brush opacity for scripting

Reynolds (Mark) wrote: No Script based approach could be more efficient than this.

That is true IF setting the opacity is the only thing the script does. But as part of a more complex script it would be useful to be able to control tool options like opacity.

The main purpose of a script is to automate some workflow in Photoshop. Not having full access to the save features as the GUI limits what can be done.

It's clear from your post that you don't find scripting useful. Why are you in the scripting forum if you do not think script are worthwhile?

Hello !

Michael L Hale wrote: The only way I know to control brush settings like opacity with scripting is by using tool presets. .

For his patient and (almost) always helpful answers, i would like to thank Michael with this little contribution: How to set the current opacity of brushes.

The strategy is to simulate the hit of numeric keys, because it modifies the current opacity (tool or layer otherwise).

This is the JS script:

/************************************************    OPACITY of a brush ************************************************* 30/05/2010 V1r01 HABAKI: Creation *************************************************/ /*----------------------------------------------*                        Select tool  *-----------------------------------------------*/ function ToolSelect(Name) {   var AD = new ActionDescriptor();   var AR = new ActionReference();     AR.putClass(stringIDToTypeID(Name));   AD.putReference(charIDToTypeID("null"), AR);   executeAction(charIDToTypeID("slct"), AD, DialogModes.NO); } /*----------------------------------------------*                         BrushOpacitySet Selects the paintbrushTool *-----------------------------------------------*/ function BrushOpacitySet(/* Integer */ Percent) {   var NumSt = String(Math.floor(Percent));   NumSt = "000".slice(0, -NumSt.length) + NumSt;     var farg = new File("/c/temp/keyhiti.txt");   farg.open("w:");   farg.writeln(NumSt);   farg.close();     ToolSelect("paintbrushTool");     (new File("/c/temp/keyhit.exe")).execute(); } /*-----------------------------------------------*                         BrushOpacityGet *------------------------------------------------*/ function BrushOpacityGet() {   var ref = new ActionReference();   ref.putEnumerated(charIDToTypeID("capp"),                     charIDToTypeID("Ordn"),                     charIDToTypeID("Trgt")                     );   var AD = executeActionGet(ref);   AD = AD.getObjectValue(stringIDToTypeID("currentToolOptions"));   return(AD.getInteger(stringIDToTypeID("opacity"))); } /*-----------------------------------------------*    Main *------------------------------------------------*/ try{     var Op = BrushOpacityGet();   //alert("Opacity=" + Op + ", =>" + Op/2);     BrushOpacitySet(Op / 2); } catch(ex) {   alert(ex.message); }

This script calls an .EXE file : KEYHIT.EXE.

Here is the C source for windows:

/************************************************                         KEY HIT Simulates keys into the focused window. ************************************************* 30/05/2010 V1R01 HABAKI : Creation *************************************************/ #include <stdlib.h> #include <stdio.h> #include <windows.h> #define ArgFilePath "c:/temp/keyhiti.txt" /*----------------------------------------------*                 MAIN Input in file keyhiti.txt *-----------------------------------------------*/ int WINAPI WinMain(     HINSTANCE hInstance,     HINSTANCE hPrevInstance,     char * Params,     int nCmdShow     ) {   HWND hWnd;   FILE * farg;   unsigned c;   char Str[256], * p;     hWnd = GetForegroundWindow();     do {     farg = fopen(ArgFilePath, "r");     if (farg == 0) break;     if (fgets(Str, 16, farg) == 0) break;     Str[16] = '\0';     p = Str;     for (;c = (unsigned)*p++;) {       PostMessage(hWnd, WM_KEYDOWN, (WPARAM)c, (LPARAM)((c << 16 ) + 1));     } // for     fclose(farg);     DeleteFile(ArgFilePath);   } while(0);     TerminateProcess(GetCurrentProcess(),0);   return(0); } /*-----------------------------------------------*/

I hope it can also help Sergey if  he always needs this feature.