Frequency separation action

[Ivan Zajats]

There are several ways to do FS. In all of them there's a step with blur - either Gaussian, or Surface, or Median. At this step the action asks the user to choose the appropriate radius. We choose 10 or 20 pixels, or any other number, and it's done. My question is: can this number be automatically added to the name of the FS group? Just curious. I always add it manually not to forget what radius was used.

[Stephen Marsh · Accepted solution]

I believe that it would require a script.

[Ivan Zajats]

I believe that it would require a script.

By @Stephen Marsh

I guess, you're right, but I know nothing about scripts... so, I need a detailed explanation.

[Stephen Marsh]

An action can't rename a layer group with the number used in the GB step. A script can...

Therefore you would need to either:

1) Recreate the entire FS action as a script. Best would be to rewrite from scratch with "clean code", however, using xtools one can cheat and convert an action to script. Then all one needs to do is add some extra code to capture the GB value as a variable and rename the group using the variable value.

2) A quicker/easier step would be to use a couple of "helper scripts" for only for the blur value as a variable and the rename group step using the variable. You would then remove the native action recording step to use the GB "helper script" and to rename the group using the variable. Although faster to code, the downside is that the action would not be self contained, it would have dependencies on having the supporting scripts accessible as well. This may or may not be an issue depending on various factors (is this only for you, will this be shared, if shared how competent will the other users be in installing the scripts to a relative path or re-recording the scripts as an absolute path etc).

EDIT: With some reflection, I don't believe that the second option would work, as the variable for the GB value from the first helper script would not be availale to the second renaming script, unless one used a log file.

[Ivan Zajats]

Googled a bit about scripts, too complicated for me... I'd better continue renaming the groups manually 🙂

Though it's not necessary at all.

[Stephen Marsh]

Scripting is not for everyone.

Everybody has their own take on frequency separation, even me:

Frequency Splitter v4 Conditional.zip

If you can share a link to your atn file, I'll take a look at creating a quick-n-dirty code version to include renaming.

[Ivan Zajats]

Kind of you, thanks. But probably I don't really need it, if I'm not able to change it later.

The best actions are those made by yourself  - you always know what they do and how to edit them.

[Chuck Uebele]

The action that stops to let you change the radius should just have the dialog box turned on, so just turning off the dialog should work. However, different images require different radii. To set the radius,  you would want to have an image at the point where you are going to apply the blur. Then you double click on the gaussian blur step, and it will record that step.

[JJMack]

You do not have to make the blur step interactive. You can simply record a Gaussian blur step  with a Gaussian blur step with a fix radius and not make the step interactive by turning on the steps dialog. I normally use the spot healing brush on the color layer to smooth out the color.  The healing brush act quite like blurring filter

[Ivan Zajats]

You do not have to make the blur step interactive.

By @JJMack

WRONG

[JJMack]

If you do now want the blur step radius fixed or interactive what would set the blur step's radius how would a script know what radius would you would want for the current image's content?  What does the script need to do  to come up with the setting you want used. You seem to want it to be in the range of 10 to 20. How would the script come up with your number? 

Post your current Action there are so many of then on the web. You are going to interactivity use the layer in the group what is so bad about an interactive step during it  setup?

[Thiha31203570tbl0]

Hello Sir JJMack . . .

What if we set the pixel ratio? For example, 1000x1000 pixel is Blur 3 radius pixels. 2000x2000 pixel is blur 6 radius pixels. If it's 1500x1500 pixels, can you make scripts to add how much blur radius... Before clicking the scripts, I'll set the selection with rectangular marquee tools and how many pixels to set.

[Chuck Uebele]

JJ Mack has passed away. 

[Earth Oliver]

wow, you're kind of missing the point in several ways here. The base blur of FS should always be relative to the detail in an image and therefore always needs to be interactive. That also has nothing to do with their original question. Seems to be the norm for you, eh?

[JJMack]

Perhapse you should post your FS2 action so others can see if it is what they sould do in their action. Still it seems to have the interactive step the op does not want in the action.

[Earth Oliver]

Unfortunately, you can't do the thing you're asking about. In my FS2 action, i got around this by converting the base layer to a SO and then the Median amount would be visible via the smart filter. This also has the side effect of maintaining the original image in the SO.

[Stephen Marsh]

I thought of this, however, I didn't bring it up as it didn't meet the original request criteria. Now that the topic has panned out, this is the only other alternative that I can think of to automatically capture the original value.