How to create an action with a **hidden** plugin?

[rechmbrs]

Because a **hidden** plug-in is not viewable in the Filter menu, how do I create an action with a **hidden** plug-in or plug-ins?  Do I have to build the action with viewable plug-in and then modify it to put the EventID?  Uses same EventID as scripting??

Like to see simple example if available.  I have found nothing even related in searches here and Google.

Thanks,

RONC

[angie_taylor]

If the effect isnt showing up in the filter menu, chances are it’s not been installed into the correct folder. Where did you install the effect and which plugin is it?

[rechmbrs]

There is an option to HIDE plug-ins when writing them.  The plug-in "category" parameter needs to be **Hidden** and they won't appear in filter menu but can be executed by scripts and actions I'm told.  I have the plug-in hiding and am working on script with action to follow if I learn how.

Adobe hid something from you "The Angie."

RONC

[JJMack · Accepted solution]

If a Photoshop Script can run your hidden the a Action can use your script.  Scripts can use system commands   and use  Photoshop Plug-in.  I do not know about hidden  Plug-ins if they are initialized when Photoshop starts I would expect the code to work.  Here is the code I see in Adobe Script Image Processor to use Adobe  Plug-in Fit Image which is a Plug-in script in the same folder as "Image Processor,jsx".  The code seems to be Action Manager code that uses Fit Image's plug-in UUID to identify the plug-in.  That action Manager code also passes the plug-in parameters width and height

// use the fit image automation plug-in to do this work for me

function FitImage( inWidth, inHeight ) {

   if ( inWidth == undefined || inHeight == undefined ) {

       alert( strWidthAndHeight );

       return;

       }

   var desc = new ActionDescriptor();

   var unitPixels = charIDToTypeID( '#Pxl' );

   desc.putUnitDouble( charIDToTypeID( 'Wdth' ), unitPixels, inWidth );

   desc.putUnitDouble( charIDToTypeID( 'Hght' ), unitPixels, inHeight );

   var runtimeEventID = stringIDToTypeID( "3caa3434-cb67-11d1-bc43-0060b0a13dc4" );

   executeAction( runtimeEventID, desc, DialogModes.NO );

   }

[rechmbrs]

JJ,

As usual you have workable way to do what I want.

Thanks,

RONC

[angie_taylor]

That’s what I love about these forums. Every day I learn something new from talented people like you JJ 🙂 Thanks.

[Kukurykus]

Loll I wouldn't consider JJMack as talented, the same me as I'm not, though on other Adobe forum for scripting some called me so. There're others with natural abbilities who deserve for this title, but we are just less or more skilled, nothing more

[angie_taylor]

I would say that's a talent 🙂

[JJMack]

Everyone has talent abilities, experience and knowledge.  I'm retired and have time to share what I know and show others how to search and ponder. I could do better if I could type and spell.  Some skill are harder for some than others. Human minds work their way.

[angie_taylor]

I totally agree, this is a two way forum. I often learn a lot from the people who post questions. I also post questions from time to time. I just wanted to acknowledge that I am impressed by your knowledge and appreciate your words of wisdom, that's all 🙂

[angie_taylor]

Hahaha! You are right! They certainly hid that one! A clever pun! 😉

Why do you put “The Angie” in quotation marks? Can you please explain what this means?

[rechmbrs]

Ms. Taylor,

Is your given name Angie or Theangie?  If Angie, I was thinking that placing a the before Angie was like The Queen or The Angie. Also I should have placed a comma after the you in my sentence.  If Theangie, I made a poor assumption of your given name.

No matter what I wrote enjoy your with the bunch .

As far as talent go it is so abundant and if one does have the knowledge another one or two will.  There is talent in asking the questions.  Short and concise or long with all kinds of documentation.  I many cases, most of mine, I'm looking for a way to get around some built-in problem.  This particular question is related to finding way not to execute a plugin from the Filter menu but allow for Actions and Scripts.  I've found that Adobe seldom thinks ahead when setting a standard.  Is there a way to tell if the plugin is being executed from Filter, Script, or Action?  Haven't found one and I'm far from qualified to code something.  I think there is a Global vs non-global fight for everything that is programmed.  I came from Fortran and Global is essential.

Welcome and enjoy,

RONC

[angie_taylor]

Hi Ron,

Perhaps shouldn't make assumptions about people's names? I would never comment on somebody's chosen name, particularly in a professional forum. I think it's best to keep personal opinions about other people out of these messages as it can upset people or hurt feelings.

Anyway, as you have asked for an explanation of my name. The reason "the" is there is because the username "angietaylor" was not available. It's quite common practice for people to add "the" in front of their names when this happens. I'm not the only one to do it. it's just a way of avoiding having something like "angietaylor2871090190" as my username. I tried all sorts of other options  like "angie-taylor", angie_taylor" etc etc.  It does not mean "The Queen" - otherwise I would have made my name "Queen Angie". Perhaps you think I should change my name to "onlyAngieTaylor" or something similar? 😉

As far as talent is concerned. I think that comment was not directed at you but was taken from another reply I made to somebody else (JJ Mack) about their talents which I greatly admire.

