Can Photoshop Elements record actions?

07/05/2009 01:04:00 PM · #1

I see where it can utilize photoshop actions, but cannot seem to find any option to record one.

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM

07/05/2009 01:46:09 PM · #2

Disregard.

Tammster just answered my question in an E-mail without even knowing I had asked this question.

cpanaioti

Canon EOS-40D

07/05/2009 02:10:41 PM · #3

... and it's a secret, right?

07/05/2009 02:19:07 PM · #4

Originally posted by cpanaioti:

... and it's a secret, right?

Oh, sorry. No it cannot record actions. It can use previously recorded photoshop actions as long as they do not include things that Elements cannot do.

Another member wanted to know how to use one of my scripts for PaintShop Pro within Photoshop, so I was going to record it as a PS action. Apparently I can't do it with what I have. I am finding a few places like this, where Elements has been simplified compared to other programs and is lacking a feature I use regularly in PaintShop Pro.

I've been trying to learn Elements for several reasons:
-To know which is better to recommend as a sub-$100 image editor.
-To be able to answer questions in Photoshop terminology and understand others explanations.

Sony Sonnar T* 35mm f/2.8 ZA

07/05/2009 03:14:25 PM · #5

Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:

Originally posted by cpanaioti:
... and it's a secret, right?

Oh, sorry. No it cannot record actions. It can use previously recorded photoshop actions as long as they do not include things that Elements cannot do.

Another member wanted to know how to use one of my scripts for PaintShop Pro within Photoshop, so I was going to record it as a PS action. Apparently I can't do it with what I have. I am finding a few places like this, where Elements has been simplified compared to other programs and is lacking a feature I use regularly in PaintShop Pro.

I've been trying to learn Elements for several reasons:
-To know which is better to recommend as a sub-$100 image editor.
-To be able to answer questions in Photoshop terminology and understand others explanations.

Steve, when you got your PSE7 wasn't there a little flyer in it for this site Link (hope it wks this time) this has been worth it's weight in gold for me...it is $89 for 2 years, which includes an monthly tips mag (very well done) and access to their tutorials...I know that there is alot more on this site that I haven't even touched but so far I have been impressed...

also this publication has been of great help...but it is a little pricey in my book ($50) The Photoshop Elements 7 Book...look it up online and read the editorial on it...it is an excellent good and easy to use, cuts through alot of the waisted steps, this has "the inside tricks, tips of the trade for reorganizing, correcting, editing, sharpening, retouching and presenting your photo's like a pro" and "Although Elements 7 offers some digital photography features that Photoshop CS4 doesn't offer, there are plenty of features that Photoshop CS4 has that Elements 7 still doesn't have (things like layer masking, Channel Mixer, etc.). But in this book, you'll learn some slick workarounds, cheats and some fairly ingenious ways to replicate many of those Photoshop features from right within Elements"....on and on......don't waist your $$ on Elements for Dummies (obviously I am a dummy) as this is very hard to use IMO

salmiakki

Apple iPhone 16 Pro

07/05/2009 03:18:39 PM · #6

There's also this site. Richard Lynch, who teaches PS on Betterphoto.com, has written a whole bunch of actions specifically for use in Elements. Quite powerful tools. Some are free too.

Hidden Power of Elements

Sony Sonnar T* 35mm f/2.8 ZA

07/05/2009 03:23:37 PM · #7

Originally posted by salmiakki:

thanks Sarah...I'm cking it out now...how much have you used this???

salmiakki

Apple iPhone 16 Pro

07/05/2009 03:33:57 PM · #8

Well, I didn't use the book, but I did use the tools (free download and others for a nominal fee). I found them to be quite useful.

Tammster

Canon EOS-60D

Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

07/05/2009 03:53:04 PM · #9

//www.kelbytraining.com - This site also has quite a few Elements tutorials (as well as lots of other tutorials. Many of the photographers doing the tutorials on Photoshopelementsuser site are also on this other site. The fee for kelbytraining is monthly (or annually) but you have access to all of their tutorials, which tend to be much more in depth than the short 5 minute videos on most sites.

