Setting variable "Frame Delay" for animation.

Question

I am trying to set frame delay in an animation I am working on. There are a lot of frames and they all have different delays. I am not sure if scripting is the best way but here is what I have so far (using VBA because that is what I am familiar with): I am erroring out at line 23 saying it is a "type mismatch"

Sub Set_Frame_Delay()
Dim appPS As Photoshop.Application
Dim docPS As Photoshop.Document
Dim NewLay As Photoshop.ArtLayer
Dim LaySet As Photoshop.LayerSet
Dim ref1 As Photoshop.ActionReference
Dim actPS
Set appPS = CreateObject("Photoshop.Application")
appPS.Visible = True
Set docPS = appPS.ActiveDocument
Set LaySet = docPS.LayerSets("Text")
Set ref1 = CreateObject("Photoshop.ActionReference")
For Each NewLay In LaySet.ArtLayers
Select Case NewLay.Name
Case "Test1"
actPS = ref1.PutName("Frame Delay", 0.540769)
NewLay.Application.ExecuteAction (actPS)
Case "Test2"
actPS = ref1.PutName("Frame Delay", 1.013942)
NewLay.Application.ExecuteAction (actPS)
End Select
Next NewLay
MsgBox "frame set"
End Sub

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Yeah Ive used the script listener before, but was hoping to avoid it because I didn't understand everything that it spits out. But I think I broke it down and I came up with below. I tweeked my original solution to use a text file.

Sub Set_Frame_Delay3()

Dim appPS As Photoshop.Application

Dim ActDescPS1 As Photoshop.ActionDescriptor, ActDescPS2 As Photoshop.ActionDescriptor, ActDescPS3 As Photoshop.ActionDescriptor

Dim ActRefPS1 As Photoshop.ActionReference, ActRefPS2 As Photoshop.ActionReference

Dim dialogMode

Dim idsetd, idnull, idOrdn, idTrgt, idT, idslct

Dim idAniFrClass, idAniFrDelay

Dim sFileName As String

Application.ScreenUpdating = False

Set appPS = New Photoshop.Application

appPS.Visible = True

dialogMode = 3

With appPS

idsetd = .CharIDToTypeID("setd")

idnull = .CharIDToTypeID("null")

idOrdn = .CharIDToTypeID("Ordn")

idTrgt = .CharIDToTypeID("Trgt")

idT = .CharIDToTypeID("T ")

idslct = .CharIDToTypeID("slct")

idAniFrClass = .StringIDToTypeID("animationFrameClass")

idAniFrDelay = .StringIDToTypeID("animationFrameDelay")

End With

sFileName = Application.GetOpenFilename("Textfiles (*.txt),*.txt", , "Open a textfile...")

oIndex = 0

iFileNum = FreeFile()

Open sFileName For Input As iFileNum

Do While Not EOF(iFileNum)

oIndex = oIndex + 1

Line Input #iFileNum, oDelay

Set ActDescPS1 = New Photoshop.ActionDescriptor

Set ActRefPS1 = New Photoshop.ActionReference

ActRefPS1.PutIndex idAniFrClass, oIndex

ActDescPS1.PutReference idnull, ActRefPS1

appPS.ExecuteAction idslct, ActDescPS1, dialogMode

Set ActDescPS2 = New Photoshop.ActionDescriptor

Set ActRefPS2 = New Photoshop.ActionReference

ActRefPS2.PutEnumerated idAniFrClass, idOrdn, idTrgt

ActDescPS2.PutReference idnull, ActRefPS2

Set ActDescPS3 = New Photoshop.ActionDescriptor

ActDescPS3.PutDouble idAniFrDelay, oDelay

ActDescPS2.PutObject idT, idAniFrClass, ActDescPS3

appPS.ExecuteAction idsetd, ActDescPS2, dialogMode

Set ActDescPS1 = Nothing

Set ActRefPS1 = Nothing

Set ActDescPS2 = Nothing

Set ActRefPS2 = Nothing

Set ActDescPS3 = Nothing

Loop

Application.ScreenUpdating = True

Set appPS = Nothing

MsgBox "Frames Delays have been set!"

End Sub

The text file only needs to list the times in seconds in order of frames. In case someone else wants to copy the code. Such as :

0.916303

0.826175

0.660941

1.374455

Michael_L_Hale · Answer

I don't often do much with any flavor of VB. but this looks all wrong to me. For one thing the arguments for putName are not correct. putName requires the class as ID and a string for the name. Your first agrument is a string and your second is a number. However changing that will not help becuase frames don't have names so you can not reference them by name. executeAction requres an actionDescriptor. You are either using an actionReference or just the VBA version of undefined being returned by the putName call. I could go on but I think you can see now that your approach is wrong.

What I would recommend it that you install the scriptListener plug-in and set the delay of a frame then look in the VB log. You should get something like this.

REM =======================================================

DIM objApp

SET objApp = CreateObject("Photoshop.Application")

REM Use dialog mode 3 for show no dialogs

DIM dialogMode

dialogMode = 3

DIM idsetd

idsetd = objApp.CharIDToTypeID( "setd" )

DIM desc22

SET desc22 = CreateObject( "Photoshop.ActionDescriptor" )

DIM idnull

idnull = objApp.CharIDToTypeID( "null" )

DIM ref12

SET ref12 = CreateObject( "Photoshop.ActionReference" )

DIM idanimationFrameClass

idanimationFrameClass = objApp.StringIDToTypeID( "animationFrameClass" )

DIM idOrdn

idOrdn = objApp.CharIDToTypeID( "Ordn" )

DIM idTrgt

idTrgt = objApp.CharIDToTypeID( "Trgt" )

Call ref12.PutEnumerated( idanimationFrameClass, idOrdn, idTrgt )

Call desc22.PutReference( idnull, ref12 )

DIM idT

idT = objApp.CharIDToTypeID( "T " )

DIM desc23

SET desc23 = CreateObject( "Photoshop.ActionDescriptor" )

DIM idanimationFrameDelay

idanimationFrameDelay = objApp.StringIDToTypeID( "animationFrameDelay" )

Call desc23.PutDouble( idanimationFrameDelay, 3.000000 )

DIM idanimationFrameClass

idanimationFrameClass = objApp.StringIDToTypeID( "animationFrameClass" )

Call desc22.PutObject( idT, idanimationFrameClass, desc23 )

Call objApp.ExecuteAction( idsetd, desc22, dialogMode )

I know that is VBS and needs editing to use in VBA but it will give you a better idea of how to construct a executeAction argument.

Sign up

To post, reply, or follow discussions, please sign in with your Adobe ID.

Sign in to Adobe Community

To post, reply, or follow discussions, please sign in with your Adobe ID.

Scanning file for viruses.

This file cannot be downloaded