Storing Actions

[T Paul]

There seems to be a lot of interest in storing actions, so I thought I would create a thread of its own..

Info from ActionFX.com

Question:
I've recently downloaded and saved a bunch of actions from the web. Now I can't open the Actions Menu. Help!

Answer:
This is a recurring problem that stumps nearly everybody, but there is a solution. For some strange reason, when too many actions are saved to the Actions Folder in the Photoshop Directory, the Actions Menu becomes inactive. The Solution: Transfer those newly saved actions to a different folder on your computer outside of the Photoshop Directory. The Action Menu will return, and as you can load actions from anywhere on your system, this will not affect how the actions function in Photoshop.

More FAQ on actions are located here

As for me, I keep my actions in their own folder and then further subdivide the actions folder into category folders such as TEXT, TEXTURE, EFFECTS, BUTTONS and such. I am now trying to catalogue them into a word doc that has the name of the action and a thumbnail image of what the action does. That way I can quickly flip through say my TEXT ACTIONS and see which one I want and then just load that action to my action palette. Once I am done with the action, I remove it from my action palette.

~T

[Stephen M]

Thanks for the heads up T Paul.

Two 'tricks' which may not be common knowledge to all, when it comes to the process of making an action database or whatever...

i) In v6 or higher of Photoshop you can hold down the modifier keys (just do all of them, I can't remember which key is not needed - shift, opt/alt, control/ctrl and command)...then select the save actions command in the actions palette menu.

Instead of saving a .atn file you will get a .txt file of the steps in the action (but you can't take this back to Photoshop as an action).


ii) In the classic Mac OS, you can select multiple files or folders in the finder and use the copy command - then paste into a text editor...the multiple folders/files names will be copied/pasted as text.

This can save manually typing things out or using copy/paste one file at a time.

Stephen Marsh.

[Ed_L]

Two good tips! Thank you.

Ed

[GOLDCOIN]

Am doing a "Happy Dance"..... Have been able to restore both brush & action palette.

Thanks, Danny for suggesting the Adobe forum......
This is one of my post's there....

"It also worked for me with both the brush palette and actons. So the trick/fix is twofold....

1 Move actions or brushes out of the Adobe folders in Preset to newly created folders.

2 Then move that folder OUT of the Preset folder, to anywhere on your hard drive.

There is a "limit" to how many you can install when they reside in the preset folder, seems to include all palettes. "

Another person (7PS) had also lost the "action palette"..... He had about 35 actions loaded in that folder, I had between 50 or 60.
My brush "fly out" screen showed 98 when it was not working. So these are the number that cause the palette's to shut down.

Hope this information will help avoid, a costly telephone call to Support.....

[CJ Swartz]

Goldcoin -- good info, and I'm glad you're "back in action".

[GOLDCOIN]

CJ .....

Actually you also deserve a "Thanks"...... If I had been able to read with some savvy, the site you provided had the correct answer.

One feels that if they unload that folder it should work/ It just didn't register about moving the new folder out of the preset folder. I don't feel too bad, as the guy follow the same thought pattern as I did. So much to learn, am trying not to make the same mistakes with plug in.... they look a more complicated than the actions and brushes to fix.....

That was an excellent site......

[CDawson]

So, where did you send your folders to ? What was the thread? Thankx!