Actions

[skydog]

There is a current post discussing Sheri's Action. Actions are new to me. I downloaded the action to a file I called Action File. I have CS2 and I clicked on the little triangle in upper right of the actions dialog and installed the action from the action file. I get this error. What am I doing wrong? Does it mean this action doesn't work for this version of PSP? thanks

[skydog]

Ummm...I just clicked my way through it and it worked...the action stopped a each application and didn't go straight through. Sorry for the bother...just trying to figure this out. In time...

[palms]

If you need help along the way here is a tutorial done by Danny

http://www.atncentral.com/tutorials.htm

failing that just ask

Palms

[Kraellin]

umm, in one spot you say you have cs2, but in another you say psp. psp is paint shop pro and doesnt use actions. it uses scripts. so, a little clarification here might be in order.

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by skydog

There is a current post discussing Sheri's Action. Actions are new to me. I downloaded the action to a file I called Action File. I have CS2 and I clicked on the little triangle in upper right of the actions dialog and installed the action from the action file. I get this error. What am I doing wrong? Does it mean this action doesn't work for this version of PSP? thanks

The problem: Clicking that checkbox. Not a good thing to do unless you know/understand the consequences which would take a long time to type. If you are curious do a Google search on: photoshop actions modal controls

Suggested corrective action:
* Click on (highlight) the grey bar (the Action Set)
* Drag it to the Trash icon (bottom of the palette) to delete it
* Reload the .atn file from your hard disk

...Then you can start over.

When you play the action it should execute with only a few pauses as intended by the action author.

Does this help?

----------------

FYI: Generally speaking the abbreviation many people use for Photoshop is PS.

PSP is frequently used in reference to Paint Shop Pro, a different program altogether.

Your mention of actions (Photoshop-only), CS2 and PSP was the source of Craig's question.

[skydog]

I have both PSP and CS2. I got in a hurry. The problem is CS2. Some actions I've downlaoded work with no problem, but this one and one other I got that little red box - what does that mean? And because of that box I had no control over the sideways triangle that normally activates an action. On top of that I get the message dialog.

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by skydog

...this one and one other I got that little red box - what does that mean?

The red box is not indicative of a problem. It's a status indicator. See "In a nutshell..." below.

I should have also suggested...
* Opening Photoshop HELP
* Search on Modal Control

The HELP writeup should get you started on understanding what's going on.

Then...
* Click on any action set name (grey bar in the palette)
* From the palette menu choose Duplicate...
* Click the triangle to display the action(s) inside the duplicate set
* Click the triangle on any or all of the actions to reveal the individual steps
* Experiment clicking the modal controls on/off. No harm is done... just try various combinations to see what turning them on/off does.

If a nutshell if the modal control is on (black):
* At the command level: the dialog for that step will display upon execution
* At the action level: the dialog for all steps in the action will display
* At the action set level: the dialog for all steps in all actions in the action set will display

If if the modal control is on (red):
* At the command level: does not apply
* At the action level: the dialog for some, but not all steps in the action will display
* At the action set level: the dialog for some, but not all steps in all actions in the action set will display

If the modal control is off:
* At the command level: the dialog for that step will not display
* At the action level: the dialog for all steps in the action will not display
* At the action set level: the dialog for all steps in all actions in the action set will not display

Originally Posted by skydog

And because of that box I had no control over the sideways triangle that normally activates an action.

The status of that control, on or off, has no effect on the triangle. The triangle shows/hides the contents of the action set, action or command within the action to which it belongs.

Originally Posted by skydog

On top of that I get the message dialog.

The message dialog will indeed display (unless it has been reset) if one clicks the modal control at the action set level.

Why the warning?

Within an action it is not unusual for some steps to display dialogs. Clicking the modal control at the action, or especially the action set level completely undoes the action author's intentions. Suppose an action has 77 steps and the modal control is on for steps 15, 33 and 54. If you click the modal control for the action, the modal control is turned on for all steps. Clicking it again turns the modal control off for all steps. Unless you know in advance the modal control had been on for steps 15, 33 and 54 so the controls could be clicked on manually, there is no way to automatically restore the on status to specific commands. The only recourse is to reload the action from an .atn file.

The problem is much worse at the action set level where setting or clearing the modal control affects all steps in all actions within the set.

[skydog]

Danny...thank you for the feedback.

[Kraellin]

thanks, skydog.

[aaa1retouchskil]

3/29/07
You may have figured the actions dilemma already.
But just a thought, you did put the plug-in in the
actions folder before you did anything else right
and it is actually showing up in the actions box,
right?

If you are still having trouble let me know.

Trish