Free PSE Tools/Running Actions in PSE

[TsMom]

Look what I found. Free tools for PSE, supposed to be any version. Includes curves and alignment tools. Haven't tried them out yet. Will report back when I do.

Grant's Tools (http://www.cavesofice.org/~grant/Challenge/Tools/Files.html)

Oh, yes and here is an article on how to use actions in PSE. Looks long and drawn out, but some of you might be interested.

Running Actions in PSE (http://homepage.mac.com/bbrundage/FileSharing5.html)

LaWanna

[TsMom]

These both work excellently. So thrilled to have found a way to play actions in PSE 2. BTW, the action tut for PSE 3 also works in PSE 2. Not all actions will work in PSE 2, because actions written in other versions of Photoshop use effects not available in PSE.

Grant's Tools are excellent too including Channel Mixer, Curves, Color Balance, Quick Masks, Guides, Layer Masks, Transform Selections.

LaWanna

[TsMom]

That's wierd, I got the forum's e-mail alert before the reply showed up here.

Don't put the files in your plug-ins folder. After you extract them, put them in your previews folder under effects. Then clear the cache files in the previews folder. These will be rebuilt when you restart Elements. When you restart it will take a moment for every to appear in the drop down list.

LaWanna

[Emma]

these are really cool! Thanks for sharing. I especially like how they are in their own menu so I don't get confused when doing tutorials/classes what's included in PSE and what's not.

Now I'm wondering how he made these! They're atn files, but why do they get a preview? My atn files don't get a preview...Is it programming, or something he made in PS?

[Emma]

Okay, I know that Actions work in PSE, even have their own folder under Presets>Photoshop Actions

BUT I can't get any of mine to show up... how to know which will show up, which won't? I've put several in there, and nothing works

[scrapqltr]

I've been wondering about that, too. I put an .atn in the actions folder, but didn't know how it worked. I read the pdf "Running Actions in PSE", but it looks like the .atn has to be changed in PS (adding action to the green apple icon) before it will work in PSE. Is that right?

[Emma]

Jan, where's this article? I haven't seen it, would be interested in knowing the "official" how to on this.

Thanks!

[scrapqltr]

It's the one LaWanna mentioned above. Running Actions in PSE
http://homepage.mac.com/bbrundage/FileSharing5.html

[bpalmer]

wow this is too cool! Thanks for sharing! :D

[txmusicmom]

Hmm-- This looks like a great quick crop or chat --

Hint........

:cool:

Donna

[Emma]

Well, I read that whole tutorial, did everything it said, and I have very lovely previews of my actions now, that say "file not found" when I try to run any of the actions!

I tried putting them and copying them into several locations, double checking to make sure all the options were available in PSE, and nada! Not sure what I'm doing wrong, and don't have anyone to ask.

Anyone know? At least I did the previews correctly, LOL! Not that it does any good :)

[TsMom]

Emma,
I've not had this issue in particular, though I have found that some of the actions appear to work then when it is finished the image reverts to the original. Did you delete the cache files and restart PSE?

LaWanna

[luvismysuicide]

hey how do u make layouts?

[Angela]

Look what I found. Free tools for PSE, supposed to be any version. Includes curves and alignment tools. Haven't tried them out yet. Will report back when I do.

Grant's Tools (http://www.cavesofice.org/~grant/Challenge/Tools/Files.html)

Oh, yes and here is an article on how to use actions in PSE. Looks long and drawn out, but some of you might be interested.

Running Actions in PSE (http://homepage.mac.com/bbrundage/FileSharing5.html)

LaWanna

Woohoo!! Just tried both of them and they work!!! Thank you!!!

[Emma]

LaWanna, yes, I cleared the caches, restarted several times, moved and renamed and moved and renamed the files again, deleted cahes and restarted each tie. Always says File Not Found...

