Computer Graphics with Photoshop - Combine hundreds of images into one using PS layers modes

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Combine hundreds of images into one using PS layers modes

Jean-Marc Molina

2003-11-19, 11:00 pm

Hello,

I'm looking for a tool or PS plugin to combine hundreds of images into one
using PS layers modes : multiply, burn, difference... A plugin would read a
whole folder like you can do it using Batch processing, read all the files
and merge/combine them together using the multiply mode for example. The
goal is to get the trail of the moving objects of my images.

I'm not sure I can use Batch mode or scripts/actions to automate that
process, so I thought about a plugin or external tool.

JM

--
Clé AntiPourriel : PASUNPOURRIEL (ne pas retirer)

Warren Sarle

2003-11-19, 11:00 pm

"Jean-Marc Molina" <goa_pasdepourriel_@ifrance.com> wrote in message
news:bpdgpa$8uh$1@news-reader5.wanadoo.fr...
> I'm looking for a tool or PS plugin to combine hundreds of images into one
> using PS layers modes : multiply, burn, difference... A plugin would read
a
> whole folder like you can do it using Batch processing, read all the files
> and merge/combine them together using the multiply mode for example. The
> goal is to get the trail of the moving objects of my images.
>
> I'm not sure I can use Batch mode or scripts/actions to automate that
> process, so I thought about a plugin or external tool.

If you decide you could use a VBScript, I should be able to write
a simple one in about 10 minutes, barring unforeseen bugs in the
scripting plug-in. Options regarding blending mode, opacity, etc.
would take a little longer.

Jean-Marc Molina

2003-11-19, 11:00 pm

Hi Warren,

After I read your post I checked for Photoshop CS new features and it
appears it now supports Scripting.
I'm glad it does ! I'm only a PS6 owner and as a developer I could really
use powerful scripting features instead of these too "designers"
Actions/Styles things.

As I can't try PS CS (no trial ?) I'm looking for any info about CS
Scripting. Does it replace the good old SDK ?

> If you decide you could use a VBScript, I should be able to write a simple
one in about 10 minutes

Reading the PS CS overview I found out that we can now use "droplets" to
batch some stuff but I have no idea they talk about. I know how to use the
batch features from PS6 though.

> barring unforeseen bugs in the scripting plug-in.

So you use PS7 ? It seems PS7 is scriptable using a plugin you can download.
Am I right ? Now it seems the Scripting plugin is embedded into PS CS. Is it
that buggy ?

> Options regarding blending mode, opacity, etc. would take a little longer.

Quickly checking the JavaScript scripting reference guides (I'm more into JS
that VB) it seems we have access to a lot of features !
We can getFiles from an inputFolder, open a Document, duplicate an
ArtLayer...

So as you said I think my plugin is quickly scriptable, however It means I
have to upgrade to PS7 or PS CS... I don't think learning PS Scripting is
that hard as the scripting guides are pretty well written, there are so very
interesting examples to learn from.

Last but not least, do you know of any good "PS Scripters" community ?
Tutorials ? Articles ? Anything :)

Thanks for all your help,
JM

--
Clé AntiPourriel : PASUNPOURRIEL (ne pas retirer)

If you decide you could use a VBScript, I should be able to write
a simple one in about 10 minutes, barring unforeseen bugs in the
scripting plug-in. Options regarding blending mode, opacity, etc.
would take a little longer.

jjs

2003-11-19, 11:00 pm

In article <bpg110$upn$2@news-reader5.wanadoo.fr>, "Jean-Marc Molina"
<goa_pasdepourriel_@ifrance.com> wrote:

> Reading the PS CS overview I found out that we can now use "droplets" to
> batch some stuff but I have no idea they talk about. I know how to use the
> batch features from PS6 though.

(Speaking of V7, and assuming V8 is similar) - Droplets are like
'compiled' (binary image) Actions passed to Photoshop, rather like Batch
but Photoshop need not be open when they are invoked. When you drag a file
onto a Droplet, it passes the picture's file path/name along with the
actions to perform. It's like batch processing with some 'gotchas'
concerning file placement (at least in V7) which are not really daunting.
(In WindoZe you can invoke a droplet from CMD mode as
dev:path/'droplet'.exe plus the full path of the file(s) name to process.
This is good for scheduling jobs.)

See my earlier post to find the Droplets provided in the standard
installation (V6 as well as V7. Dunno about CS!)

Warren Sarle

2003-11-19, 11:01 pm

"Jean-Marc Molina" <goa_pasdepourriel_@ifrance.com> wrote in message
news:bpg110$upn$2@news-reader5.wanadoo.fr...
> ...
> As I can't try PS CS (no trial ?) I'm looking for any info about CS
> Scripting. Does it replace the good old SDK ?

