I have a question about actions. I also posted this to the scripting forum, but strictly speaking it's not a script, and I figure people here would know about actions, so I'm also posting it here.

When I create an Action that involves File, Save As.. it hardcodes the directory name I was using during recording. I want it to use the same directory as the open document. Is there a way to do this?

I.e., when I record the action on the file /path1/xyz.psd, and then try to run it on /path2/abc.psd, it will save the document abc.psd in /path1 rather than /path2.

Thanks,
Mike

Use save and close as destination. Make sure to check "override save options" checkbox if you have a save as in your action.

J

Thanks, J. What does "save and close as destination" mean? Note that I want to do Save As because I want to select a different file type (e.g. jpeg).

Mike

Make your action to save as JPEG. Then go to automate...batch and in the destination section of that dialogue box, select "save and close". Be sure to check override save options too.

J

As "J Maloney" said you can use tha batch command, you can also use droplet or even Image Processor

for all these look at:
<http://livedocs.adobe.com/en_US/Photoshop/10.0/.html?content=WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031a b64-7418.html>

yani

I need my batch to name the files from first scanned to last scanned, not last opened first opened.

I used Ps CS2 to create an automation for scanning and saving. First, I used Automate > Batch to set the scanner as the importing device. I added the action I wanted it to perform. I picked a folder as the destination. I set up the naming scheme to be the name I picked, (Ball, in this case) + 4 digit serial number (beginning with 1) + EXTENSION (In CS2, you set this up by saving a sample file in the format you want. You can't pick it from the Batch setup).

I set it to override any save commands in the action I made (it won't save anything if you chose the override option and if you don't have a Save As command in the action)(Also, if you leave this blank, and don't put a Save As command in the action, it will halt at the end of the action and force you to manually save each one).

I made my own set, action, and commands to the Batch command make the scanning and saving process a one button process: Set > Action > rotate, resize, whatever (it isn't important what I asked it to do to each scanned image, the saving process is what is important) , Save As (details of file type, etc. were subcatagories here).

To start it, I choose Batch, choose OK. The scanner asks me for my first scan, it scans (and goes to the Ps screen as Untitled-1, while the acquire screen stays up), I hit Scan (on the acquire screen), it scans, I hit Scan, it scans, etc. until I've scanned all the stuff I want. When I'm done scanning all I want, I hit Exit (to exit out of the scanner's acquire screen), and my action works its magic: it does all the image editing, and saves them all to the folder.

It made the process seamless, but there is one critical weak point that makes it difficult to integrate into Flash: the scans Save As last opened to first opened. Untitled-43 is now Ball0001.GIF and Untitled-1 is now Ball0043.GIF, etc.

The files must be named in the order they were scanned: Untitled-1 should Save As Ball0001.GIF (or .BMP or whatever; the saving process is what is important, not the details.), Untitled-2 should be Ball0002.GIF, etc.