Loveismysuicide: to make a layout using PSE, check out the First Page Tutorial here:http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/university/tutorials/pse_basicpageep.shtml
and ask any questions you have

[Audrey]

LaWanna, this is really cool! Thanks for sharing! I just downloaded and installed it and YES, it works on a mac!! Yay!!
Emma, looks like it doesn't go in the actions folder, but under previews>Effects, which you've probably figured out by now:)
I don't know why else it's not showing up on your computer:(
When do you get the "file not found" message? When you click on "effects"?
I followed the instructions from the how to page, step by step and it worked first time around. http://www.cavesofice.org/~grant/Challenge/Tools/HowtTo.html
Can you show a screenshot of what shows up? Maybe that'll give someone an idea of what's going on. Scratching my head here, wondering why it's not working for you:(

[Emma]

Grant's Tools work perfectly, first time. The thing that's not working is trying the other article to put other PS actions in PSE. I made the previews in PS, those show up great in PSE. When I click on the preview to get the action, a dialog pops up that says "File Not Found"

Can't get a single action to work in PSE...

[TsMom]

Emma,
I wonder if the problem is the actions you are using. Can you send me one or tell me where to find it if it's free. I'll try it and see if I can get it to work.

LaWanna

[Emma]

I tried Dave's Midnight Sepia, Mike Finn's Portrait Tools, and some simple actions I did for Image>Rotate>Clockwise and CCW, and Image>Resize with my web size, 72dpi 550px tall, to automate that.

[TsMom]

Emma,
I dl the portrait tools, and got it to sort of work. I kept getting the message "Command Make Not available," probably because I failed to do something before running the action. But it was there.

Do you have only one action per folder. I'm wondering if this could be the problem. If not read on.

I reread those instructions and to me they were a little confusing. I don't have Photoshop, just PSE and this is how I do the actions. Of course, because I can't write my own actions or edit actions, only some will work, and then not fully unless they have 'stops' written into them. I'm sorry if I'm being repetetive.

After download and unzipping the action:

1. Create a folder and put your action inside it. Copy the folder to C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements 2\Previews\Effects.

2. Copy the thumbnail Original.psd to the folder.

3. Open this copy of Original in Photoshop Elements. Duplicate the image and name the duplicate layer exactly the same thing as the action. For instance, you have an action called Emmas_Sketch.atn. Name the layer Emmas_Sketch.

4. Choose Merge Visible. Don't flatten the image or anything else. Just Merge Visible.

5. Choose save as and name the file exactly the same thing as your action, just make it a psd. file. You'll have two thumbnail files in your actions folder now, so you might want to delete the first one and keep the one you made.

6. Close PSE. Open up C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements 2\Previews\Cache. Clear the files in both effects cache and filter cache.

7. When you open PSE, the actions should be listed under effects.

I put only one action per folder along with the respective thumbnail.

Since you can write actions, maybe instead of doing the thumbnail in Photoshop, you can do it like this.

I hope I've helped. I can almost feel your frustration coming through the computer.

LaWanna

[Emma]

Wow, putting just one action in the folder worked like a charm! I was following her directions of being able to put lots of actions in one psd preview and into one folder. I had renamed each layer to be the name of the action, and that worked well to get all my previews. But then it couldn't find the action.

I wonder if Mike Finn's will have to be stripped down from its bundle (there are several actions in the single atn file), saving each action as an individual atn and psd in a separate folder. I can try...

I'll do it both ways and see. The only difference doing this in PS vs PSE is that in PS you run the action on the preview apple image (original) to get the preview to look like what the action does. In PSE, you just run the action on the preview after installing it, then resave.

Will be awhile before I dig up time to play. I'm actually not that frustrated nor motivated since I have PS. I can just open an image from PSE into PS, run the action, save, and reopen in PSE and continue working. I don't use actions a lot, but my auto-resize one will save me a lot of time when I get that one to work.

Thanks!

[scrapqltr]

My DH found this today for curves in PSE. It's about halfway down the page-"Earthbound Light effects for Photoshop Elements"
www.earthboundlight.com

Did you see what I made? My PSE blinkie! I put the download link in the Software-PSE folder if anyone would like it. I impressed myself with this little guy!! :D

[Emma]

Nice job on the blinkie! I have no idea how to do that in PSE, LOL! never tried...

thanks for the link!