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how to organize photoshop action(group)s

Forum|Forum|6 years ago
October 31, 2019
2 replies
4556 views

I'm having a hard time organzing many, many photoshop actions. There seems to be something called "set" but nowhere can I find how to see the difference between an Action and an Action Set. I often download/buy actions, they too could be one or the other. When I creat a new action set from the menu, and then try to drag such actions (groups?) into the set, they simply change places/order, but no "nesting"occurs.

For example: I have several actions to help me create vectorized/line art/drawings from photographs. The actions names vary enourmously, so I just want one "container" within the actions panel for all of them.

I hope I've made myself clear, as googling this subject has left me almost empty handed.

Correct answer jane-e

Hi

The set is the folder, or container, that you put the actions in.

A folder (set) does not have to have any actions, but an action must be in a folder (set).
The set must be saved when you add, delete, or edit an action or you risk losing those changes (use the panel menu).
Actions can be moved to another set by dragging or copied with Option+Drag (Alt+Drag on Windows)
As you note, sets cannot be nested. You can’t put a set into another set.
Each set can hold multiple actions. Save the set.

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/creating-actions.html#creating_actions

Jane

Stephen Marsh

Community Expert

An action set is really a file (.atn), despite it's folder icon! As such, one can't drag a folder into a folder, as this is really dragging a file into a file, not a folder. Clear as mud?

jane-e

Correct answer

Community Expert

Hi

The set is the folder, or container, that you put the actions in.

A folder (set) does not have to have any actions, but an action must be in a folder (set).
The set must be saved when you add, delete, or edit an action or you risk losing those changes (use the panel menu).
Actions can be moved to another set by dragging or copied with Option+Drag (Alt+Drag on Windows)
As you note, sets cannot be nested. You can’t put a set into another set.
Each set can hold multiple actions. Save the set.

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/creating-actions.html#creating_actions

Jane

Walter_H

Legend

Hello Jane,

I have the same or a similar problem. I am trying to group 20 separate actions into a set. I can drag the actions to a different position in the list, but I can NOT drop an action onto the Set folder. I do not get the blue rectangle that outlines the target set folder. I have read through the online help for Organize action sets, but the section that describes how to move an action into a set does not work for me. I've attached a screen clip of my Actions panel showing the set folder and the actions I want to move.

I am running PS 26.8 in Windows 11 (23H2). I have tried the same thing in PS 26.9 (Beta), and it also will not let me drop an action onto a set folder.

Is this possibly a bug in PS, or am I doing something wrong?

EDIT:

I just tried grouping some brushes and patterns into sets, and it works fine. I could select the items and then drag and drop them onto the set folder without a problem.

--Walter in Davie, FL

jane-e

Community Expert

@Walter_H

Look at my screenshot earlier in this thread. Action sets have a folder icon, whereas actions do not. It appears that all of yours have folders, meaning that they are sets. You cannot drag a set into another set.

Jane

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