Hidden Power Actions III

[Richard_Lynch]

A new version of Hidden Power Actions (the interface for running Photoshop actions in Elements) is available...this time through ThePowerXChange in conjunction with, um, me! This package adds:

50 pre-installed actions (87 total)

ability to install over 500 actions

Manage an infinite number of actions in sets of 12 or groups of 84.

Includes these Hidden Power tools:

NEW:
-------
Fade effect
Shadow Mask
Highlight Mask
Trim image
Reveal Image
1 slower Action playback speed control
custom Drop Shadow
custom Glow (inner & outer)
custom Bevel
custom Stroke

Plus:
-------
Layer Mask insert
Channel Mixer Adjustment Layer
Selective Color Adjustment Layer
Quick Mask mode
Demos of several Hidden Power tools

Works with Mac and PC, Elements 1 and 2, in conjunction and as an addition to Hidden Power from the book The Hidden Power of Photoshop Elements 2. Apply actions from text description or preview modes.

Get it here:

https://www.thepowerxchange.com/thep...ignStore_HPA3/

Thanks to Susan Stewart for help and beta testing (I didn't get all of her suggestions in for the deadline for this package -- so don't blame her!).

Please feel free to discuss tools, use and other improvements on the forum!

[Richard_Lynch]

You can get the PC version from Adobe Studio:

http://share.studio.adobe.com/axAsse...t.asp?aID=7516


Mac should be ready tomorrow (7/16)

[chilliebean]

Richard: I have installed the Hidden Power Actions Package 111 to PE 2, under the Welcome folder. But in renaming my original index (which was the Hidden Power Action Tool screen with RGB Channels, Luminosity separations, tools, etc.), I have lost that screen and do not know how to access those tools from the new HP111 welcome screen. Thanks for your help.

[Richard_Lynch]

It seems you renamed the wrong index file. You were supposed to rename the index file in the WELCOME folder, not the HTMLPalettes folder. In doing this you will be changing access to the HP tools...which are different. You can either change the name of that file back, or reinstall Hidden Power from the CD.

Please let me know if that works...I am not looking directly at your file structure so this is a bit of an assumption.

[Ken45140]

Richard: your book arrived today and the Hidden Power tools are installed and the book beckons. I also installed the HP3.exe file.

I may be just my imagination but it seems that now the cursor (at least when selecting menu items along the top of the window) acts "sluggish". Here is the test. If I click on the first menu item, File, the drop down menu drops down. Now if I stroke the cursor across the adjacent menu items, they do not "pop down" immediately like I think they did before I installed III. If I move the cursor very slowly, each menu will open and drop down but with noticeable pause.

I do not know how to "uninstall" the actions (nor do I want to), but the menu pauses are disconcerting. Can you duplicate this on your system and comment. Can anyone else observe this same thing.

I run a 2.0 Ghz Pent with 1028Mb RAM and XP Pro OS on a new Dell computer platform. I did not notice any of these pauses in my working with the trial version of Elements 2. I just received my Epson 3200 scanner which gave me the real version of Elements 2, so that is new also.

Any comments or advice?

Ken

PS: Great looking book from just a quick scan thru...I have a lot of learning to do...

[Richard_Lynch]

Ken,

Due to the nature of the installation -- which really doesn't do anything to effect Elements -- it is highly unlikely that the installation will have caused a change to slow the program response (especially considering your system). The files that you load are simple HTML files, directories and action files. If Elements loads anything at all (and I believe this is handled differently on Mac and PC), it would be the action files, which are small. The rest of the files should load as accessed. You can prove this to yourself by opening the Welcome screen to note where everything is, changing the Welcome folder name to xWelcome and reloading the screen by closing and re-opening (or clicking on other tabs). You will get a Page not found error which suggests that the welcome screen -- which acts as a browser -- can't find the content in the Welcome folder because it has been renamed.

The behavior you are describing sounds more like something that would occur with a cable connection and lack of a fire wall or some other system-wide drain where your resources are being sapped. You can check on a number of things having to do with management of memory including RAM allocation (which should not be a problem with XP), scratch settings, etc. You also might want to try popping the CD out of the drive. Sometimes audio on a PC can do the darndest things (though usually with earlier OSs).

In any case, I have not officially provided an uninstall for PC. All you really have to do is delete the files that were installed and rename the old index file in the Welcome folder back to index.html. While I am sorry you are having trouble, I don't believe you will find this to be a solution.

Let me know if you need more information. The file listing is available in the advanced.rtf included with the installation.

OK?

[Ken45140]

Richard: thanks for the response and explanation. I believe you are correct and I jumped to the wrong conclusion. The sluggish behavior has been irratiic and when it has presented itself, I searched for other obvious markers for its cause (opening the performance tab in the Windows Task Manager for example). I could see nothing to pinpoint the problem, so I am learning to ignore it when it appears.

I am halfway thru the book and have a mixture or awe and bafflement with the techniques you present. The awe is obvious. The bafflement is not really understanding how I will remember to apply the step-by-step "recipes" you present for some of the techniques (even using the Hidden tools!). Get the order slightly mixed up or Merge Down at the wrong time or any one of a bunch of steps and you will be in trouble at the end.

I think the solution is to practice the techniques over and over on different pictures. Anyway, I am really impressed with the book and the Tools.

Thanks,

Ken

[Richard_Lynch]

You might want to check your CPU meter and see if it is spiking, and like I said, if you have cable or other fast internet connection, you might want to install a firewall to keep out invaders...Back when I didn't have a firewall, I had similar trouble.