Actions in Elements 5 ?

[sharynideas]

I am familiar with writing scripts in PSP. Is it possible to write scripts for actions in elements 5?

[DannyRaphael]

No. Actions can only be written (and modified) in Photoshop.

In many cases Elements can "play" actions, as long as they meet Elements' standards. IOW not all actions will work on Elements.

[Richard_Lynch]

I have not met an action that I can't get to run in Elements.

Scripts, however, are a different thing.

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by Richard_Lynch

Scripts, however, are a different thing.

Aren't "scripts" in PSP closer in terms of functionaliy/capabilities to actions than scripting? I was assuming that's what she meant.

I have not met an action that I can't get to run in Elements.

Good point. You've amazed me many times by the magic can do in this regard. I know of no one more accomplished at doing this type of thing. As long as one has Photoshop or access to someone with Photoshop, the possibilities are practically endless.

Refresh my memory on how you'd approach the following...

For an action that has a STOP command midstream to accomodate, say, a manual operation, e.g., a selection or some sort operation requiring a brush, is the strategy to rearchitect it into two actions (a 'before' and an 'after')?

[sharynideas]

Pardon my stupidity but why does one need access to Photoshop to run an action in elements?
Maybe it isn't an action I'm talking about. Example- in PSP there are scripts for turning photos to sketch types. I can run them as is or I can run them interactively and make adjustments as I go. Can I do something like that in Elements.

[Steve Conway]

Originally Posted by sharynideas

I am familiar with writing scripts in PSP. Is it possible to write scripts for actions in elements 5?

Suggest you go here. http://www.graficalicus.com/graffishop

This guy has all manner of stuff for PSE, including lots of freebies and actions etc. Somewhere on the site he explains how to install and run PS .atn files in PSE.

Steve C.

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by sharynideas

Pardon my stupidity but why does one need access to Photoshop to run an action in elements?

It's a good question... Sorry for the confusion.

Photoshop is needed to create and modify actions.

Not all actions created in Photoshop are Elements compatible; for those, Photoshop is needed to rework them so they can be played in Elements.

If an action is Elements compatible to begin with, Photoshop is not needed.

Maybe it isn't an action I'm talking about. Example- in PSP there are scripts for turning photos to sketch types. I can run them as is or I can run them interactively and make adjustments as I go. Can I do something like that in Elements?

With the additional info you provided, actions are indeed where you want to go. There are hundreds of actions on the net for creating frames, arty effects, etc.

The rub is in Elements you're stuck with the design, ideas, implementation, setting choices, etc. of the action author because in Elements one can only play actions.

[Richard_Lynch]

Originally Posted by DannyRaphael

For an action that has a STOP command midstream to accomodate, say, a manual operation, e.g., a selection or some sort operation requiring a brush, is the strategy to rearchitect it into two actions (a 'before' and an 'after')?

For that instance, splitting it is what you will do. Hopefully a more clever action can get you around the freehand work ;-)

[Richard_Lynch]

Originally Posted by sharynideas

Pardon my stupidity but why does one need access to Photoshop to run an action in elements?
Maybe it isn't an action I'm talking about. Example- in PSP there are scripts for turning photos to sketch types. I can run them as is or I can run them interactively and make adjustments as I go. Can I do something like that in Elements.

Actions will do what you suggest. You don't ALWAYS need Photoshop to run them in Elements. At times you need Photoshop to edit actions so that they will be Elements-friendly.

[Richard_Lynch]

Originally Posted by Steve Conway

This guy has all manner of stuff for PSE, including lots of freebies and actions etc. Somewhere on the site he explains how to install and run PS .atn files in PSE.

Steve, I have all that most people will need on MY website...Perhaps you should check that out too. That would be http://hiddenelements.com. I was the first to write the 'how to run actions' paper, and you can find it here: http://hiddenelements.com/actions_whitepaper.html, and I was well into the actions for Elements creation before GC came on the scene.

[sharynideas]

Thanks to all of you. I'm bumbling through this stuff, but I'm learning slowly.
Shari

[Steve Conway]

Originally Posted by Richard_Lynch

Steve, I have all that most people will need on MY website...Perhaps you should check that out too. That would be http://hiddenelements.com. I was the first to write the 'how to run actions' paper, and you can find it here: http://hiddenelements.com/actions_whitepaper.html, and I was well into the actions for Elements creation before GC came on the scene.

I was addressing Sharynideas' question. Sorry.

Steve C.