Skip to main content
H
HonzaV.
Participant
March 19, 2015
Answered

Photoshop plug-in or scripting

  • March 19, 2015
  • 1 reply
  • 457 views

Dear Photoshop experts,

I have a very specific question I'd like to ask. We manufacture photo robots and our software can control the robots, strobes and cameras. We'd like to implement tools to edit photographs as well. Photoshop seems to be the obvious choice. We need to use tools from both the Camera Raw (to convert raw files) and Photoshop (for advanced techniques like freemasking or chromakey masking). Questions are:

1) Is it even possible to implement Photoshop tools into our application (with valid Photoshop license of course)

2) Is better way to control Photoshop in the background from our app by scripts or write our app as a plug-in to integrate in Photoshop?

I'll be happy to provide you with more information if anyone is interested.

Cheers, Honza.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer xbytor2

1) If you just need to read native raw camera files, PS already has that capability. There is no way to script ACR itself, but you do have some control over how a native raw or DNG file is loaded. However, there is no way to script converting a native raw file to a DNG file that I know of. I've asked for some scripting control over ACR for years now but I don't think it's ever going to happen.


2) Being a PS/JS geek, I would choose to drive PS via scripting rather than via the plugin API. The plugin option will be more complicated while PS/JS option gives you a lot more implementation options to choose from; finding the right option can be rather tricky itself.

1 reply

X
xbytor2Correct answer
Inspiring
March 20, 2015

1) If you just need to read native raw camera files, PS already has that capability. There is no way to script ACR itself, but you do have some control over how a native raw or DNG file is loaded. However, there is no way to script converting a native raw file to a DNG file that I know of. I've asked for some scripting control over ACR for years now but I don't think it's ever going to happen.


2) Being a PS/JS geek, I would choose to drive PS via scripting rather than via the plugin API. The plugin option will be more complicated while PS/JS option gives you a lot more implementation options to choose from; finding the right option can be rather tricky itself.

H
HonzaV.Author
Participant
March 22, 2015

Thank you very much for your answer. So I guess we need to continue coding our own software to edit raw files and optionaly we could use some Photoshop tools (like select color range, refine edge etc.) through scripting.

Is there a way to run scripts from our application, have Photoshop work in the background and return the edited image in preview window inside our application?

Where should we look for someone capable of doing that?

X
xbytor2
Inspiring
March 22, 2015

Is there a way to run scripts from our application, have Photoshop work in the background and return the edited image in preview window inside our application?

Photoshop really doesn't work in background mode. What you can do is record an Action that calls your script then create a Droplet from the Action. Then, you can pass the file/files/folder (I don't remember which) an a parameter to the Droplet on a command line via a system() or exec() all from your app. The Droplet returns immediately and the script is run asynchronously to the caller. You'd have to work out a synchronization mechanism like creating file indicating that the script has completed processing a file.

Where should we look for someone capable of doing that?

Ask around here or at ps-scripts.com. There people that do this kind of contact work. I've retired from the work, though, I'm rewatching all of MST3K again.

Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices