Combining Photoshop Actions Into a Set

[Scribe]

Can someone please tell me if it is possible to take a group of individual actions, that have already been installed, and collect them into their own, new action set?

I have tried creating a new set and then dragging the targeted actions individually into the new set, but they don't go in, they just end up above or below the new set folder.

I have tried highlighting the new set folder, and then "loading" the action, but this does not work either.

Am I missing something (besides my brain)? If it is possible, would someone be kind enough to let me know how?

Thank you soooooo much.

Scribe

[DannyRaphael]

Can someone please tell me if it is possible to take a group of individual actions, that have already been installed, and collect them into their own, new action set?

Terminology first...
* Action Set: A folder with the Actions Palette that can contain 0, 1 or more actions.
* Action: One or more recorded Photoshop commands. Always resides in an Action Set.
* Action Set File: Created by clicking on an Action Set in the Actions Palette and executing a Save Actions... command. File suffix is .atn. Executing this command in essence creates the .atn file on your hard disk and copies the contents of the highlighted Action Set into it.

I have tried creating a new set and then dragging the targeted actions individually into the new set, but they don't go in, they just end up above or below the new set folder.

You can drag individual actions from one Action Set to a different Action Set, but you cannot drag an Action Set into another Action Set.

I have tried highlighting the new set folder, and then "loading" the action, but this does not work either.

Highlighting an individual action, a command within an action or an Action Set when a Load Actions... command is executed has no bearing on "where" the new Action Set will be created/positioned in the Actions Palette. In all cases the new Action Set is created at the end/bottom of the Actions Palette and is populated with the contents of the .atn file.

In Windows (or on a Mac) one can drag a (file) folder into another folder.

Within the Actions palette, however, you cannot have an Action Set (essentially, a folder of actions) inside another action set. This is often confusing to action rookies.

Does this help?

~Danny~

p.s. Although based on PS7, there's a very comprehensive and still very relevant tutorial on actions that can be found at/downloaded from www.AtnCentral.com.

[Scribe]

Some confusion, perhaps

Hi Danny,

Thank you for responding. It's been a while since I have "talked" with you.

I understand the difference between an action and an action set. I have been trying to do what you seem to be saying is possible, but I have not had any positive results. So, let me tell you what I have.

In PHotoshop CS2, layers palette, right now there is the default action set that came with PS. There is one other set, which I created some time ago. It only has the one action that I created in it and which I use for scanning.

Recently, I opened PS, went to the layers palette and from the options menu I selected Load Action. I proceeded to do that about 10 or 12 times until I had 10 or 12 more items listed in my layers palette. I assumed, since I had not created another set folder, and had selected the Load Action command, that I now had these actions listed as individuals - which is to say they were/are not in any set folder.

Since they are all related to the same kind of operation, I now want to collect them into their own action set folder, which would also free up space in the palette. That is, the list of them all would not show unless I clicked on the arrow next to the set folder.

So, I went to the options menu and selected create set and then gave it an appropriate name. This new set folder now sits at the bottome of the list. I then assumed I could drag each of the individual actions (the 10 or 12) down into the new set folder. This, of course, did not happen.

So, to repeat/rephrase my question - How can I combine these individual actions into one group? I cannot believe that this is not possible as it would prevent people from organizing their actions palette and that does not make sense from a workflow point of view.

Oh, Master of the Action, please point the way to Action Nirvana.

Seriously, Danny, thank you for any help you can provide here.

Scribe

Terminology first...
* Action Set: A folder with the Actions Palette that can contain 0, 1 or more actions.
* Action: One or more recorded Photoshop commands. Always resides in an Action Set.
* Action Set File: Created by clicking on an Action Set in the Actions Palette and executing a Save Actions... command. File suffix is .atn. Executing this command in essence creates the .atn file on your hard disk and copies the contents of the highlighted Action Set into it.
You can drag individual actions from one Action Set to a different Action Set, but you cannot drag an Action Set into another Action Set.
Highlighting an individual action, a command within an action or an Action Set when a Load Actions... command is executed has no bearing on "where" the new Action Set will be created/positioned in the Actions Palette. In all cases the new Action Set is created at the end/bottom of the Actions Palette and is populated with the contents of the .atn file.

In Windows (or on a Mac) one can drag a (file) folder into another folder.

Within the Actions palette, however, you cannot have an Action Set (essentially, a folder of actions) inside another action set. This is often confusing to action rookies.

Does this help?

~Danny~

p.s. Although based on PS7, there's a very comprehensive and still very relevant tutorial on actions that can be found at/downloaded from www.AtnCentral.com.

[DannyRaphael]

The breakthrough hopefully follows...

You know the command you have been using -- Load Actions... ?

It's mislabeled. It should be labeled Load Action Set... -- because that's the result of executing the command. A new Action Set is created in the Actions Palette from the selected .atn file.

When you're looking at the Actions Palette, Action Sets are represented by horizontal grey bars. When you click the triangle to the left of the Action Set Name, it reveals the action(s) inside. The actions are indented slightly and represented by horizontal white bars. FYI: If you click the triangle to the left of an individual action, it reveals the individual steps/commands within the action which are indented further.

Therefore the result of executing Load Actions... several times was the addition of however many new Action Sets to your Actions Palette.

You can drag/drop a individual action (white bar) from Action Set "A" to Action Set "B."

You cannot drag Action Set "A" (grey bar) into Action Set "B", because an Action Set cannot contain another Action Set.

Just added...

Suppose you loaded 10 new Action Sets via Load Actions and the Action Set Names are "Action Set 1" - "Action Set 10". Suppose further that you want to combine all actions into "Action Set 1."
* Click the triangle to the left of Action Set 1, revealing its action(s).
* Click the triangle to the left of Action Set 2, revealing its action(s).
* Drag/drop the action(s) from Action Set 2 into Action Set 1.

* Click the triangle to the left of Action Set 3, revealing its action(s).
* Drag/drop the action(s) from Action Set 3 into Action Set 1.

Repeat for Action Sets 4-10.

Have you exited Action hell and entered Action Nirvana - at least for the moment?

[Scribe]

Nirvana has been reached!

I have seen the light, and the world is a better place.

Thank you, Danny, for the enlightenment.

Scribe

[fpellerin]

Hello Danny and Scribe,

Through this post, you've just answered my question before I could ask it.

Thanks.

[DannyRaphael]

Hello Danny and Scribe,

Through this post, you've just answered my question before I could ask it.

Thanks.

Glad we could help and save you some time and frustration!

Actions and batch processing are among the most useful functions in Photoshop -- and among the ones that are very poorly documented by Adobe. What can I tell you?