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How to open images with different default applications in InDesign and resource manager (Windows)?

Guide ,
Mar 04, 2025 Mar 04, 2025

In ID, when pressing Alt+double click, I want to open jpg, tif, PSD in PS by default.

 

However, in resource manager (Windows), I would like to default to Honeyview to open jpg, psd, tif when double clicking on an image. because I find Honeyview easier to look at the image.

 

Is it possible to realize?
Thanks.

TOPICS
Bug , Feature request , How to , Import and export , Scripting , Type
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correct answers 2 Correct answers

Community Expert , Mar 06, 2025 Mar 06, 2025

I've added the part to manually insert your photoshop path

 

if (app.documents.length > 0 && app.selection.length > 0) {
    var sel = app.selection[0];
    var imageItem = null;

    // Check if the selection is an image directly
    if (sel.constructor.name === "Image") {
        imageItem = sel;
    } 
    // Otherwise, check if it's a frame containing an image
    else if (sel.hasOwnProperty("images") && sel.images.length > 0) {
        imageItem = sel.images[0];
    }

    if (imageItem && 
...
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Community Expert , Mar 07, 2025 Mar 07, 2025

@Eugene Tyson this is an example of how I like to handle BridgeTalk calls. I write a function that I then convert to string using `Function.toSource()` then I call it inside an IIFE, adding parameters to the IIFE call (these must be strings too). (Edit: note that I don't actually invoke `toSource`—the function `openPaths` is impicitly coerced to a string by the `replace` method I used to construct the bt.body string.) This might seem a bit opaque at first but for me it avoids a lot of the messy

...
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Guide ,
Mar 07, 2025 Mar 07, 2025

I do:
I originally installed PS to the C drive by default.
Then I made a copy to the D drive, and after I reinstalled my winsystem, I never installed PS again, I just used the PS on the D drive.

So ......

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Community Expert ,
Mar 08, 2025 Mar 08, 2025

Okay, that's probably how it's become muddled. I know you can specify the app location for CC but I don't think you can have some apps here and other apps there—they seem to need to be in the same folder. But unfortunately I don't know anything about that. Maybe re-installing Photoshop completely is the best fix? But it might have to be in the same folder as the rest of the CC apps for BridgeTalk to see it by default. Also back up your settings, eg. key shortcuts etc.

- Mark

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Guide ,
Mar 08, 2025 Mar 08, 2025

Yes, that may be the reason for the confusion.
But theoretically, it should be possible to evoke any program with a path.
Not just photoshop.

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Community Expert ,
Mar 08, 2025 Mar 08, 2025

@dublove 

> it should be possible to evoke any program with a path

 

Sure, you should be able to do directly in ExtendScript. This works on my machine, but you will need to put the path to your photoshop.

// use your own path to Photoshop here:
var photoshopAppFile = File('/Applications/Adobe Photoshop 2025/Adobe Photoshop 2025.app');

// launch it
photoshopAppFile.execute();

 

This won't fix the BridgeTalk issue though.

- Mark

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Guide ,
Mar 08, 2025 Mar 08, 2025
// use your own path to Photoshop here:
var photoshopAppFile = File('D:/Program Files/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop 2025/Photoshop 2025/Photoshop.exe');
// launch it
photoshopAppFile.execute();

The paragraph above seems to evoke Ps, I see the ps pop up but no image opens.
I'll replace the paragraph below.

if (!photoshop)
return alert(“Photoshop is not available.”);
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Community Expert ,
Mar 08, 2025 Mar 08, 2025

@dublove you have a few possible options I think:

 

1. get BridgeTalk working (best option), or

 

2. maybe you can use a Visual Basic call from ExtendScript? I use MacOS so I can't help much, but maybe something like this (it's ChatGPT output so might be wrong!):

var vbscript = 'Set app = CreateObject("Photoshop.Application")\n' +
               'app.Open "C:\\path\\to\\your\\image.jpg"';

app.doScript(vbscript, ScriptLanguage.VISUAL_BASIC);

 

3. something similar to (2) eg. write a powershell script to disk and .execute() it.

 

If you try (2) and it works for opening one image, we can adjust the code to add all the paths together.

- Mark

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Guide ,
Mar 08, 2025 Mar 08, 2025

@m1b  @Eugene Tyson 

There are ghosts........
I've installed PS to the C drive by default, and it still prompts the same error.

I tried several versions of the script.

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Guide ,
Mar 09, 2025 Mar 09, 2025

@m1b @Eugene Tyson 

I tried it out, and change the following
app.bringToFront();
to
BridgeTalk.bringToFront(“photoshop”);

and it works. 

I'm just noticing that occasionally the InDesign window won't pop up with a single click.
Could it be that the ID is bottomed out?
Frozen?

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Community Expert ,
Mar 08, 2025 Mar 08, 2025

Thanks for chiming in @m1b - great figuring out 

 

@dublove you can uninstall in Windows using the default uninstallers. But I'd also suggest using something like Glary Utilities to uninstall and do a deep system cleanse - this is completely up to you - do a full backup before doing anything like this.

