Inspiring

Question

Is there any way to make use of the background saving in an Action?

Forum|Forum|1 year ago
July 5, 2024
3 replies
1024 views

I have custom actions set that do Save as Copy -> PNG, just to save me the time of having to manually select PNG every single time I use save as copy. Normally, if I do it manually, I can keep working on other stuff while Photoshop is saving. However, when I use my action, Photoshop's UI is blocked until the saving is completed. Is there any way to use the background saving feature in my action?

This topic has been closed for replies.

Stephen Marsh

Community Expert

I have custom actions set that do Save as Copy -> PNG, just to save me the time of having to manually select PNG every single time I use save as copy.

By @morphinapg

Depending on your requirements, you could configure Quick Export for PNG.

Stephen Marsh

Community Expert

@morphinapg

It would appear that Action steps (whether inserted or recorded) and ExtendScript JavaScript code (not sure about the new UXP scripting) do not invoke background saving, which has to be initiated by a live user action.

morphinapgAuthor

Inspiring

And no way to change that? If so, that's unfortunate.

Stephen Marsh

Community Expert

I looked at actions and ExtendScript, with no luck.

This only leaves UXP unless you go down the route of programming.

c.pfaffenbichler

Community Expert

Could you please post screenshots with the fully expanded Action and the pertinent Panels (Toolbar, Layers, Actions, Options Bar, …) visible?

To which location do you save the png?

morphinapgAuthor

Inspiring

I don't just save in one location. It happens no matter where the file is saved. I'll show a screenshot of the expanded action, sure, but what would any of the other panels have to do with this?

While the action itself shows a location, that's just the location I used when recording, because I had to, but because I have the show dialog option on, it just uses whatever the last location was, just like Save As Copy does. It doesn't always start on the desktop.

If I use the action, there's a pop up that says writing PNG format, so if it's a slow save, I can't do anything until that goes away. If I use my "ActionBrowser 2" plugin to trigger the action with a single click, then it still blocks the UI although I don't see that popup. I just see the busy mouse cursor until it's done.

But if I manually go to file -> save as copy, I don't get this popup, because "Save In Background" is set in Preferences -> File Handling. For some reason the background saving doesn't seem to work with the action though.

c.pfaffenbichler

Community Expert

While the action itself shows a location,

You included the filename, too.

That’s the reason, I assume, why you chose to toggle the dialog on and that does not seem technically necessary.

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