Posted by Robert Barnett on 11:46pm Jan 10, 2007 Pacific
Hello,
I have a couple of suggestions for you...
1. First and formost thank you for the script, it is wonderful.
2. I didn't have the c:\temp folder problem that others hand. However, I can
see this as being a problem. I don't normally have a c:\temp folder, I just
happened to have one from another project I was working on. But, normally I
keep my c:\ drive's root directory as clean as possible. I think it would be
better if you used c:\windows\temp. Since this folder is pretty much
guaranteed to be there on a Windows system I think it is a safer bet and
would be less confusing than a novice computer user getting the odd and
obtuse error message. Either that or ask for the person to create a
directory the first time the script runs.
3. I would like to have a border option for the images. I currently use your
script to do Photo Posters and I do a black background with a 1 pixel wide
white border around each image. So a border option that allows one to set
the width of the border and the color and maybe choose if the border is on
the outside of the image, center or inside the image like the Layer Effects
border option in Photoshop does.
4. There are some minor nicesties missing. For example if you change the
page measuremetns from pixel to inches the default pixel dimensions are left
and not converted to inches.
5. The templates as well as the layer style option need more descriptive
names or an in Contact Sheet X preview of them so that we can see what we
are getting.
I don't know how much of this can be done with Photoshop's JavaScript
scripting, but these are things I would like to see. Again, thank you for
the awesome script. It is a great version 1.0.
Robert
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[1. First and formost thank you for the script, it is wonderful. ]
Thanks. I'm glad you like it.
[2. I didn't have the c:\temp folder problem that others hand. However, I can
see this as being a problem. I don't normally have a c:\temp folder, I just
happened to have one from another project I was working on.]
The script should not have failed like it did. It shouldn't matter if there is a '/c/temp' directory or not. One of the library components writes a log file _only_ when I am debugging it on my machine. I have a '/c/temp' folder on my machine so that's what it defaults to. If there is not a '/c/temp' folder, the log file is supposed to be written somewhere else. There was a bug in the code that handled this situation. Users of the script should never be aware of any of this. I have fixed this already and the change will be in the next release.
[3. I would like to have a border option for the images. I currently use your
script to do Photo Posters and I do a black background with a 1 pixel wide
white border around each image. So a border option that allows one to set
the width of the border and the color and maybe choose if the border is on
the outside of the image, center or inside the image like the Layer Effects
border option in Photoshop does.]
I explicitly didn't provide any border options. The 'Layer Style' pull down menu gives you access to all of the name Layer Styles currently available in your PS. You can add new named styles to PS and they will automatically appear on this menu. The intent was that users would define new Layer Styles for things like borders. This gives you ultimate customizability of the Layer Styles/borders.
[4. There are some minor nicesties missing. For example if you change the
page measuremetns from pixel to inches the default pixel dimensions are left
and not converted to inches. ]
Yep. I've debated on whether or not to add that. That part of the interface/code has stabilized so I'll take another look at getting that implemented.
[5. The templates as well as the layer style option need more descriptive
names or an in Contact Sheet X preview of them so that we can see what we
are getting.]
I like the idea of having a Template Preview. Let me see if there's a way that I can get it smoothly integrated into the UI.
The Layer Style options (on both the thumbnail and caption panels) could only really be previewed in an actual Photoshop document. I can't apply a Layer Style to a portion of the JavaScript UI. However, if I predefined some set of LayerStyles, I could pre-generate previews that I could then display in the JS UI. Let me think on this.
From Robert Barnett - 5:45pm Jan 11, 07 PST (#10 of 10)
[One more comment. I use the script for doing photo posters. If I turn off
the auto fill option I then get massive amounts of blank space between the
rows (it might happen with the columns under the right circumstances I don't
know).]
The amount of space between rows (and columns) is determined by:
1) whether Auto-fill is on or off. Auto-fill determines whether the entire image is visible (off) or if the entire area available to the image is filled (on) in which case the image is probably cropped.
2) the aspect ration of the image in the image space,
3) the setting of the 'spacing' options,
4) the setting of the 'Constrain to square' option. This one was appropriated from LightRoom.
