Action: Canvas Size as a calculation?

Question

I'm building an Action for series of operations I do at work all the time.

We get zillions of images, and I need to automatically make them 3:4 aspect ratio.

Here's what I need:

IF width > height

CANVAS SIZE
Height: [width x1.3333333]
Vertical: bottom
Extension Color: background color

IF width < height

CANVAS SIZE
Width: [height x0.75]
Horizontal: center
Extension Color: background color

There are other steps in the action I'm building, but I know how to do them. I even know how to do the "If-Then" part, using Insert Conditional in the Actions panel. I just don't know how to do the "Height = Width x 1.333333" and "Width = Height x 0.75" steps.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Stephen Marsh · Accepted Answer

A scripted solution would be something like this:

Re: fit canvas to specific ratio

// https://forums.adobe.com/message/9098032#9098032

#target photoshop

main ();

function main ()
{
  if (app.documents.length < 1)
  {
  alert ("No document open to resize.");
  return;
  }

  // These can be changed to create images with different aspect ratios.
  var arHeight = 3;
  var arWidth = 4;

  // Apply the resize to Photoshop's active (selected) document.
  var doc = app.activeDocument;

  // Get the image size in pixels.
  var pixelWidth = new UnitValue (doc.width, doc.width.type);
  var pixelHeight = new UnitValue (doc.height, doc.height.type);
  pixelWidth.convert ('px');
  pixelHeight.convert ('px');

  // Determine the target aspect ratio and the current aspect ratio of the image.
  var targetAr = arWidth / arHeight;
  var sourceAr = pixelWidth / pixelHeight;

  // Start by setting the current dimensions.
  var resizedWidth = pixelWidth;
  var resizedHeight = pixelHeight;

  // The source image aspect ratio determines which dimension, if any, needs to be changed.
  if (sourceAr < targetAr)
  resizedWidth = (arWidth * pixelHeight) / arHeight;
  else
  resizedHeight = (arHeight * pixelWidth) / arWidth;

  // Apply the change to the image.
  doc.resizeCanvas (resizedWidth, resizedHeight, AnchorPosition.MIDDLECENTER);
}

Prepression: Downloading and Installing Adobe Scripts

JJMack · Answer

Photoshop Scripting can use logic like that. Actions only have conditional steps you can insert into action and there are very few conditions you can test for. While you can test orientation like landscape and square. And in this case you can change Canvas size a relative percentage of width and height in actions. If the percentage is less that 100% you will be cropping your Image. So with conditional action steps and several actions you may be able to do what you want to do this time. However if you really want to user logic automating Photoshop you need to learn how to script Photoshop. The Process would be contains in a single file. Conditional actions must be in the same Action set but several actions are required to be recorded before you can insert conditional steps. You should look into Scripting Photoshop.

Your 75% Height would crop your Image. If you want to get the actual height and width values and use these in a calculation Scripting is required.

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