07/05/2009 04:00:04 PM · #10

Thanks for all the links and pointers. My experience with it so far suggests to me that I will not make a complete jump from PaintShop Pro, but I am hopeful of finding some features that are not available to me in the other software packages I use. It's always nice to have choices. I am liking a few of the adjustments available to me in the Adobe Camera Raw component. Elements itself seems simplified to a large extent and I am already finding a few things I am used to having that are left out. Like the actions recording ability that started this thread.

For starters, I have been going through the very good video tutorials on Adobe's site. This is getting me most of the basics.

Message edited by author 2009-07-05 16:02:32.

07/05/2009 04:11:52 PM · #11

Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:

Like the actions recording ability that started this thread.

do you mean history - steps that are recorded in a file that show what editing steps you took to get to the final product(you can headslap me anytime)

Have you found out yet that if you wish to do curves that you have to do it almost your first step after you convert from RAW...otherwise you have to flatten/merge your photo before you can apply the curves...but if I do that first then I can do some of my other steps that I like to do in my "global editing"

have you found the gradient that I was talking about earlier??

07/05/2009 04:18:09 PM · #12

Originally posted by Tammster:

from a quick glance I recognize several of the "teachers" on that site...but it seems to be more geared to CS4 rather than Elements...or did I miss something

are you saying that the tutorials in Kelby are longer than the ones in Photoshop Elements User site...as most of theirs are about 5 minutes long but very concise (I'm not arguing...just asking specifically)

and Kelby is more pricey ($199 per year) where by with the PEU ($89 for 2 years)you get a monthly publication (mailed to you) plus all the tutorials in the video area...there are other ding-dongs in the site but I haven't used many of them....yet...

Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

07/05/2009 04:30:45 PM · #13

Originally posted by Ja-9:

do you mean history

*Virtual headslap* No. An action (Called a script in PaintShop Pro) is a set of steps that is run to automate a repetitive action for you. I use them to automate sequences of adjustments that I do frequently. I use one to apply a high radius unsharp mask to increase contrast. I've been using another one at work to help edit some unwanted material from engineering diagrams by adding an underlying layer filled with white. Then it is easy to erase the unwanted info and flatten. It's much faster to click a script button than to go through the same settings and steps every time.

Originally posted by Ja-9:

Have you found out yet that if you wish to do curves that you have to do it almost your first step after you convert from RAW...otherwise you have to flatten/merge your photo before you can apply the curves...

I just discovered that PSE even HAS the curves adjsutment. It does appear to be extremely simplified, but since my understanding was it did not have it, that is something.

Originally posted by Ja-9:

have you found the gradient that I was talking about earlier??

I found the equivalent in PaintShop Pro, but have not really done a lot with it yet.

Tammster

Canon EOS-60D

07/05/2009 04:51:15 PM · #14

Originally posted by Ja-9:

It is geared more toward CS4 (which is why I joined because I'll be upgrading to CS4 in the next few weeks from PSE7) but there are some Elements tutorials on there. Basically their tutorials are more like "classes". Everyone can watch the first three lessons of each class and only subscribers can access the rest of the class. Some of them are quite long, when you add all of the sections together.

For example, the first 8 lessons in the "Practial Photoshop Elements" class are:
Lesson 01 What is Resolution? AKA Brown Sugar (4:19)
Lesson 02 Resizing An Image For Print (5:56)
Lesson 03 Resizing An Image For Email Or Posting On The Web (5:19)
Lesson 04 Cropping and Resizing (3:40)
Lesson 05 Resizing a Web Image For Print (6:20)
Lesson 06 Classic Black Photo Border (5:00)
Lesson 07 Layers 101: Building a Stacked Paper Background (10:33)
Lesson 08 Layer Masks 101: Placing Text Behind An Object (8:12)

This class has 23 lessons all together and it goes into much more complicated concepts (good for the beginner). I also plan on watching some other general photography lessons, such as "Photographic Florida Birds".