I'll try to put together some diagrams in the docs that explain in a bit more detail how these various settings interact.
[I also noticed that the auto fill crops the image and then makes it square.
How about adding some options to this that one the user can control the crop
area, like upper right, lower right, upper left, lower left, middle top,
middle bottom, middle right, middle left, middle middle.]
Interesting idea. I hadn't consider it. I'll see what it can take to get this implemented.
[And also add an option that that it keeps the images aspect ration but crops
and zooms to fill the space so you don't end up with the large gaps between
the images.]
Auto-fill should do this now. Images are always zoomed to either fit or fill. I don't have the ability in the script to maintain the relative scale of images.
[As for the layer effects preview how about allowing the user to create say a
100 x 100 pixel JPG image that they can store in a certain directory that
shows the layer effect. The JPG is named the same as the layer style and
your script when it finds the matching JPG shows it, if it doesn't find one
it just shows a "no preview" image instead. This way people could use if
they wanted or not.]
This was almost exactly what I was intending for both previewing layer styles
(thumbnail and caption) and previewing Templates. I may also do something like
this for row/column layout similar to what's in CSII. But I may require that
the previews be .png files since that's the easiest thing to display in the JS UI.
[Also, is there anyway to fix the layer styles option in your script so that
it doesn't use the styles in the Photoshop styles palette. I really don't
like this. I can see myself creating a limited set of styles to use with
your script and it would be nice to use this set without having to first
load or replace what I already have in the layer effects palette. I don't
know if this is possible, but it would be nice to keep these contact sheet
specific. This would also make the preview idea easier, the JPG's could be
in the same directory as the layer effects file. Maybe an option to go
either way, whatever the user wants.]
I was already considering something like this, but for different reasons.
I wanted to provide a standard set of borders/styles that would be delivered
with CSX to make the Templates more useful. The simplest mechanism is to create
a .asl file with those styles,let's call it CSX-Styles.asl and put it in the
csx/templates directory. Let the user add their own .asl files to the templates
directory so CSX can find them. There are the PS-provided .asl files in
Presets/Styles. And, lastly, there are the System styles found in the runtime
Presets Manager. When the UI comes up it would create a pull-down list with
that set of .asl files to choose from. When one is selected, the list of styles in
that file is displayed a second pull-down list. You select your style from that
that last list. The current CSX rev operates as if you had selected the System
styles are unable to change to a .asl file. I already have code to parse .asl files
for listing the contents in the menu. The only trick will be temporarily loading
and unloading the required style in and out of the runtime styles palette.
Interesting problem.
And, thanks again for the feedback. I'll get this added to the CSX Feature Request list.
-X
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
Last week I heard about your contactsheet script and thought I would give it a try. My first problem was in correcting the java script to get it to work in Photoshop. I was getting an error message when opening it. I tried to get help in the help page that you have set up but since I did not receive any response I thought I would post in this forum. Anyway I got it to work by deleting line 7349 which is where the error message was.
Now that seemed to work and the plug in displays the dialog page but only one or two of the template's work. Why is that and do I have to do something to them in order to get it to work.
Ideally I would like to be able to set up the contact sheet and have a space for the header. It also seems that if you use the template that there is no way to adjust the size of the header.
I have been using the photoshop plug in and after processing the contact sheet I add canvas to the document to incresse the size add type layer for whatever information I need to use then fit image back to the 8 1/2 X 11 size that I need.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
>> I was getting an error message when opening it. I tried to get help in the help page that you have set up but
>> since I did not receive any response I thought I would post in this forum.
Which help page are you talking about? I'll see what's going on with it.
>> Anyway I got it to work by deleting line 7349 which is where the error message was.
That problem was identified early. The daily builds have this fixed.
>> Now that seemed to work and the plug in displays the dialog page but only one or two of the template's work.
>> Why is that and do I have to do something to them in order to get it to work.
There are only two templates. Templates are typically layered psd files but could be any type of image file. Selecting anything else should result in an error.
>> Ideally I would like to be able to set up the contact sheet and have a space for the header.
Understood.
