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

[morphinapg]

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?

[c.pfaffenbichler]

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? 

[morphinapg]

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]

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. 

[morphinapg]

Because it wouldn't record the action without me actually saving a file. It was just a dummy filename so that the action would record. Yes that's why I turned on dialogs so it wouldn't just keep saving in the same location and file name every time. I don't know how you recorded this without giving a file name.

[Stephen Marsh]

I don't know how you recorded this without giving a file name.

By @morphinapg

If you don't touch/change the name when recording, only the absolute path is recorded and not the filename + absolute path.

[morphinapg]

I see. Doesn't really matter in my case since turning on the dialog means whatever I typed in there is not used anyway.

[Stephen Marsh]

I see. Doesn't really matter in my case since turning on the dialog means whatever I typed in there is not used anyway.

By @morphinapg

Correct.

Actions are limited. Scripting provides more options for changing the file save path or name.

[Stephen Marsh]

@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.

[morphinapg]

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

[Stephen Marsh]

I looked at actions and ExtendScript, with no luck.

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

[morphinapg]

While I could probably figure out how to do that (I do plenty of programming) I don't think it would be great since I have a bunch of actions that I use together, so I'd basically have to create my own action launcher extension or something, and then just customize that with the custom save code. Maybe it would be doable but idk if it would really be worth the effort.

[Stephen Marsh]

The action save step can easily be replaced with a scripted save step... There is always a cost/benefit decision to be made.

[Stephen Marsh]

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.