User input during action

Question

Hi,I did:https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/ps-actie-script/m-p/14963777#M837464 The next step is to request a variable at the start of the action by means of user input.. in this example the "year": so here 2025.I want to use this year-variable (2025 ... 2026 etc) in the file name: I want to save each ps month layer (as web) as for example: January-VARIABLE-xxxx.png >> becomes: January-2025-xxxx.pngSaving for Web is clear to me, it's about getting the VARIABLE in the file name... during the action. so: how get user input, a variable (text), that I can use in several steps of the action. I read this below, but do not understand it !! and do not know that's the right way??https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/stopping-actions-photoshop-to-allow-user-input/m-p/10172026 I have no example yet to show you.

jan99x · Accepted Answer

@Stephen Marsh

I wil study this... thanks!

But I also want to weigh its usefulness against the solution of simple manual work (I don't make thousands of calendars over and over again...!)

@Stephen Marsh

Adobe question if problem is solved...

The original question comes from: how do I process "user input".
I want to change the file name to the equivalent of the layer name + an addition.
Apparently that doesn't work with "Save for Web" >> PNG is saved as HTML!!.
After some testing I decided not to save for web, but as regular PNG, because it works well there.
I don't use REAL user input, but put the desired text in a dummy work layer in advance and create (append) a complete file name with CTRL-C > CTRL-V.
I am satisfied with that solution. The file size hardly differs from save for web and the color difference is nil.
Greetings, Jan

Stephen Marsh · Answer

@jan99x

How are your layers currently named?

Unfortunately, there is no such thing for Photoshop actions.

This requires custom scripting.

Or you can select all layers in the layers panel, right-click, and use Export As. Ensure all layers are selected on the left, and use the suffix field, which would add the year to the end of the filename.

Photoshop has a "File > Export > Layers to Files" script; however, this script uses a variable prefix, which would be added to the front of the filename.

Or perhaps you can include the year or a placeholder such as #### in the layer names, export and then use batch file renaming to change the #### into 2025.

P.S. I have an idea/feature request for variable filename tokens to be added to save/export dialogs, you can vote on it here:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-ideas/add-variable-save-filename-tokens-to-save-export-windows/idi-p/14492831 https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-ideas/add-variable-save-filename-tokens-to-save-export-windows/idi-p/14492831

This would just be a custom text variable, rather than using document width or metadata etc.

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