>> It also seems that if you use the template that there is no way to adjust the size of the header.
To do what you want I would take CSXTemplate-Default.psd as an example. It has a couple of layers that I don't need (Page and Date) so I would delete those. Then I make whatever changes to the Header layer that I want. For instance, I could increase the font size or color. If I needed a multi-line header, I may have to change the Contact Sheet layer. The size and position of the contact sheet in the final document is determined by the mask on the contact sheet layer.
>> I have been using the photoshop plug in and after processing the contact sheet I add canvas to the document
>> to incresse the size add type layer for whatever information I need to use then fit image back to the
>> 8 1/2 X 11 size that I need.
If you would like, send me a jpg of one of your final images and I will fix up a template that does what
you need. I'll also walk you through the steps I took in building the template.
Templates, and the related Presets, are very powerful tools in CSX. They are just not very well documented. I'll be getting that fixed as soon as I can.
-X
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
I have tried Contact Sheet X and simply haven't been able to get X Bytor's plug in to work properly. It goes through the motions and then gives me empty rectangles with the file name beneath them on the contact sheet.
It also needs a function to override the colour profile - or the ability to convert the profile of the empty sheet to the profile which the images are in, otherwise you have to manually sit there and convert for every single image.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
[[I have tried Contact Sheet X and simply haven't been able to get X Bytor's plug in to work properly.]]
Can you send me a copy of a psd (unflattened) that shows this problem and a copy of ContactSheetX.log that was created when this problem occurred?
You can find the log file here on WinXP (or somewhere similar):
C:\Documents and Settings\[user id]\Application Data\xtools\ContactSheetX.log
and someplace like this on OSX:
/Users/[user id]/Library/Application Support/xtools/ContactSheetX.log
You can also find the location of the log file in the Advanced Panel.
I haven't seen this specific problem before. It may be the case that PS is having problems with the images and I'm just not notifying you appropriately.
[[It also needs a function to override the colour profile - or the ability to convert the profile of the empty sheet to the profile which the images are in, otherwise you have to manually sit there and convert for every single image.]]
I thought about adding this capability and still may do so in the future. But, for the time being, at least, you are probably best creating a template that has the profile (and other properties) that you need.
A template is just a PSD file that is the size, res, mode, profile, etc... that you want. Create a layer called 'Contact Sheet' and create a mask on that layer that's the size you want. If this isn't clear, I can construct a contact sheet for you that has the profile, etc.. that you need.
Actually, one intesting modification would be to change the profile of the contact sheet based on the profile of the first image loaded.
-X
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
Sorry, I've been away. You didn't mention where to send the files to - so I have uploaded them to my server as a zipped file (Xbytor.zip). You can download them from http://www.carolsteele.co.uk/xbytor/
I have included the 4 jpeg files which I used together with the log file
"Actually, one intesting modification would be to change the profile of the contact sheet based on the profile of the first image loaded."
That would work just fine for me.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
Carol,
The only thing that looks suspicious is your style for the thumbnail. It reads '1 Px Stroke 0% Fill Opacity'. If I create a style with a 1 pixel stroke, then also change the "Blending Options -> Advanced Blending -> Fill Opacity" to 0%. The result of this is an outline of an empty box. Changing the Fill Opacity to 50% (for instance) and I get a normal contact sheet.
If I'm missing something here, let me know how and give me a bit more detail on how the style is actually constructed since I expect that's where the problem is lurking.
-X
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I added a new flag on the Advanced tabbed panel called 'forceProfileMatch'. Setting this will cause CSX to open up the first file and check its color profile before processing begins. That profile will be used for any sheets that are created. If a template is used, it will be assigned the profile before processing begins.
There are also several other new features in this release, so it may not be completely stable.
Let me know how this looks to you. I may replace the Match flag with a text field for the color profile name. I'm still undecided.
-X
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CSX 1.0 has been released. Drop any comments you have here or start a new thread.
-X
Posted by Robert Barnett on 11:46pm Jan 10, 2007 Pacific
Hello,
I have a couple of suggestions for you...
