Hello everyone! I have a picture of different shapes like this, the purpose is to create games for preschool kids.
My goal is for my students to take shapes that bear their name, then cut them out and name the shapes.
However, the process of inserting text also takes quite a bit of time. First, I put the text on the shape, then used the magic wand to select the area of the shape below and used the align tool. I keep repeating that process with each text and shape layer.
The problem is, there are too many students to do this and I can't just paste the name, select the area, and center each one. (I have a bit of OCD so I was assigned this job.)
Does someone have a faster solution? Such as an action or script that automatically selects the area outside the text while also being inside the shape?
Thank you everyone for help!
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Replies
Can you explain your problem further. I would like to understand your problem in the first place. At the moment I can not follow nor understand what is actual problem:
"Such as an action or script that automatically selects the area outside the text while also being inside the shape?"
First of all do you want to select text inverse while staying inside boundries of shape to which text ois aligned?
Try this script. You have to do some setup first.
1. Create a folder on your desktop named "Names in Shapes".
2. Create a spreadsheet file with the exact number of names as you have shapes, and put all the names in one column.
3. save the spreadsheet as a csv file to the Names in Shape folder on your desktop.
4. Open your image file and put guides across the shapes (they don't have to be centered, they just have to go over the shapes.
Run the script.
#target photoshop
var nameFile = new File ('~/desktop/Names in Shapes/names.csv')
var doc = activeDocument
var origPrefs = app.preferences.rulerUnits
var tempL
//app.preferences.rulerUnits = Units.POINTS;
var docG = doc.guides
var gH = []
var gV = []
var exitLoop = false;
//read names
var nameList = readFile (nameFile).split('\n');
for (var i=0;i<docG.length;i++){
if(docG[i].direction == 'Direction.HORIZONTAL' && (docG[i].coordinate.value !=0 && docG[i].coordinate.value !=doc.height.value)){
gH.push(docG[i].coordinate.value)
}
else if(docG[i].coordinate !=0 && docG[i].coordinate.value !=doc.width.value){gV.push(docG[i].coordinate.value)}
}
gH.sort (function(a, b){return a - b});
gV.sort (function(a, b){return a - b});
var ptArray =[];
for (var i=0;i<gH.length;i++){
for (var j=0;j<gV.length;j++){
ptArray.push([gV[j],gH[i]]);
}
}
tempLayer ();
tempL = doc.activeLayer;
for(var i=0;i<nameList.length;i++){
try{
$.writeln(nameList[i])
$.writeln(ptArray[i])
mWand (ptArray[i][0], ptArray[i][1]);
var selB = doc.selection.bounds;
xCenter = (selB[0] + selB[2])/2
yCenter = (selB[1] + selB[3])/2
deselectS ();
var artLayerRef = doc.artLayers.add()
artLayerRef.kind = LayerKind.TEXT;
var textItemRef = artLayerRef.textItem;
textItemRef.contents = nameList[i];
var tLayer = doc.activeLayer;
var tBounds = tLayer.bounds;
var tXCenter = (tBounds[0] + tBounds[2])/2;
var tYCenter = (tBounds[1] + tBounds[3])/2;
tLayer.translate (xCenter - tXCenter, yCenter - tYCenter)
doc.activeLayer = tempL;
}
catch(e){}
}
doc.activeLayer = tempL;
tempL.remove()
function tempLayer(){
//dup layer
var idCpTL = charIDToTypeID( "CpTL" );
executeAction( idCpTL, undefined, DialogModes.NO );
mWand (5, 5);
invertSel ();
// fill with black
var idFl = charIDToTypeID( "Fl " );
var desc42 = new ActionDescriptor();
var idUsng = charIDToTypeID( "Usng" );
var idFlCn = charIDToTypeID( "FlCn" );
var idFrgC = charIDToTypeID( "FrgC" );
desc42.putEnumerated( idUsng, idFlCn, idFrgC );
executeAction( idFl, desc42, DialogModes.NO );
invertSel ();
//delete BG
var idDlt = charIDToTypeID( "Dlt " );
executeAction( idDlt, undefined, DialogModes.NO );
deselectS ();
}
function deselectS (){
var idsetd = charIDToTypeID( "setd" );
var desc49 = new ActionDescriptor();
var idnull = charIDToTypeID( "null" );
var ref4 = new ActionReference();
var idChnl = charIDToTypeID( "Chnl" );
var idfsel = charIDToTypeID( "fsel" );
ref4.putProperty( idChnl, idfsel );
desc49.putReference( idnull, ref4 );
var idT = charIDToTypeID( "T " );
var idOrdn = charIDToTypeID( "Ordn" );
var idNone = charIDToTypeID( "None" );
desc49.putEnumerated( idT, idOrdn, idNone );
executeAction( idsetd, desc49, DialogModes.NO );
}
function invertSel(){
var idInvs = charIDToTypeID( "Invs" );
executeAction( idInvs, undefined, DialogModes.NO );
}
function mWand(x1,y1){
var idsetd = charIDToTypeID( "setd" );
var desc27 = new ActionDescriptor();
var idnull = charIDToTypeID( "null" );
var ref2 = new ActionReference();
var idChnl = charIDToTypeID( "Chnl" );
var idfsel = charIDToTypeID( "fsel" );
ref2.putProperty( idChnl, idfsel );
desc27.putReference( idnull, ref2 );
var idT = charIDToTypeID( "T " );
var desc28 = new ActionDescriptor();
var idHrzn = charIDToTypeID( "Hrzn" );
var idPxl = charIDToTypeID( "#Pxl" );
desc28.putUnitDouble( idHrzn, idPxl, x1 );
var idVrtc = charIDToTypeID( "Vrtc" );
var idPxl = charIDToTypeID( "#Pxl" );
desc28.putUnitDouble( idVrtc, idPxl, y1 );
var idPnt = charIDToTypeID( "Pnt " );
desc27.putObject( idT, idPnt, desc28 );
var idTlrn = charIDToTypeID( "Tlrn" );
desc27.putInteger( idTlrn, 15 );
var idAntA = charIDToTypeID( "AntA" );
desc27.putBoolean( idAntA, true );
executeAction( idsetd, desc27, DialogModes.NO );
}
function readFile(file) {
if (!file.exists) {
alert( "Cannot find file: " + deodeURI(file.absoluteURI));
}
else{
file.encoding = "UTF8";
file.lineFeed = "unix";
file.open("r", "TEXT", "????");
var str = file.read();
file.close();
return str;
};
};
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