Action Script + Pixel Bender

[Royi A]

Hello.

I couldn't find it on my own in Adobe's DevNet.

Is there an option to built a Plug In based on Action Script + Pixel Bender?

All I need is to retrieve the current Layer / Layers from Photoshop into a container accessible to Action Script and a way to write to back to the Active / New Layer.

Is there a way to do so?

Thanks.

[Royi A]

Anyone?

[Chris Cox]

No, there is no such option.

Your options are spelled out pretty well in the SDK documentation.

[Royi A]

The SDK talks about the interfaces.

Let's say I develop a panel using Flash.

Could I run a Pixel Bender shader on a certain layer without using PB Gallery?

Or the only way to access the bitmap data is via the ExtendScript?

Thank You.

[Chris Cox]

The SDK also talks about what you can do.  Anything it doesn't spell out, you can't do.

A flash panel could call the Pixel Bender filter to run a particular shader, but flash would not have access to the pixel data.

ExtendScript does not have access to pixel data (except through painfully slow hacks).

If you want to access pixel data, you need to use one of the APIs that has access to pixel data: filters, export, file formats, or PixelBender shaders.

[Royi A]

Hello Chris,

When a Flash Panel calls a PB Filter how does it chose which layer to run on?

Could you allow in CS6 to have a full access to data through Flash?

Flash is becoming pretty fast and by utilizing PB it could become a great alternative to develop Filters.

I have no C / C++ skills.

I need a language which let me concentrate on the Algorithm.

PB does that and as far as I understand Flash is also pretty straight forward.

So, please make this alternative a viable one.

[Chris Cox]

Flash Panels work a lot like automation plugins -- they tell Photoshop what to do, what to target, etc.

No, Flash will not be getting full access to pixel data. Flash is the wrong tool for that task.

[Royi A]

Using the SDK it is hard to create an atractive GUI.

Not to speak on implementing algorithms.

You made half step with PB.

Give us simple easy and abstracted API to implement Algorithms without deep knowledge in programming.