long playing with the action and have really enjoyed it i have included some samples I for one like the action and wait hoping that the next one willl be as good and can be run on ps7
One thing though i would change the name nobody wants to use a cheat

Palms

[VG-vizualgroove]

Glad you could get it to work and those are good examples. If the textures get too much, just reduce the layer opacity or use a smaller value in the texture dialog. Also, you can smudge the bg layer some for even more of an effect.
I named it that literally because smudge painting is cheating!!

[Cassidy]

How can you call smudge painting cheating, it is merely a means to an end, just another technique

[VG-vizualgroove]

Originally Posted by Cassidy

How can you call smudge painting cheating, it is merely a means to an end, just another technique

Cassidy,
Don't let the junior member fool ya! I was doing this stuff before any of the forums like this were even around....
I also have an extensive WC, chalk, and charcoal bg, and my teachers always called it 'cheating' when you used a tracing even for layout, so I guess it came naturally for me to say that.
I'm the biggest advocate of any means to an end in my imaging so I totally agree with you.
VG

[DannyRaphael]

Thanks, VG, for sharing your handiwork. Each version of Cheata tops the previous.

In the Filter Gallery step, what effects are you applying? That would be one more way the PS7 folks (like me) could modify the action to get results a little closer to the CS2 version.

~Danny~

[VG-vizualgroove]

Originally Posted by DannyRaphael

Thanks, VG, for sharing your handiwork. Each version of Cheata tops the previous.

In the Filter Gallery step, what effects are you applying? That would be one more way the PS7 folks (like me) could modify the action to get results a little closer to the CS2 version.

~Danny~

http://www.vizualgroove.com/digitali...heatatext1.htm
HTH,
VG

[palms]

Well Danny you did ask
nearly all double dutch to me, and i thought i was doing so well just altering the bits first mentioned

Palms

[palms]

Vg or Danny
ok now i had time to think and look again would i be wrong in thinking
to use

stylize > find edges and Artistic> dry brush ?

or is there another better way ?

Palms

[DannyRaphael]

Thanks, VG... that helps a lot.

Originally Posted by palms1

Vg or Danny
ok now i had time to think and look again would i be wrong in thinking
to use

stylize > find edges and Artistic> dry brush ?

or is there another better way ?

Palms

You are right on the money.

With the CS/CS2 one can preview the result of applying multiple filters by "stacking them" in the Filter Gallery and then applying all in a single step. In PS7 you'd need to apply them one-filter-at-a-time using the settings specified.

[jav]

Originally Posted by VG-vizualgroove

http://www.vizualgroove.com/digitali...heatatext1.htm
HTH,
VG

HOLY MOLY! I was gonna try to do this manually w/ elements, but maybe not... hehehe

[psppal]

I realy want to try this out, I have down loaded your action file.
I am assuming this file needs to be converted, to a PSP "script file".

Am I on the right path, or barking up the wrong tree?

Regards, Dick A. a newbie.....PSP8

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by psppal

I realy want to try this out, I have down loaded your action file.
I am assuming this file needs to be converted, to a PSP "script file".

Am I on the right path, or barking up the wrong tree?

Regards, Dick A. a newbie.....PSP8

Welcome, Dick. At one time or another all of us were newbies.

You are correct. The Photoshop action steps will have to be converted to their PSP script equivanents. Unfortunately there is no way to do this automatically. It's a manual process.

~Danny~

[psppal]

Thanks Danny, for the reply.

I have learned in the last two weeks, so much about my program PSP.
Just by down loading the tutorials and appling them to PSP, this site is
a ball.

In regard to SmugeCheata, the author has posted the list in html, which
I have copied, and printed. Now I will see if i can do this process manualy.

Their is talk about cheata being around for a long time, maybe I should
search cheata and see what I find.

Regards, Dick

[Kraellin]

psppal,

i fully expect you to share any conversions you make! being a long time psp user i've also wondered about converting actions. i've altered a few psp scripts, but never tried to convert a ps action to psp script. shld be an interesting project shld you decide to do it. who knows, maybe you could even write a psp script to convert actions to scripts

Craig