No, scripting is much slower than plug-ins using the SDK.
But you have to pay for the SDK now (at least for PS7).

> So you use PS7 ? It seems PS7 is scriptable using a plugin you can
download.
> Am I right ?

Yes. I use the scripting plug-in regularly in Photoshop 7.

> Now it seems the Scripting plugin is embedded into PS CS. Is it that buggy
?

In PS7, it is very, very buggy. Adobe's Javascript implementation really
sucks.
VBScript is not quite so bad. I don't have Photoshop CS yet, but it
allegedly
has improved scripting support.

> So as you said I think my plugin is quickly scriptable, however It means I
> have to upgrade to PS7 or PS CS... I don't think learning PS Scripting is
> that hard as the scripting guides are pretty well written, there are so
very
> interesting examples to learn from.

If you are already familiar with scripting, Photoshop scripting is not
too hard. But the documentation for scripting in PS7 contains many
errors, and whoever wrote the doc knows very little about Windows.

> Last but not least, do you know of any good "PS Scripters" community ?
> Tutorials ? Articles ? Anything :)

Look at the forums at the Adobe web site. There's one about scripting.
Sometimes you can pick up some extremely useful information there,
but many questions go unanswered.

edjh

2003-11-19, 11:01 pm

Jean-Marc Molina wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I'm looking for a tool or PS plugin to combine hundreds of images into one
> using PS layers modes : multiply, burn, difference... A plugin would read a
> whole folder like you can do it using Batch processing, read all the files
> and merge/combine them together using the multiply mode for example. The
> goal is to get the trail of the moving objects of my images.
>
> I'm not sure I can use Batch mode or scripts/actions to automate that
> process, so I thought about a plugin or external tool.
>
> JM
>
>
Thks can be done with an action except for the merging part. Hundreds of
files might make the action stall though.

Here's what you do. Make a master document big enough (width and height)
to put the files into. Don't move it or the action will likely break.

Record action on an open file: Alt-Ctrl-click to turn Background into a
layer. Set the Blending Mode to Multiply, Duplicate Layer with the
Destination set as Master File. Close. End recording.

Put the files in a folder (but NOT the master doc) and Batch run it on
that folder.

Should work with some experimenting. I hope your system can handle it.

--
Comic book sketches and artwork:
http://www.sover.net/~hannigan/edjh.html

Jean-Marc Molina

2003-11-20, 12:57 pm

> But you have to pay for the SDK now (at least for PS7).

Hard to believe as SDK should be free to attract developers.
<blockquote><hr/>
> VBScript is not quite so bad.</blockquote><hr/>

Yes but you need VB.NET 2003 !
JavaScript development both works under Windows and Mac.
<blockquote><hr/>
> Look at the forums at the Adobe web site. There's one about scripting.</blockquote><hr/>
Sometimes you can pick up some extremely useful information there,
but many questions go unanswered.

Thanks I will check out the forum if needed.

Reading the scripting guides I couldn't find info about scripting the
swatches, it seems we can't script everything. Probably because Adobe wants
to avoid us from improving their product. The swatches could really use a
plugin, that was my first attempt when developing a plugin for PS6 using the
SDK.

JM

--
Clé AntiPourriel : PASUNPOURRIEL (ne pas retirer)

Warren Sarle

2003-11-21, 11:35 am

In article <bpikcf$otd$1@news-reader5.wanadoo.fr>,
"Jean-Marc Molina" <goa_pasdepourriel_@ifrance.com> writes:

quote:

>
> Hard to believe as SDK should be free to attract developers.

US$195, last time I looked.

quote:

>
> Yes but you need VB.NET 2003 !

I have neither VB nor .NET. All you need is a text editor
(notepad will work) and WSH (Windows Scripting Host).
Recent versions of Windows come with WSH, but if you don't
have it, you can download it from Microsoft for free.

quote:

> JavaScript development both works under Windows and Mac.

Yes, and I think Javascript is a much nicer language than
VBScript. The trouble is that Adobe has screwed up some very
important features in Javascript, such as the ability to
get user input and to re-use code.

quote:

> Reading the scripting guides I couldn't find info about scripting the
> swatches, it seems we can't script everything.

There is a thing called the Scripting Listener that allows
you to script lots of things that are not explicitly supported
by the scripting plug-in or have bugs in the scripting
interface. I don't know whether it will work with swatches,
but it might.

--

Warren S. Sarle SAS Institute Inc. The opinions expressed here
saswss@unx.sas.com SAS Campus Drive are mine and not necessarily
(919) 677-8000 Cary, NC 27513, USA those of SAS Institute.