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Action Manager, The ScriptListener Plug-In, Installing ScriptListener

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4 Action Manager Photoshop actions allow you to save time by automating repetitive tasks. You create and run actions in the application interface using the Actions palette. You can also manage actions in scripts using a utility called the Action Manager. The Action Manager allows you to write scripts that target Photoshop functionality that is not otherwise accessible in the scripting interface, such as third party plug-ins and filters. The only requirement for using the Action Manager is that the task that you want to access from the Action Manager is recordable. This chapter describes how to use the Action Manager and the scripting interface objects it includes. The ScriptListener Plug-In Before you use the Action Manager, you must install the ScriptListener plug-in. ScriptListener records a file with scripting code corresponding to the actions you perform in the UI. TIP: Because ScriptListener records most of your actions, install ScriptListener only when you are creating Action Manager scripts. Leaving ScriptListener installed continuously will not only create large files that occupy memory on your hard drive, it can slow Photoshop performance. When you perform a task or series of tasks in Photoshop, ScriptListener creates several files, which contain code that represents the actions taken in Photoshop: ➤ ScriptingListenerJS.log, containing JavaScript code, ➤ ScriptingListenerVB.log, containing VBScript code (Windows only). ScriptListener creates these files on the desktop. NOTE: There is no AppleScript interface to the Action Manager. However, you can access the Action Manager from an AppleScript by executing a JavaScript from AppleScript. See "Running JavaScript-based Action Manager code from AppleScript" on page 80. Installing ScriptListener The ScriptListener plug-in is located in the ..\Adobe Photoshop CS5\Scripting\Utilities folder. To install the ScriptListener: 1. Select the file ScriptListener.8li and then choose Edit > Copy. 2. Paste the file copy to the following location: ..\Adobe Photoshop CS5\Plug-Ins\Automate 3. Open Photoshop. NOTE: If Photoshop is already open, close it and then start it again. This will allow Photoshop to load the plug-in. 73

Section	Page
Adobe® Creative Suite® 5 Photoshop® Scripting Guide	2
Introduction	6
About this Manual	6
Conventions in this Guide	6
Photoshop Scripting Basics	8
Scripting Overview	8
Why use scripts instead of actions?	8
Scripting Support in Photoshop	9
JavaScript support	9
Executing other scripts	10
Startup scripts	10
Executing JavaScripts from AS or VBS	10
Photoshop Object Model	11
Containment hierarchy	11
Application and document classes	12
Layer classes	12
Layer Comp class	13
Channel class	13
Selection class	13
History State class	13
Document Info class	13
Path Item, Sub Path Item, and Path Point classes	14
Preferences class	14
Notifier class	14
Count Item class	14
Color Sampler class	14
Measurement Scale class	14
The containment hierarchy and the Photoshop user interface	14
Additional objects	16
Constants	16
Creating a sample Hello World script	17
Creating and running an AppleScript	18
Creating and running a VBScript	19
Creating and running a JavaScript	19
Scripting Photoshop	21
Viewing Photoshop Objects, Commands, and Methods	21
Viewing Photoshop’s AppleScript dictionary	21
Viewing Photoshop’s type library (VBS)	22
Targeting and Referencing the Application Object	22
Creating New Objects in a Script	23
Setting the Active Object	25
Setting the active document	26
Setting the active layer	27
Setting the active channels	28
Opening a Document	28
Opening a file with default file format	28
Specifying file formats to open	29
Saving a Document	31
Setting Application Preferences	32
Allowing or Preventing Dialogs	33
Working with the Photoshop Object Model	33
Using the Application object	34
Using the Document object	34
Manipulating a document object	35
Working with layer objects	36
Creating an ArtLayer object	37
Creating a Layer Set object	38
Referencing ArtLayer objects	38
Working with Layer Set objects	39
Linking layer objects	40
Applying styles to layers	40
Using the Text Item object	41
Determining a layer’s kind	41
Adding and manipulating text in a Text Item object	42
Working with Selection objects	42
Creating and defining a selection	43
Stroking the selection border	44
Inverting selections	44
Expanding, contracting, and feathering selections	44
Filling a selection	45
Loading and storing selections	45
Working with Channel objects	46
Changing channel types	46
Using the Document Info object	47
Using history state objects	47
Using Notifier objects	48
Using the PathItem object	49
Working with color objects	51
Solid color classes	52
Using hex values for RGB color	52
Getting and converting colors	52
Comparing colors	53
Getting a Web-safe color	53
Working with Filters	53
Other filters	54
Understanding Clipboard Interaction	54
Using the copy and paste commands	54
Using the copy merged command/method	55
Working with Units	56
Unit values	56
Special unit value types	56
AppleScript unit considerations	56
Using unit values in calculations	57
Unit value usage	57
Setting ruler and type units in a script	59
Sample Workflow Automation JavaScripts	60
Advanced Scripting	60
Working with document preferences	61
Applying color to a text item	64
Applying a wave filter	66
Defining the area of a selection object	67
Applying a MotionBlur filter	71
Action Manager	73
The ScriptListener Plug-In	73
Installing ScriptListener	73
Action Manager Scripting Objects	74
Recording a Script using ScriptListener	74
Using the Action Manager from JavaScript	75
Using the Action Manager from a VBS Script	76
Running JavaScript-based Action Manager code from VBScript	79
Running JavaScript-based Action Manager code from AppleScript	80
Using ScriptListener to find event IDs and class IDs	81

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Action Manager

Photoshop actions allow you to save time by automating repetitive tasks. You create and run actions in the

application interface using the Actions palette.

You can also manage actions in scripts using a utility called the

Action Manager

. The Action Manager allows

you to write scripts that target Photoshop functionality that is not otherwise accessible in the scripting

interface, such as third party plug-ins and filters. The only requirement for using the Action Manager is that

the task that you want to access from the Action Manager is recordable.

This chapter describes how to use the Action Manager and the scripting interface objects it includes.

The ScriptListener Plug-In

Before you use the Action Manager, you must install the ScriptListener plug-in. ScriptListener records a file

with scripting code corresponding to the actions you perform in the UI.

Because ScriptListener records most of your actions, install ScriptListener only when you are creating

Action Manager scripts. Leaving ScriptListener installed continuously will not only create large files that

occupy memory on your hard drive, it can slow Photoshop performance.

When you perform a task or series of tasks in Photoshop, ScriptListener creates several files, which contain

code that represents the actions taken in Photoshop:

➤

ScriptingListenerJS.log

, containing JavaScript code,

➤

ScriptingListenerVB.log

, containing VBScript code (Windows only).

ScriptListener creates these files on the desktop.

OTE

There is no AppleScript interface to the Action Manager. However, you can access the Action

Manager from an AppleScript by executing a JavaScript from AppleScript. See

“Running JavaScript-based

Action Manager code from AppleScript” on page 80

Installing ScriptListener

The ScriptListener plug-in is located in the

..\Adobe

Photoshop

CS5\Scripting\Utilities

folder.

To install the ScriptListener:

Select the file

ScriptListener.8li

and then choose

Edit

Copy

Paste the file copy to the following location:

..\Adobe

Photoshop

CS5\Plug-Ins\Automate

Open Photoshop.

OTE

If Photoshop is already open, close it and then start it again. This will allow Photoshop to load

the plug-in.