 

Once you have this done or not done - up to you

 

I'd also highly recommend 

Reinstalling rarely fixes everything - you can do a complete reinstall using the
Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/cc-cleaner-tool-installation-problems.html

 

 

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Guide ,
Mar 08, 2025 Mar 08, 2025

@m1b @Eugene Tyson 

After reinstalling PS to the C drive by default on 3-8, the scripts were not working properly that day.
Woke up from a nap and rebooted the computer.
Both scripts worked.

Speechless.

 

Follow up a little more.
How do I get the PS software to pop up to the top of the list (change to the current window) after the script runs.

line doesn't seem to work.

The app.bringToFront();


Thank you very much.

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Community Expert ,
Mar 09, 2025 Mar 09, 2025

@dublove I'm glad to hear that the reinstall to the default location fixed the BridgeTalk problem. I don't know why app.bringToFront() didn't work—it works for me on MacOS. But well done on finding the  BridgeTalk.bringToFront(targetApp) method! Maybe that is the best way for cross platform use.

- Mark

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Community Expert ,
Apr 07, 2025 Apr 07, 2025

Hi @m1b , Not sure if this helps but getSpecifier() has 3 parameters (appName, version, locale)—locale might be worth trying. In case you don’t have the complete Bridgetalk API reference you can get it here:

 

https://extendscript.docsforadobe.dev/interapplication-communication/bridgetalk-class/#bridgetalkget...

 

Screen Shot 9.png

 

 

Screen Shot 10.png

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Guide ,
Apr 09, 2025 Apr 09, 2025

Want to get the version number?
Then the script won't work after two years.

It's a bit complicated.
It would be nice to just provide the path to the ps and it would open the image.

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Community Expert ,
May 27, 2025 May 27, 2025

Sorry @rob day I missed this notification back when you posted it. Very helpful!

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Guide ,
May 27, 2025 May 27, 2025

Hi @m1b

The image has been modified, the link has not been updated and the script is not responding how to fix this script.
I've read @Eugene Tyson @ their postings and didn't get it

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/extend-script-not-auto-refreshing-the-missing-li... 

 

Thank you.

 

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Community Expert ,
May 27, 2025 May 27, 2025

@dublove can you check that you have (a) a value returned from Photoshop—if not then the callback won't run, and (b) a callback function specified to check the link in Indesign and update if necessary.

 

Otherwise, make a simple version of the script and post it and we'll see why it's not working.

- Mark

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Guide ,
Jun 04, 2025 Jun 04, 2025
LATEST

@m1b 

Except for the fact that after the image is modified, if it's not updated, you won't be able to use the script.
Another problem that comes along with this, is that images opened in this way, will not be updated automatically.

Today, because it didn't update, the client reprimanded me for not modifying the image as he requested, when in fact I did.

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Guide ,
May 27, 2025 May 27, 2025

Hi @m1b 

I am using The correct answer  version of this posting .
It just doesn't recognize the image when it is modified and doesn't respond.

dublove_1-1748410685114.jpeg

 

dublove_0-1748410566570.jpeg

 

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Guide ,
Mar 07, 2025 Mar 07, 2025

There is no error popup when the path is wrong.
When the path is correct, the error on the screenshot pops up.

I have my ps open and it says I don't have ps open.
I've restarted ps too.

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Community Expert ,
Mar 07, 2025 Mar 07, 2025

I just tested this on my Win10 system and it worked perfectly to open an image in Photoshop CS6 32 bit.

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Community Expert ,
Mar 07, 2025 Mar 07, 2025

I tried it first with photoshop open, and then again with it closed. With it closed I got the two error messages @dublove mentioned, but photoshop did then open and opened my image.

I suspect there is a problem with how you are writing the path to Photoshop. You need to escape the \s in the path statement in the script by adding a second \ for each and make sure everything is spelled correctly -- I see you've left off the last p in photoshop.exe above.

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Guide ,
Apr 07, 2025 Apr 07, 2025

Hi @Eugene Tyson  @m1b 

I'm still trying to open the diagrams in ID with a non-installed version of Ps.
No solution, is it a dead end?

 

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Community Expert ,
Mar 06, 2025 Mar 06, 2025

@dublove Let me start by saying I have not tested the code, but I don't see anything that would prevent you from either direct selecting an image in a frame or selecting the frame containing the image -- that seems to be handled in the very first section.

Second, Using the terms Black or White arrow to describe the selection tools is not helpful since Adobe changed their appearance a few versions back leading to a lot of users choosing the wrong tool by mistake. Better to use Solid or Hollow, or even better their correct names, Selection or Direct Selection Tools.

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Community Expert ,
Mar 05, 2025 Mar 05, 2025

I've added a new comment to the thread @Eugene Tyson linked. It should be possible to use thast OP's original script in a scripts panel subfolder and assign a keyboard shortcut.

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Community Expert ,
Mar 06, 2025 Mar 06, 2025

That is one of the useful moments in Adobe Bridge. In Bridge preferences, you can setup filetype associations contrary to what the operating system is doing. I use Bridge as a companion to InDesign a lot.

Mike Witherell
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