Photoshop CC Automated Actions Fail

[jonf84756526]

I recorded a simple action to convert folders of images to CMYK, the action goes as follows:

1. convert to CMYK

2. save

3. close out of file

I use this action on a daily basis to convert large batches of images, and after upgrading to the latest update it no longer works. I get an error saying "Convert mode is not currently available". Yet if I manually do these steps to each image, it works just fine.

[Guest]

Moving to the Photoshop forum from Community Help

[Bojan Živković]

I can not reproduce problem without more informations. Which version of Photoshop you are using? I am on Win running 21.0.1 version. Can you post screenshot with error message and Convert Mode step in action expanded. 

[jonf84756526]

Same version sadly, and I can't get it to work. I still have last year's release on my mac and it works just fine which leads me to believe this is an issue with the new update. I've attached screenshots of the issue.

[Bojan Živković]

So the problem is when running Batch script, otherwise it works when playing action on its own? Can you upload action somewhere to test it?

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

If your action does not have an open command step, you should not use the "override action open..." checkbox in the Batch interface.

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

I modified the following script to do the same thing as your action/batch (convert to working CMYK and overwrite the original files, it is presumed that the input file formats are capable of being saved as CMYK):

//forums.adobe.com/thread/2593940
//forums.adobe.com/message/10926314#10926314
#target photoshop  
var inFolder = Folder.selectDialog("Select the input folder", "");
var inFiles = inFolder.getFiles();
app.displayDialogs = DialogModes.NO;

for (var a = 0; a < inFiles.length; a++) {
    try {
        var inDoc = open(inFiles[a]);
        inDoc.changeMode(ChangeMode.CMYK);
        inDoc.save();
        inDoc.close();
    } catch (e) {
        continue;
    }
};
alert("Input files converted to working space CMYK and saved with embedded ICC profile");

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

[Karmalakas]

I know this is an old thread, but I'm trying to learn scripting for Ps and also getting exact same message

Ps v22.0.1 on Win10
My script is:

var doc = app.activeDocument;
var indexedDoc = doc.duplicate('_tmpIndexed', true);


var indexedOptions = new IndexedConversionOptions();
indexedOptions.colors = 7;
/*indexedOptions.palette = Palette.LOCALSELECTIVE;
indexedOptions.forced = ForcedColors.NONE;
indexedOptions.transparency = false;
indexedOptions.dither = Dither.NONE;*/

indexedDoc.changeMode(ChangeMode.INDEXEDCOLOR, indexedOptions);

 Any insight?

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

Just a guess, but is the doc in any other mode than RGB?

[Karmalakas]

It's AdobeRGB. Tried with RGB JPEG and your guess is valid - it does the thing. But how do I convert from AdobeRGB then? Executing

indexedDoc.changeMode(ChangeMode.RGB);

before INDEXEDCOLOR doesn't help 😞

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

Your code works OK on my Mac (Mojave OS) and Photoshop 2019.

The duped file is in indexed mode, without any reported errors... The errors only show if the doc is not in RGB mode (in Photoshop, only RGB can be indexed, unlike in say Acrobat where other colour modes can be indexed).

I did note that it did not reduce down to 7 colours though. I had to uncomment indexedOptions.palette to get it to reduce colours.

The RGB mode change appears to be correct as well.

EDIT: I just tried and all works fine in Win 10 with Photoshop 2021 as well.

[Karmalakas]

You mean it converts from AdobeRGB?

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

Yes, Indexed Colour does not care about the profile/space – it is just a subset of RGB mode in Photoshop.

If you wish to convert specifically to sRGB first:

app.activeDocument.convertProfile("sRGB IEC61966-2.1", Intent.RELATIVECOLORIMETRIC, true, false);

[Karmalakas]

Createt new document ProPhoto RGB (16bpc). Added few random color brush strokes. Running the script I pasted above, gives the error I pasted above 😞 Same if I add

indexedDoc.convertProfile("sRGB IEC61966-2.1", Intent.RELATIVECOLORIMETRIC, true, false);

just before converting to indexed 😕 

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

I was working on 8-bpc data, when you mentioned 16-bpc that was the clue!

So add this before the indexed mode change:

indexedDoc.bitsPerChannel = BitsPerChannelType.EIGHT;

It doesn't matter if manually using the GUI, actions or scripting, the same base laws apply, in Photoshop indexed colour is created from RGB/8 data. In hindsight the other clue was the error mentioning mode, I was focused on colour mode, however bit depth also resides under mode as well!

And here is the code in full that works for me:

var doc = app.activeDocument;
var indexedDoc = doc.duplicate('_tmpIndexed', true);
var indexedOptions = new IndexedConversionOptions();
indexedOptions.colors = 7;
indexedOptions.palette = Palette.LOCALSELECTIVE;
/*indexedOptions.forced = ForcedColors.NONE;
indexedOptions.transparency = false;
indexedOptions.dither = Dither.NONE;*/
app.activeDocument.bitsPerChannel = BitsPerChannelType.EIGHT;
app.activeDocument.changeMode(ChangeMode.INDEXEDCOLOR, indexedOptions);

[Karmalakas]

Thank you 🙂 That worked
Sorry it took a bit to check and reply 🙂

[kevin stohlmeyer]

Have you tried re-recording the action from scratch?