Adobe 23101335 Scripting Guide - Page 84

Photoshop 7.0 Scripting Guide

84

Scripting Photoshop

Action Manager scripting

3

3.17 Action Manager scripting

The Action Manager allows you to write scripts that target functionality that is not otherwise

accessible. You are able to script third party plug-ins, filters, and other tasks that are not

otherwise included in the scripting interface. The only requirement is that the task that you

want to access from the Action Manager is recordable.

The classes “ActionDescriptor”, “ActionReference” and “ActionList” are all part of the

Action Manager functionality.

When you write scripts that use the Action Manager, you should install the

“ScriptingListener” plug-in. It is located inside the “utilities” folder that is part of the scripting

support download.

To install the plug-in place it in the

Photoshop 7.0\Plug-Ins\Scripting\

folder.

“ScriptingListener” records most of your actions to a file on your hard drive. To avoid slowing

down Photoshop as well as not to create a big file on your drive, only install the plug-in when

you are creating Action Manager scripts.

When “ScriptingListener” is installed it will record a file with scripting code corresponding to

the actions that you perform from the UI.

The Windows version of “ScriptingListener” creates the following 2 files:

●

C:\ScriptingListenerJS.log

: contains JavaScript code corresponding to the actions that

are performed from the UI.

●

C:\ScriptingListenerVB.log

: contains VBScript code corresponding to the actions that are

performed from the UI.

The Macintosh version “ScriptingListener” creates the following file:

●

ScriptingListenerJS.log

: the file is created on the desktop, and contains JavaScript code

corresponding to the actions that are performed from the UI.

Note: There is no AppleScript interface to the Action Manager, but you can execute

JavaScripts from AppleScript, so you are able to access Action Manager functionality from

AppleScripts. See section

, “Running JavaScript based Action Manager code from

AppleScript” on page 86

for more information on how to call JavaScript code from

AppleScript.

3.17.1 Using the Action Manager from JavaScript

As an example let’s say that you want to be able to use the Emboss filter. The Emboss filter is

not part of the filters that are exposed to the various scripting languages, but using the Action

Manager you are able to use this filter. First make sure that you have installed the

“ScriptingListener”. Then from the UI, open a document and apply the Emboss filter using the

settings: angle 135, height 3 and amount 100.

Section	Page
Photoshop 7.0 Scripting Guide	1
Table of contents	3
Introduction	5
1.1 About this manual	5
1.1.1 Conventions in this guide	5
1.2 What is scripting?	6
1.3 Why use scripting?	6
1.4 What about actions?	6
1.5 System requirements	6
1.5.1 Mac	7
1.5.2 Windows	7
1.6 JavaScript	7
1.7 Choosing a scripting language	7
1.8 Legacy COM scripting	8
Scripting basics	9
2.1 Documents as objects	9
2.2 Object model concepts	9
2.2.1 Object classes	9
2.2.2 Object inheritance	10
2.2.3 Object elements or collections	10
2.2.4 Object reference	10
2.3 Documenting scripts	11
2.4 Values	12
2.5 Variables	14
2.5.1 Assigning values to variables	14
2.5.2 Using variables to store references	15
2.5.3 Naming variables	15
2.6 Operators	16
2.7 Commands and methods	17
2.7.1 Conditional statements	17
2.7.2 Control structures	18
2.8 Handlers, subroutines and functions	20
2.9 The Scripts menu	21
2.9.1 Scripts folder	21
2.9.2 The scripts dialog box	21
2.10 Testing and troubleshooting	23
2.10.1 AppleScript debugging	23
2.10.2 Visual Basic debugging	25
2.10.3 JavaScript Debugging	26
2.10.4 Error handling	31
Scripting Photoshop	33
3.1 Photoshop scripting guidelines	33
3.2 Viewing Photoshop objects, commands and methods	34
3.2.1 Viewing Photoshop’s AppleScript dictionary	34
3.2.2 Viewing Photoshop’s type library (VB)	35
3.3 Your first Photoshop script	36
3.3.1 AppleScript	36
3.3.2 Visual Basic	37
3.3.3 VBScript	39
3.3.4 JavaScript	41
3.4 Object references	42
3.4.1 AppleScript	42
3.4.2 Visual Basic and JavaScript	43
3.5 Working with units	44
3.5.1 Unit values	44
3.5.2 Unit value useage	46
3.5.3 Changing ruler and type units	48
3.6 Executing JavaScripts from AS or VB	48
3.6.1 Passing arguments to JavaScript	49
3.6.2 Executing one-line JavaScripts	50
3.7 The Application object	50
3.8 Document object	54
3.8.1 Saving documents and save options	55
3.8.2 Document information	56
3.8.3 Document manipulation	57
3.9 Layer objects	58
3.9.1 Setting the Active layer	61
3.9.2 Layer sets	61
3.9.3 Linking layers	62
3.9.4 Applying styles to layers	63
3.9.5 Rotating layers	63
3.10 Text item object	64
3.10.1 Setting the contents of the text item	65
3.10.2 Setting text stroke colors	66
3.10.3 Setting fonts	66
3.10.4 Warping text	67
3.11 Selections	67
3.11.1 Defining selections	68
3.11.2 Stroking the selection border	69
3.11.3 Inverting selections	70
3.11.4 Expand, contract and feather selections	70
3.11.5 Filling a selection	71
3.11.6 Rotating selections	72
3.11.7 Loading and storing selections	73
3.12 Working with Filters	74
3.12.1 Selecting channel(s) to filter	74
3.12.2 Other filters	75
3.13 Channel object	75
3.13.1 Channel types	75
3.13.2 Setting the active channel	76
3.13.3 Creating new channels	76
3.14 Color objects	77
3.14.1 Setting a Color	77
3.14.2 Getting and converting colors	78
3.14.3 Comparing Colors	79
3.14.4 Getting a Web Safe Color	79
3.15 History object	80
3.15.1 Filling a selection with a history state	81
3.16 Clipboard interaction	81
3.16.1 Copy	81
3.16.2 Copy merged	82
3.16.3 Cut	82
3.16.4 Paste	83
3.16.5 Paste into command	83
3.17 Action Manager scripting	84
3.17.1 Using the Action Manager from JavaScript	84
3.17.2 Using the Action Manager from VBScript	87

Adobe 23101335 Scripting Guide - Page 84

Action Manager scripting, 3.17.1 Using the Action Manager from JavaScript

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