So, yes, it's expensive ($199/yr or $19.99/mth) but I will easily get my money's worth.

I do subscribe to PEU (and have for a few years); I really get a lot out of that magazine and love their online tutorials, too.

Message edited by author 2009-07-05 16:51:42.

07/05/2009 05:05:11 PM · #15

Tammster Thanks...that was what I was looking for...I am always on the hunt to find a better "user friendly method" I will have to think about the $$...I usually pay about that same amount for a 8 wk course at the local art school for photography...and I haven't done any in the last 2 sessions so therefore my justification...;-]

Message edited by author 2009-07-05 17:15:37.

Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

07/05/2009 05:15:05 PM · #16

Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:

Originally posted by Ja-9:
do you mean history

*Virtual headslap* No. An action (Called a script in PaintShop Pro) is a set of steps that is run to automate a repetitive action for you. I use them to automate sequences of adjustments that I do frequently. I use one to apply a high radius unsharp mask to increase contrast. I've been using another one at work to help edit some unwanted material from engineering diagrams by adding an underlying layer filled with white. Then it is easy to erase the unwanted info and flatten. It's much faster to click a script button than to go through the same settings and steps every time.

I felt that!!! I know that you can set some things to always come up with your last "adjustment" history for instance USM...once you set your perimeters then you don't have to reset them...but each time you fiddle with them...it remembers the last "fiddling" there are lots of areas in there just like that (gaussian blur, noise reduction) and even my save for the web stays the same each time...but there isn't anything that will do your "global adjustment" for you as a standard step procedure (at least I haven't found it....but then we both know how "ignorant" I am....;-])

Originally posted by Ja-9:

have you found the gradient that I was talking about earlier??

I found the equivalent in PaintShop Pro, but have not really done a lot with it yet. [/quote]

this is under the little "moon/sun" emblem on the lower right...you have several choices to use in there...it really works well and I use it often...

ya, and wait until you convert to B&W...you have about 4 different pathways to choose from....kind of slick IMO

Tammster

Canon EOS-60D

07/05/2009 05:20:29 PM · #17

Originally posted by Ja-9:

I have been looking for local courses. As much as I love sitting in front of the computer to learn on my own (my husband thinks I'm nuts), I also enjoy meeting other local photographers and getting direct feedback. The best part of the online tutorials is I can do it at 6:30am when I wake up on the weekends... I usually have a good 3 hours of quiet time before anyone wakes up.

I was thinking of taking a beginners CS4 class at the local community college so I need to start doing some research.

07/05/2009 05:25:54 PM · #18

Originally posted by Tammster:

Originally posted by Ja-9:
Tammster Thanks...that was what I was looking for...I am always on the hunt to find a better "user friendly method" I will have to think about the $$...I usually pay about that same amount for a 8 wk course at the local art school for photography...and I haven't done any in the last 2 sessions so therefore my justification...;-]

I have been looking for local courses. As much as I love sitting in front of the computer to learn on my own (my husband thinks I'm nuts), I also enjoy meeting other local photographers and getting direct feedback. The best part of the online tutorials is I can do it at 6:30am when I wake up on the weekends... I usually have a good 3 hours of quiet time before anyone wakes up.

I was thinking of taking a beginners CS4 class at the local community college so I need to start doing some research.

Essentially this is what I did at our local art school...I got to meet other people and often meet up with them to go to different varied locations...in the CS3 class that I took...I also took my own laptop..therefore I was able to follow along and "find" my equivalents to what the instructor was talking about and he was always willing to help me find some things...but as you know somethings just aren't the same (and he didn't know Elements all that well) but it certainly helped me out...it was overall fun...I will be taking a "field trip class" again this fall...going to other various locations in Central Florida...it is a good experience overall...Look for some larger known local art schools...Crealde is the one I go to here in CFL