Photoshop Action Helper Scripts

[Stephen Marsh]

Originally posted on my blog:

https://prepression.blogspot.com/2022/11/photoshop-action-helper-scripts.html

For many Photoshop users, Actions are a relatively easy and accessible form of automation. Although easy to create, Actions have numerous limitations. 

Scripts can extend Actions, making up for their limitations. Users who are comfortable with Actions can use a "snippet" of script code in their Action to achieve a result that would otherwise be impossible. 

The goal is to enable Photoshop users comfortable with Actions to leverage the power of scripting – without requiring the knowledge to write scripts themselves.

I intend to create and maintain a repository of code snippets designed to perform a specific Action step that is not otherwise achievable. The average Photoshop user doesn't need to know how to write script code – they only need to run the script while recording it as an Action step.

As an end user, do you need help or have a feature request for a step that is not possible using an action step? Post a reply with your idea/request.

As a script developer, would you like to share code or help contribute snippets? I encourage like-minded script creators to share their code snippets, which I'll add into the repo. Although script length doesn't matter, the intent is to keep the scripting code as short and concise as possible. Apart from the "header" of the script, there isn't any need to comment the scripts, except where minimal end-user editing is required within the script itself.

Errors, omissions, bugs or other issues? Please let me know.

The coding platform Snippet.io is being used to host the code, as it offers the ability to group code into "collections" that are easy to find, use and maintain. 

Photoshop Action Helper Scripts – Paths

https://snipit.io/public/collections/22396/22396

Photoshop Action Helper Scripts – Channels

https://snipit.io/public/collections/22398/22398

Photoshop Action Helper Scripts – Layers

https://snipit.io/public/collections/22399/22399

Photoshop Action Helper Scripts – Conditionals

https://snipit.io/public/collections/22660/22660

Photoshop Action Helper Scripts – Rulers

https://snipit.io/public/collections/22661/22661

Photoshop Action Helper Scripts – Tools

https://snipit.io/public/collections/22819/22819

Photoshop Action Helper Scripts – Artboards
https://snipit.io/public/collections/22836/22836

Photoshop Action Helper Scripts – Metadata

https://snipit.io/public/collections/22979/22979

Photoshop Action Helper Scripts – Selection
https://snipit.io/public/collections/22989/22989

Photoshop Action Helper Scripts – Guides

https://snipit.io/public/collections/22990/22990

Photoshop Action Helper Scripts – Camera Raw Filter

https://snipit.io/public/collections/23053/23053

Photoshop Action Helper Scripts – Open Files
https://snipit.io/public/collections/23114/23114

Information on saving script code and installing/running scripts here:

https://prepression.blogspot.com/2017/11/downloading-and-installing-adobe-scripts.html

[umarz28514856]

I don't know but for some reason the "load action" button is grayed out in my Photoshop can anybody please help me 

[Stephen Marsh]

I have added a new collection for selecting tools:

https://snipit.io/public/collections/22819/22819/

[Michael35807377lhky]

Thanks so much for these handy scripts! I've just hit an issue with this one and wonder if anyone can help?

I've successfully used this script to select the Ellipse tool, but doing the same for the Zoom tool fails for me 100% of the time with the following popup message:

-----
Error 4: Unterminated string constant.
Line: 78

-> selectTool('zoomTool');

-----

The only changes I've made to the script thus far are to:

* Add the // before selectTool('moveTool'); in line 9

* Remove the // before selectTool('zoomTool’); in line 78

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me!

[Stephen Marsh]

I haven’t tested, however, looking at the code, it appears that the closing single quote mark isn't straight – it’s curly. (It must have been mangled when originally pasted). The clue was in the error code.

 

[Michael35807377lhky]

That was it! Just FYI, as well as the zoomTool, a dozen other tools have that same incorrect closing single quote mark:

artboardTool

magicLassoTool

perspectiveCropTool

framedGroupTool

3DMaterialSelectTool

countTool

recomposeSelection

wetBrushTool

3DMaterialDropTool

curvaturePenTool

triangleTool

rotateTool

Thanks for the help!

[Stephen Marsh]

@Michael35807377lhky 

Thank you. I updated the repository the other day, hopefully all are OK now.

[PECourtejoie]

Oooh, thank you! This deserves lots of visibility! Let me poke around!

[PECourtejoie]

I was wondering if we could scour the forums for snippets, or do they need to have a given license?

[Lumigraphics]

Feel free to add anything you find interesting off my dropbox.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/mg817g9a9ymbasi/AADTmXUVxmFfM58bcyYE7yiwa?dl=0

[Stephen Marsh]

@Lumigraphics – thank you! If a question comes up and I can use something, I will.

I can't make up most of the stuff that is posted here as a request, users have diverse needs and my imagination must be quite limited :]

I need concrete specific examples. I want to do "X, or Y or Z" as a step in an action, but can't. The idea is to simply provide a small snippet of code that can be recorded into an action as a single step to overcome an issue.

[jazz-y]

Some time ago I started saving code snippets from the answers I give in this community - https://github.com/boogalooper/Snippets 

The header of each script contains the name of the topic and a link to it in order to understand the context of the task. If you find something suitable for embedding in actions, then, of course, you can use it.

[Stephen Marsh]

Thank you for sharing @jazz-y 

[Stephen Marsh]

I have added a new collection with six artboard scripts for changing the active artboard background colour:

https://snipit.io/public/collections/22836/22836/

[Stephen Marsh]

I have added a new collection for metadata, with a couple of scripts for labels and ratings:

https://snipit.io/public/collections/22979/22979

[Stephen Marsh]

A new collection has been added for Selection. A script to crop to selection while retaining cropped pixels (only available to the crop tool using native tools, not available in Image > Crop with a selection active).

Photoshop Action Helper Scripts – Selection
https://snipit.io/public/collections/22989/22989

[Stephen Marsh]

Added another main category/collection for Guides:

Photoshop Action Helper Scripts – Guides

https://snipit.io/public/collections/22990/22990

[Stephen Marsh]

I have added a new collection/category for the Camera Raw Filter in Photoshop (not to be confused with the Adobe Camera Raw plug-in):

Photoshop Action Helper Scripts – Camera Raw Filter

https://snipit.io/public/collections/23053/23053

[Stephen Marsh]

I have added a new collection for "File > Open" with a script to open the most recently opened file from the File > Open Recent menu item.

Photoshop Action Helper Scripts – Open Files
https://snipit.io/public/collections/23114/23114

[PECourtejoie]

Again, Excellent idea, @Stephen Marsh I hope that all the scripters in here can contribute to your endeavor.

Now, with those "Bricks" it would be perfect to have a tool that non-tech oriented users could use to create the script they need, similar to Apple's Shortcuts...

[PECourtejoie]

Is @Chuck Uebele around? I'm sure he could also contribute.

[Stephen Marsh]

Again, Excellent idea, @Stephen Marsh I hope that all the scripters in here can contribute to your endeavor.

Now, with those "Bricks" it would be perfect to have a tool that non-tech oriented users could use to create the script they need, similar to Apple's Shortcuts...

By @PECourtejoie

With the fast evolution of AI/ML/LLM etc., it makes sense for Adobe to empower their users by having a built-in AI coding assistant to help write, debug and run code directly in the creative app (Photoshop, Illustrator etc).

Vote here:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-ideas/feature-request-generative-pre-trained-ai-c...

[Lumigraphics]

They would need to write an extension to VSCode, which unfortunately is kind of an ugly stepchild on the Mac.