Action behaving differently when activated via a hotkey vs activated manually

[imAnoob079]

Hello, my action is behaving correctly if I activate it via the ''Play Selection'' or ''Button Mode > Click the action'', but is behaving differently if activated via the hotkey assigned to it, why is that? 

Example short video attached, first instance is how it should behave, but the second instance it behaves differently.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

I can’t make out the exact steps of the Action in the video, could you please post screenshots? 

[imAnoob079]

Hello, here is a screenshot of the steps in the action 

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Please uncheck all but the first step (Color Range) – what is the resulting Selection? 

How did you record the »Color Range«-step exactly? 

[imAnoob079]

I've attached a video showcasing what happens when I uncheck all but the first step, and how I recorded the »Color Range«-step.

I recorded the action like so: 
Select an area via the Rectangular Marquee Tool > Turn on action recording > Select > Color Range > Select > Modify - Expand > Content Aware Fill > Deselect (CTRL + D) > Merge layer down (CTRL + E) > Done

[imAnoob079 · Accepted solution]

I've just changed the hotkey from ''SHIFT + F4'' to ''CTRL + F4'' and the issue isn't present, I believe the issue lies with the shift key being used, if you select the ''Rectangular Marquee Tool'' or the ''Lasso Tool'', and hold shift, the tool switches to selection addition, which is somehow interfering with the action causing it to behave this way.  

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Please try recording the step when you invoke »Color Range« with alt-shift pressed. 

[imAnoob079]

The issue remains if ''SHIFT + CTRL'' are used, so I guess shift just cannot be used in this sort of action as a hotkey, is there any way to make shift work?

[c.pfaffenbichler]

I hadn’t noticed the qualifier-key in the shortcut but I think your conclusion is correct. 

When a Selection is created the qualifier-keys matter and apparently the key is honored a bit longer than the »pure« starting of the Action and thus messes this task up. 

A crude workaround might be including something »unnecessary« at the start of the Action to essentially make it hesitate – like Enter QuickMask Mode, Exit QuickMask mode. 

[imAnoob079]

I tried that just now and it doesn't seem to help, I've also tried adding multiple extra unnecessary steps like expanding or contracting the selection, to no avail.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

How about you include creating the rectangular selection in the Action itself? 

• create a rectangle with the Rectangle Tool (set to Path) 

• transform it (set »Toggle dialog on/off) 

• load as a Selection 

• … 

[imAnoob079]

I've tried doing that just now, I might have done it wrong, attached video

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Edit: Using the path would naturally only be a work-around.