Putting images into frames (placeholders) - automation

[Guest]

Hi everyone,

I have created a template with placeholders for images (frame tool) that will be used to create photo triptychs. What I want to do:

1. Iterate over bunch of folders, each containing 3 images
2. Open all 3 images from folder, place them into placeholder frames, export
3. Repeat #2 until all folders have been visited

I can't figure out though how to automate this process. A few of my ideas that failed:

1. I was thinking of creating an action and then passing it through the batch process tool. But I cannot figure out how to open photos as layers in the same file so I can record an action, while not flattening already existing layers. This way I could just automate it folder by folder, place opened layers in corresponding frames, export, repeat.
2. I tried recording action that has "Place" operation that puts image directly to frame, but batch processing does not override file location and it is the output is the same every time

Can I achieve this without resorting to a custom script file?

[JJMack]

You could write a script to populate that template with files from of a collection of folders.   You will not be able to create an action to do that. 

If you do not know how toe program a Photoshop script you would need to search for a Photoshop script that can batch populate a template.  You may need to create a different template for the frame tools is a newer addition to photoshop and in my option it mess up the Layer Palette and has problem sizing  images.  I removed the frame tool from my tool bar and disable its shortcut.   Photoshop has never had a problem framing images.   I have been batch populating templates since CS2.   However my Collage scripts only supports a single folder of Images. The image are populated in file name sort order.  If you had 300 image in the folder the script  would populate the template 100 times.   There are no layer place holder in my collage templates just a Background layer and image mapping Alpha channels would be required for a simple photo triptychs.  My Script would size the image to fill the triptychs image area, position it then mask the image to the correct shape.   Templates are very easy toe create.    However If you want to add support fos image rotatiom and distortion like perspective.  You would need to create Mockup templates thhat have Smart opject layer in the template to support rotation and distortiom.  A collecsion of image folders is used  when replacing images in Mockup templates.    Here is a demo of a collaget template being populated.

Free Photoshop Photo Collage and Mockup Toolkit 

[Guest · Accepted solution]

Thanks. Knowing that it is not possible without some kind of custom script for photoshop, I will just write a python script that does not need any adobe tools

[c.pfaffenbichler]

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/creating-data-driven-graphics.html