1. First and formost thank you for the script, it is wonderful.
2. I didn't have the c:\temp folder problem that others hand. However, I can
see this as being a problem. I don't normally have a c:\temp folder, I just
happened to have one from another project I was working on. But, normally I
keep my c:\ drive's root directory as clean as possible. I think it would be
better if you used c:\windows\temp. Since this folder is pretty much
guaranteed to be there on a Windows system I think it is a safer bet and
would be less confusing than a novice computer user getting the odd and
obtuse error message. Either that or ask for the person to create a
directory the first time the script runs.
3. I would like to have a border option for the images. I currently use your
script to do Photo Posters and I do a black background with a 1 pixel wide
white border around each image. So a border option that allows one to set
the width of the border and the color and maybe choose if the border is on
the outside of the image, center or inside the image like the Layer Effects
border option in Photoshop does.
4. There are some minor nicesties missing. For example if you change the
page measuremetns from pixel to inches the default pixel dimensions are left
and not converted to inches.
5. The templates as well as the layer style option need more descriptive
names or an in Contact Sheet X preview of them so that we can see what we
are getting.
I don't know how much of this can be done with Photoshop's JavaScript
scripting, but these are things I would like to see. Again, thank you for
the awesome script. It is a great version 1.0.
Robert
[1. First and formost thank you for the script, it is wonderful. ]
Thanks. I'm glad you like it.
[2. I didn't have the c:\temp folder problem that others hand. However, I can
see this as being a problem. I don't normally have a c:\temp folder, I just
happened to have one from another project I was working on.]
The script should not have failed like it did. It shouldn't matter if there is a '/c/temp' directory or not. One of the library components writes a log file _only_ when I am debugging it on my machine. I have a '/c/temp' folder on my machine so that's what it defaults to. If there is not a '/c/temp' folder, the log file is supposed to be written somewhere else. There was a bug in the code that handled this situation. Users of the script should never be aware of any of this. I have fixed this already and the change will be in the next release.
[3. I would like to have a border option for the images. I currently use your
script to do Photo Posters and I do a black background with a 1 pixel wide
white border around each image. So a border option that allows one to set
the width of the border and the color and maybe choose if the border is on
the outside of the image, center or inside the image like the Layer Effects
border option in Photoshop does.]
I explicitly didn't provide any border options. The 'Layer Style' pull down menu gives you access to all of the name Layer Styles currently available in your PS. You can add new named styles to PS and they will automatically appear on this menu. The intent was that users would define new Layer Styles for things like borders. This gives you ultimate customizability of the Layer Styles/borders.
[4. There are some minor nicesties missing. For example if you change the
page measuremetns from pixel to inches the default pixel dimensions are left
and not converted to inches. ]
Yep. I've debated on whether or not to add that. That part of the interface/code has stabilized so I'll take another look at getting that implemented.
[5. The templates as well as the layer style option need more descriptive
names or an in Contact Sheet X preview of them so that we can see what we
are getting.]
I like the idea of having a Template Preview. Let me see if there's a way that I can get it smoothly integrated into the UI.
The Layer Style options (on both the thumbnail and caption panels) could only really be previewed in an actual Photoshop document. I can't apply a Layer Style to a portion of the JavaScript UI. However, if I predefined some set of LayerStyles, I could pre-generate previews that I could then display in the JS UI. Let me think on this.
I'll add these items to the Feature Requests here:
http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=173281&atid=864857
Thanks for the input. It's been very helpful.
-X
-X
From Robert Barnett - 5:45pm Jan 11, 07 PST (#10 of 10)
[One more comment. I use the script for doing photo posters. If I turn off
the auto fill option I then get massive amounts of blank space between the
rows (it might happen with the columns under the right circumstances I don't
know).]
The amount of space between rows (and columns) is determined by:
1) whether Auto-fill is on or off. Auto-fill determines whether the entire image is visible (off) or if the entire area available to the image is filled (on) in which case the image is probably cropped.
2) the aspect ration of the image in the image space,
3) the setting of the 'spacing' options,
4) the setting of the 'Constrain to square' option. This one was appropriated from LightRoom.
I'll try to put together some diagrams in the docs that explain in a bit more detail how these various settings interact.
