3rd Party Application
Photoshop Droplets as External Editor
Jun 02, 2008 @ 11:52 PM - Filed in:
Tips
Although this tip has nothing to do
with Applescript, it does involve Aperture and automating image
processing using a 3rd party application.
One of the nice features of Photoshop is its batch processing of images and its ability to run recorded actions. The two combined together allow a user to apply the action against a directory of images or already opened images. Photoshop then allows a user to save a batch process along with an action using what Adobe calls “droplets”. The user can drop images or directories on the droplet and Photoshop processes those images using the instructions found in the recorded action.
Earlier today I created a droplet in Photoshop and saved it to my desktop. I then launched Aperture and made the droplet I just made as my external editor. The desire is to select a group of images in Aperture and have Photoshop process them using my droplet. I thought this would be really handy for preparing an image for printing or maybe I wanted a series of filters applied to the image. With Aperture 2.1, it seems as though the last image in the selection is the only one that Photoshop processes.
Although I wanted the entire selection in Aperture to be processed using the Photoshop droplet, this idea can still save a few mouse clicks. Without using this tip, you would have to instruct Aperture to open the selection in Photoshop. Once that is completed you then have to tell Photoshop to process the opened images using your action. Granted the time and effort savings isn’t terriby substantial although it could be if you were processing hundreds of images. One benefit of using a droplet as an external editor is images are handled one at a time by the droplet which is great if your images are large (imagine opening 20 200 MB TIFFs at once with 2 GB of RAM versus 1 image at a time using the same system configuration). If and when Apple addresses the problem and allows Aperture users to process multiple images using Photoshop droplets, this tip will save even more time and effort.
One of the nice features of Photoshop is its batch processing of images and its ability to run recorded actions. The two combined together allow a user to apply the action against a directory of images or already opened images. Photoshop then allows a user to save a batch process along with an action using what Adobe calls “droplets”. The user can drop images or directories on the droplet and Photoshop processes those images using the instructions found in the recorded action.
Earlier today I created a droplet in Photoshop and saved it to my desktop. I then launched Aperture and made the droplet I just made as my external editor. The desire is to select a group of images in Aperture and have Photoshop process them using my droplet. I thought this would be really handy for preparing an image for printing or maybe I wanted a series of filters applied to the image. With Aperture 2.1, it seems as though the last image in the selection is the only one that Photoshop processes.
Although I wanted the entire selection in Aperture to be processed using the Photoshop droplet, this idea can still save a few mouse clicks. Without using this tip, you would have to instruct Aperture to open the selection in Photoshop. Once that is completed you then have to tell Photoshop to process the opened images using your action. Granted the time and effort savings isn’t terriby substantial although it could be if you were processing hundreds of images. One benefit of using a droplet as an external editor is images are handled one at a time by the droplet which is great if your images are large (imagine opening 20 200 MB TIFFs at once with 2 GB of RAM versus 1 image at a time using the same system configuration). If and when Apple addresses the problem and allows Aperture users to process multiple images using Photoshop droplets, this tip will save even more time and effort.
Aperture Assistant
May 01, 2008 @ 12:20 PM - Filed in:
News
Earlier today I randomly decided to
look at the activity of this web site by using Google's Analytics
service. One thing I noticed was someone had visited this site due
to a link from a domain named, aperture-assistant.com.
Well, it turns out aperture-assistant.com is the home of Aperture Assistant, a very visual based flow chart like application that basically runs applescripts for you but without having to write a line of code. Eh, imagine that. Programming turned visual. I'm sure many people will find this application far more useful than Automator (this is probably what Automator should be) and I'm also sure this application will be far more attractive to those users of Aperture that don't have time to learn Applescript or have a difficult time using it. I'm willing to bet that once I become decent at using Aperture Assistant I could beat a decent scripter in a race at writing up the same script.
After looking at the screen shots for Aperture Assistant, I suddenly realized that this is exactly how programming should be done. Why it has remained that way it has for so long is beyond me. This is very similar to the command line interface turned GUI. Once the GUI based operating systems came out, there were far more computer users. When I was in college I took a few programming classes. Each one forced students to create flow charts before even writing a single line of code. So currently a person has to convert what is in his/her head into a flow chart and then convert the chart into several lines of code. Then the person spends hours trying to figure what exactly went wrong during the conversion, assuming the flow chart was correct in the first place. But what if the person just created the flow chart in the computer and then the computer does the rest for you? I know I know, its a crazy idea having the computer working for you instead of you doing the work manually but hear me out. Imagine how many more programmers there would be and how quickly they could do their job. Oh wait....maybe that's why this kind of an application isn't too common.
Well, it turns out aperture-assistant.com is the home of Aperture Assistant, a very visual based flow chart like application that basically runs applescripts for you but without having to write a line of code. Eh, imagine that. Programming turned visual. I'm sure many people will find this application far more useful than Automator (this is probably what Automator should be) and I'm also sure this application will be far more attractive to those users of Aperture that don't have time to learn Applescript or have a difficult time using it. I'm willing to bet that once I become decent at using Aperture Assistant I could beat a decent scripter in a race at writing up the same script.
After looking at the screen shots for Aperture Assistant, I suddenly realized that this is exactly how programming should be done. Why it has remained that way it has for so long is beyond me. This is very similar to the command line interface turned GUI. Once the GUI based operating systems came out, there were far more computer users. When I was in college I took a few programming classes. Each one forced students to create flow charts before even writing a single line of code. So currently a person has to convert what is in his/her head into a flow chart and then convert the chart into several lines of code. Then the person spends hours trying to figure what exactly went wrong during the conversion, assuming the flow chart was correct in the first place. But what if the person just created the flow chart in the computer and then the computer does the rest for you? I know I know, its a crazy idea having the computer working for you instead of you doing the work manually but hear me out. Imagine how many more programmers there would be and how quickly they could do their job. Oh wait....maybe that's why this kind of an application isn't too common.