How to make actions find PSD files?

[fritz29]

Thanks to this forum I have made great strides in creating and refining a set of actions that size our master image files for our online database. Actions are great for this. The action I have programmed makes 4 copies of one image at different sizes and RGB profiles.

During this action stream two PSD files are opened, the first with text to paste into file info and the second with text that will become our watermark. During the action stream each file is saved in a seperate folder to be uploaded later to our server. It's working fine. We just switched over to Photoshop 7.0 and I re-programmed 5 sets of these extensive actions in the 7.0 action pallete. I saved them. I copied them to a CD. I successfully loaded them on the other computers in our scanning lab. But now I have encountered a problem. When the action is played on the new computers it can not find the two PSD files that are used for pasting text into file info and for creating the watermark. I have copied these files and loaded them just exactly as they are on the computer where the original action sets were created. The first task in the action stream is 'Open' as in open the 1st psd file. When I play the action a window appears titled open with a few choices, none of which are my psd files. Can anyone instruct me how to fix this without re programming the actions.

Thank you.

Fritz Hoffmann
fritz@documentchina.com


documentCHINA
An online archive of contemporary photography
documenting change in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan
http:/www.documentchina.com
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[theGuest]

Hiya fritz, welcome to the board. :D

Ok well... in general, if the Action(s) is not finding the correct file(s), it has to be do to a conflict in the directory path where the PSD files in questions are being stored.

My suggestion would've been to put the Actions and the PSD files all in one folder. That way, there's no question of where everything is, and no problems with finding the files.

However, even that methodlogy has it's limits.
If that source folder was stored on the "D:\" drive of comp #1, then copied over to comp #2 and left on the Desktop, the path to the folder on comp #2 would be the "C:\" drive. And therein lies the issue here... be very sure that the copied files are being stored in the exact same path location that has been recorded in the Action(s).

[fritz29]

Sir Mark,

Thanks for your advice. I hadn't thought to put the files into a folder with the action itself, which I guess would be kept in the presets folder, right?

Certainly what you say here sounds logical,
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If that source folder was stored on the "D:\" drive of comp #1, then copied over to comp #2 and left on the Desktop, the path to the folder on comp #2 would be the "C:\" drive. And therein lies the issue here... be very sure that the copied files are being stored in the exact same path location that has been recorded in the Action(s).
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my question would then be, other than the two computers being different, but they are the exact same model and operating system and using photoshop 7, the folders contianing the psd files are in the exact same spot, how else to backtrack on the action path to find out where the hiccup startsB# ?

Cheers,

Fritz

Fritz Hoffmann
fritz@documentchina.com


documentCHINA
An online archive of contemporary photography
documenting change in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan
http:/www.documentchina.com

[theGuest]

Ok well if it's a case of similarities, then just be concerned with the directory structures. Comp type and such don't matter in this case.

I'd like to say that the very simplest way to test things out would be to simplify the variables - i.e. use the Desktop of both comps to ensure/test the directory paths are NOT the issue.

If that is indeed confirmed NOT to be the issue, then a complete dissection of the Action will be needed to sus out the snafu going on here.

If you open the Action in PS, you can double-click on any command in it and have a dialog window open for it. At that time, check the settings and look for anything that might smell of trouble. You can also access each command in an Action by opening the Options menu and choosing "Rerecord". Just be sure to hit "Cancel" to escape the window after checking it.

See if that is of any help.

If need be, i can simulate your situation myself and see what gives. For that, i'd need specific details as to the purpose/functions of the Action.