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erika555
erika555
Participant
November 13, 2019
Answered

Script Actions - Save "artboards to files"

  • November 13, 2019
  • 4 replies
  • 3415 views

I am trying to make a master action script where I can save multiple files from a set of artboards.

The script I was recording does the following:

 

1. Saves 6 files using File > Export > Artboards to Files... (saving with a specific naming convention)

2. Hiding some art layers and showing some other layers

3. Resaving the same updated 6 artboards again using File > Export > Artboards to Files...  (saving with a different specific naming convention)

4. repeat steps 2 and step 3 about 8 different times.

This in theory would make over 200 files. Hense why I need a script.

 

However everytime I record and test the script the "Artboards to Files..." it doesnt keep the specific file naming convention. It stops the action script at the "Artboard to File popup window" step and doesnt keep the settings that I recorded, here I would have to manually put in the custom name vs the script taking care of this step.

 

Is there no way to create a script using Artboards to Files...  settings?

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Stephen Marsh

Hi Erika,

 

Actions can record the playback of a script and scripts can play an action, however, actions and scripts are two separate things. The File > Export > Artboards to Files is a script and apparently does not support having GUI based input recorded into an action.

 

Yes, this is possible to script, however it would probably take a lot longer to write/edit the script than to do this manually.

4 replies

P
patrickm4922784
Participant
January 15, 2021

I was able to export artboards with this script

https://github.com/lovecomm/PSD-gamma-export-scripts/blob/master/Artboard%20Previews.jsx

    Stephen Marsh
    Community Expert
    Stephen MarshCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    November 14, 2019

    How often do you need to do this? Once? Once a day? Fifty times a day?

     

    Does this have to be artboards? What if you made the various visible/hidden layer states as layer comps and then used the layer comps to files option?

     

    If your main issue is the filename, can you post a couple of examples of the input filenames and the specific filename convention that you require? Or do you need some deeper automation?

     

    There may be other ways to get the result that you are looking for, however a deeper understanding of your workflow would be required.

    erika555
    erika555Author
    Participant
    November 14, 2019

    Hi Stephen, 

    I am trying other work arounds. This needs to be done almost once a day.  So manually doing it is a time suck. Instead of using artboards I tried another work around, and I am trying to do a similar idea with Generate > Image assets instead. But what is being update is the bottom image layer, but want to batch out a bunch of versions of the same image with different text overlays. I tried to record this in actions with just save to jpg, but this is a very slow process to do this process and the user may not have the folders set up correctly to get the same result as me. I am now asking a different question...

    https://community.adobe.com/t5/Photoshop/Can-you-reference-a-layer-inside-of-a-folder-for-Generate-gt/td-p/10739643

    Perhaps you have an answer to how to do it in this way?

    Stephen Marsh
    Community Expert
    Stephen MarshCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    November 14, 2019

    The link is broken. I'll take a look at the new topic!

     

    I'm happy to explore what can be done in this topic thread as it relates to artboards, however, a separate topic exploring other alternatives to artboards is a good idea.

     

    I'm sure that something can be done to help with this process, the forum just needs to have a clear understanding of the steps involved and the desired outcome (screenshots and multiple example before/after filename examples really do help).

    JJMack
    Community Expert
    JJMackCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    November 14, 2019

    Also Script recorded using Adobe Scriptlistener plug-in are just like actions hard coded Photoshop steps.  Step step step.... no actual logic is recorded  just hard coded Photoshop steps are recorded. Actions and script recoded with the scriptlistener have limited file naming capabilities.  Script can name output files well and use a file naming convention. However you must write the script code that implements that file namings convention. Its not something you can record. You need to write program using a supported scripting language like JavaScript.

    JJMack
    Stephen Marsh
    Community Expert
    Stephen MarshCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    November 13, 2019

    Hi Erika,

     

    Actions can record the playback of a script and scripts can play an action, however, actions and scripts are two separate things. The File > Export > Artboards to Files is a script and apparently does not support having GUI based input recorded into an action.

     

    Yes, this is possible to script, however it would probably take a lot longer to write/edit the script than to do this manually.

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