I believe everyone has talents. By saying that I respect or admire one person's talent, it does not imply that I think that they are the only ones who possess talent. Of course, everyone on this forum has talent. All the people who ask or answer questions have talents way beyond the scope of this forum. Often I learn from the people who post answers on this forum and on other platforms. It's a process of sharing knowledge in both directions.

Anyway, it seems that my name has given you some wrong assumptions about me which is sad. I hope my explanation has helped to convince you that I am only here to try to help people in my own time and have no ideas above my lowly station.

All the best,

OnlyAngie

[Royi A]

Did you build it from the ground up or did you use Adobe demo Plug In as a starting point?

I'm looking for a Plug In with no dependency on R file.

[rechmbrs]

Royi,

I'm using the Adobe Hidden demo files.  There are *.r and *.rc but no *.res or *.rez files.  The *.r and *.rc are used to build the *.pipl file which, I believe is, the way plugins are identified by Photoshop.  I read somewhere that the *.r is a standard MAC file and on PC we have to run that cnvrter.exe (SP??) to make the pipl.

Tom Ruark wrote the Hidden code.  He seems to have done in one sitting as there aren't newer options added like in dissolve or poorman.  It has bigdocument and the communication between jsx and 8bf/plugin all laid out except the jsx part where I'm having problems.

Cheers,

RONC

[Royi A]

Ron,

All those files are used for Resources for UI.
In macOS the project (Demo on the SDK) use the REZ program (From Carbon days).

Yet if there is no UI (Hidden Plug In) I expect a simpler way without the REX on macOS or the otehr way in Windows to compile the PIPL file.

I want to create a Plug In with CMake instead of this fragile method doing it in VS / Xcode and the use of Rez in macOS is making it really difficult.

Not to say that one day the REZ command won't be available on macOS (Carbon is deprecated).

[rechmbrs]

Royi,

Leave all of the UI stuff out of the the r files.  You still want the enable stuff.  I've been writing plugins with no UI and just included the enable for rgb variations etc. and nothing else   Not using hidden because plugins have no parameters input. I have other stuff like version and dates that are not usually in windows pipl.  Look at github.com/rechmbrs/FtPattern/Ft and see my very simple code.

RONC

[Kukurykus]

I guess you mean this link (for others information): FtPattern/Ft at master · rechmbrs/FtPattern · GitHub

[rechmbrs]

Thanks.

RONC

[Royi A]

Ron,

I really think you're missing the point.
I know all the stuff you mention as I have built few Plug In's.

I don't add any UI or anything in my Plug In's.
So that is not the case.

Have you ever seen the build command on Windows and macOS?

They call external programs to process the resource files which is what I want to avoid.

My objective is being able to build UI less Plug In using CMake.
Hence I don't like dependency but the compiler to build the code.

[rechmbrs]

I don't see that problem under windows and have not looked at a mac build.  I'm not trying to frustrate you but attempting to get an answer by asking more questions.

Can you grab those programs being called for the rez and include them directly in the build?  As I mentioned earlier I think the rez files are MAC standard files.  Adobe just uses info from them.  We don't have that on windows.  Are these header files or executables?  Header and r files like pimi.r, pipl.r, pigeneral,r and .h, PIUtilities.r and .h are available to include in build.

I don't know about this stuff other than what has been passed from either Google or these threads.  About a year ago, I compiled my c code in VS Community 2017 to make a plugin.  I hadn't used a PC to do that since VC++ 2006 and none before that.  I have an acquaintance who is doing the MAC compiling for me.  I've asked him to look at the threads and please contribute if he can.

Cheers,

RONC

[Royi A]

Ron,

It seems you are not familiar with the "Behind the Scene" of building Photoshop Plug In.
You should have a look on the Build Commands the IDE goes through to see the steps.
Since you starting from an example of the SDK you don't see those.

When you build a Photoshop Plug In there are 2 main steps:

1. You compile your code.

2. You process the resource files of the Plug In and link all the files together.

Sep 2 in Windows involves CL (The MSVC) which is what MS defined to treat Resource Files which are are part of Win32 API to create UI. There is also a parser made by Adobe to do a pre process (cnvtpipl.exe).

In macOS Adobe uses the Carbon API (Which is deprecated) to process the resource files.
It uses the system command REZ.

What I want to do is build a Plug In which doesn't involve any processing of UI (Or at least not need the REZ command in macOS).
All the samples in Photoshop SDK do that and since you started form them it is there.

The problem is using REZ or cnvtpipl.exe makes using the automated build system CMake really hard.
Hence I thought someone might have solved this and created a Plug In which skips this steps.

If you use MSVC / XCode on a project form the SDK without heavily changing it (And specifically knowing you did that) then it is there in your project.

[rechmbrs]

Believe it or not, I have torn proj files apart and put back together in a different fashion.  I think that this is a problem for CMake, XCode, MCVS etc. as they all assume that Rez needs to be included not just on Adobe related software.   I suggest, because I'm just frustrating you and others, is to find a real CMake guru.  That person doesn't come this way I gather.

Sorry,

RONC

[angie_taylor]

Try the After Effects scripting forum - there are some serious tech heads on there who dont frequent these more user-oriented forums. There are also plenty of dedicated developer forums that may be better suited to these kinds of questions.

[angie_taylor]

https://www.devppl.com/

Photoshop Plugin and Companion App SDK