Can I batch place a series of images over the same consistent image/background?

[Brian22351872dw34]

I have an image of a frame, and what I will do normally is import an image of a photo that I want in the frame, rezise the image so that it is centered in the frame, and I am done. I am trying to do this through batches/actions etc but I am having a very hard time as every time I select a layer, when I go to run the batch it says "Not available" for the layer action, or I run into other "Not available" action errors....I just want to simply run a batch of hundreds of images, have them all resize accordingly to the center of the frame, and that is all. Can anyone help explain how this can be done? Thank you for any and all support.

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

This can be done with an action (however this may take some experience or advanced knowledge), however, it is probably better done by a script such as:

http://www.mouseprints.net/old/dpr/PhotoCollageToolkit.html

http://www.mouseprints.net/old/dpr/PhotoCollageToolkitDetails.html

BatchOneImageCollage.jsx

[Brian22351872dw34]

Thank you, Stephen! Yes, I took days to learn how to do the action by following the advice on this page:

https://graphicdesign.stackexchange.com/questions/86470/how-do-i-batch-place-a-series-of-images-onto...

The problem is that when I go to execute the action via the batch tool, I receive an error for the "Select layer not available", and read this had to do with the name of the layer, and that I have to rename the layer, which I have been having trouble understanding ( I know how to rename the layer, just not sure when to, or how to make this effective). When I merge or flatten the layers as a recorded action, for some reason when I run the batch I am always given this error of "Not avilable" when it gets to that part of the action, and this can happen for other actions as well and the reasons I do not know why. Sometimes even "Move is not available". I will check out the links you shared as well and thank you very much for that!

[Bojan Živković]

Can you take screenshot when error occur? Include and Actions panel to see which is problematic step and why. When action stop playing it should highlight and expand problematic step.

Although every step in action is independent from other steps, there is always some dependency to be executed. For example: if you have step to select "bingo" layer there must be layer named "bingo" in the layers panel or step will fail and will throw error message.

[Brian22351872dw34]

 

 

 

[PECourtejoie]

Hello, use the habit to target the layers via the ALT+[ and ALT+] shortcuts when making an action, this way the name of the layer is not recorded, but next/previous layer is.

[Brian22351872dw34]

Thank you, I have done this, I seem to have the error with "Select", not move. I must select in order to transform the layer to fit the frame. Thank you!

[PECourtejoie]

Hello, it does not move the layer, it selects the next/previous layer, and avoids the naming issue. (I prefer target, but it is not the terminology used in actions)

[Brian22351872dw34]

I am on a Mac, I read that I must press Command + "[" or "]" to move the layers. How do I select them without recording the name on a mac? I do not follow your instruction of "ALT+", I do not understand how to implement what you are saying. Thank you

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

I have recorded some common layer navigation and layer moving keyboard shortcuts into an action. You can copy the various steps to a new step and drag them out to populate another action step. They are cross platform, however they may or may not work with non English language installations.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dd9qpecqrvuon6e/Layer%20Navigation%20Building%20Blocks.atn?dl=0

[Brian22351872dw34]

With all respect I am not comfortable downloading files from other users at this time, it doesnt seem 100% safe to me? I do thank you, is there any way to help me understand how to perform the select layer action without it recognizing the layer name in the action? Thanks

[JJMack]

If you download  Action and Scripts to be used with Photoshop. You can read their content before you ever use then. If the Script are encoded in binary so you cans not read the processing it does. Or you do not understand  what the Action or Script processing is doing. You can delete what you downloaded.   On the other side reading the Action or Script you may understand what its processing does is exactly what you want to do or does something close to what you want to do and you may be able to edit the Action or Script so it will do want you want.   Code Posted here in this forum will likely be safe to use and may even do what you want to do.    Any vicious code  or pirate code post here would be quickly removed  for  users would report the problem and a forum moderator would removed the code from the site.  I have been using this forum for years and  I have never seen a report of any malicious code posted into this forum.  That type on code is normally  unreadable machine  that is introduces onto your machine through some security.     Many Download interfaces will scan  files downloads for malicious code.    It is wise to play safely downloads anything particularly e-mail.  When you get e-mail from your dead grandmother its not mail  that been floating in a bottle on the web for years.

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

I understand your caution and hesitation.

I don't know how to say this differently than what the other forum members have said:

Start recording the action. Hold down the command key, then press the [ key and then release the command key and stop recording.

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

If you look at various tutorials in books, videos etc it is common to see phrasing for cross platform keyboard shortcut use similar to:

CMD/CTRL + [ 

or

OPT/ALT + .

Mac:

Command or CMD

Option or OPT

Win;

Control or CTRL

Alt or ALT

[JJMack]

Image have different Aspect ratios therefor you need to have a Frame for each Possible Image Aspect Ratio or Crop the Image to fit a particular Frame.  Or dynamically create Mats and Picture frames for your image.  Years ago I made some Actions  and Script available to help you to mat and frame images.  To crop and stamp exif info etc.   I have not use them in years they may still work.  I never receiver any feedback  or bug reports. I do not know if anyone actually used any of them.   The Idea was you would used the action to visually what you image would look like matted and framed  before you shelled out the money to buy mats and frames.

Image Visualization Package UPDATED Aug 19, 2012 Changed AspectRatioSelection Plug-in script added Path support.
Example
Documentation and Download