[I also noticed that the auto fill crops the image and then makes it square.
How about adding some options to this that one the user can control the crop
area, like upper right, lower right, upper left, lower left, middle top,
middle bottom, middle right, middle left, middle middle.]
Interesting idea. I hadn't consider it. I'll see what it can take to get this implemented.
[And also add an option that that it keeps the images aspect ration but crops
and zooms to fill the space so you don't end up with the large gaps between
the images.]
Auto-fill should do this now. Images are always zoomed to either fit or fill. I don't have the ability in the script to maintain the relative scale of images.
[As for the layer effects preview how about allowing the user to create say a
100 x 100 pixel JPG image that they can store in a certain directory that
shows the layer effect. The JPG is named the same as the layer style and
your script when it finds the matching JPG shows it, if it doesn't find one
it just shows a "no preview" image instead. This way people could use if
they wanted or not.]
This was almost exactly what I was intending for both previewing layer styles
(thumbnail and caption) and previewing Templates. I may also do something like
this for row/column layout similar to what's in CSII. But I may require that
the previews be .png files since that's the easiest thing to display in the JS UI.
[Also, is there anyway to fix the layer styles option in your script so that
it doesn't use the styles in the Photoshop styles palette. I really don't
like this. I can see myself creating a limited set of styles to use with
your script and it would be nice to use this set without having to first
load or replace what I already have in the layer effects palette. I don't
know if this is possible, but it would be nice to keep these contact sheet
specific. This would also make the preview idea easier, the JPG's could be
in the same directory as the layer effects file. Maybe an option to go
either way, whatever the user wants.]
I was already considering something like this, but for different reasons.
I wanted to provide a standard set of borders/styles that would be delivered
with CSX to make the Templates more useful. The simplest mechanism is to create
a .asl file with those styles,let's call it CSX-Styles.asl and put it in the
csx/templates directory. Let the user add their own .asl files to the templates
directory so CSX can find them. There are the PS-provided .asl files in
Presets/Styles. And, lastly, there are the System styles found in the runtime
Presets Manager. When the UI comes up it would create a pull-down list with
that set of .asl files to choose from. When one is selected, the list of styles in
that file is displayed a second pull-down list. You select your style from that
that last list. The current CSX rev operates as if you had selected the System
styles are unable to change to a .asl file. I already have code to parse .asl files
for listing the contents in the menu. The only trick will be temporarily loading
and unloading the required style in and out of the runtime styles palette.
Interesting problem.
And, thanks again for the feedback. I'll get this added to the CSX Feature Request list.
-X
Dear Xbytor:
Last week I heard about your contactsheet script and thought I would give it a try. My first problem was in correcting the java script to get it to work in Photoshop. I was getting an error message when opening it. I tried to get help in the help page that you have set up but since I did not receive any response I thought I would post in this forum. Anyway I got it to work by deleting line 7349 which is where the error message was.
Now that seemed to work and the plug in displays the dialog page but only one or two of the template's work. Why is that and do I have to do something to them in order to get it to work.
Ideally I would like to be able to set up the contact sheet and have a space for the header. It also seems that if you use the template that there is no way to adjust the size of the header.
I have been using the photoshop plug in and after processing the contact sheet I add canvas to the document to incresse the size add type layer for whatever information I need to use then fit image back to the 8 1/2 X 11 size that I need.
>> I was getting an error message when opening it. I tried to get help in the help page that you have set up but
>> since I did not receive any response I thought I would post in this forum.
Which help page are you talking about? I'll see what's going on with it.
>> Anyway I got it to work by deleting line 7349 which is where the error message was.
That problem was identified early. The daily builds have this fixed.
>> Now that seemed to work and the plug in displays the dialog page but only one or two of the template's work.
>> Why is that and do I have to do something to them in order to get it to work.
There are only two templates. Templates are typically layered psd files but could be any type of image file. Selecting anything else should result in an error.
>> Ideally I would like to be able to set up the contact sheet and have a space for the header.
Understood.
>> It also seems that if you use the template that there is no way to adjust the size of the header.
To do what you want I would take CSXTemplate-Default.psd as an example. It has a couple of layers that I don't need (Page and Date) so I would delete those. Then I make whatever changes to the Header layer that I want. For instance, I could increase the font size or color. If I needed a multi-line header, I may have to change the Contact Sheet layer. The size and position of the contact sheet in the final document is determined by the mask on the contact sheet layer.
>> I have been using the photoshop plug in and after processing the contact sheet I add canvas to the document
>> to incresse the size add type layer for whatever information I need to use then fit image back to the
>> 8 1/2 X 11 size that I need.
If you would like, send me a jpg of one of your final images and I will fix up a template that does what
you need. I'll also walk you through the steps I took in building the template.
Templates, and the related Presets, are very powerful tools in CSX. They are just not very well documented. I'll be getting that fixed as soon as I can.
-X
I have tried Contact Sheet X and simply haven't been able to get X Bytor's plug in to work properly. It goes through the motions and then gives me empty rectangles with the file name beneath them on the contact sheet.
It also needs a function to override the colour profile - or the ability to convert the profile of the empty sheet to the profile which the images are in, otherwise you have to manually sit there and convert for every single image.
[[I have tried Contact Sheet X and simply haven't been able to get X Bytor's plug in to work properly.]]
Can you send me a copy of a psd (unflattened) that shows this problem and a copy of ContactSheetX.log that was created when this problem occurred?
You can find the log file here on WinXP (or somewhere similar):
C:\Documents and Settings\[user id]\Application Data\xtools\ContactSheetX.log
and someplace like this on OSX:
/Users/[user id]/Library/Application Support/xtools/ContactSheetX.log
You can also find the location of the log file in the Advanced Panel.
I haven't seen this specific problem before. It may be the case that PS is having problems with the images and I'm just not notifying you appropriately.
[[It also needs a function to override the colour profile - or the ability to convert the profile of the empty sheet to the profile which the images are in, otherwise you have to manually sit there and convert for every single image.]]
I thought about adding this capability and still may do so in the future. But, for the time being, at least, you are probably best creating a template that has the profile (and other properties) that you need.
A template is just a PSD file that is the size, res, mode, profile, etc... that you want. Create a layer called 'Contact Sheet' and create a mask on that layer that's the size you want. If this isn't clear, I can construct a contact sheet for you that has the profile, etc.. that you need.
Actually, one intesting modification would be to change the profile of the contact sheet based on the profile of the first image loaded.
-X
I should add that I am using Win XP x64
Sorry, I've been away. You didn't mention where to send the files to - so I have uploaded them to my server as a zipped file (Xbytor.zip). You can download them from http://www.carolsteele.co.uk/xbytor/
I have included the 4 jpeg files which I used together with the log file
"Actually, one intesting modification would be to change the profile of the contact sheet based on the profile of the first image loaded."
That would work just fine for me.
Carol,
The only thing that looks suspicious is your style for the thumbnail. It reads '1 Px Stroke 0% Fill Opacity'. If I create a style with a 1 pixel stroke, then also change the "Blending Options -> Advanced Blending -> Fill Opacity" to 0%. The result of this is an outline of an empty box. Changing the Fill Opacity to 50% (for instance) and I get a normal contact sheet.
If I'm missing something here, let me know how and give me a bit more detail on how the style is actually constructed since I expect that's where the problem is lurking.
-X
For some reason my last response didn't seem to make it - so I'll repeat it.
That was the problem X, changing from the default 0% fill to 100% solved the empty rectangles and the images appear.
Now if only the colour profile modification could be implemented, I would be a very happy bunny.
Carol,
Check out Daily Build 1.61 from http://ps-scripts.sourceforge.net/ContactSheetX/builds/.
I added a new flag on the Advanced tabbed panel called 'forceProfileMatch'. Setting this will cause CSX to open up the first file and check its color profile before processing begins. That profile will be used for any sheets that are created. If a template is used, it will be assigned the profile before processing begins.
There are also several other new features in this release, so it may not be completely stable.
Let me know how this looks to you. I may replace the Match flag with a text field for the color profile name. I'm still undecided.
-X