Automate The Action

[MI6]

I have tryed so meny times to produce such action bit without succsess.
I want to produce picture sheet with different size of one picture in that sheet.
For example, I want to produce action for peoples portrait but with different size,
passport size(8pcs), self identity card size(6pcs), viza size(4pcs), post card size(2pcs),
at one paper sheet (custom size 18x30cm), photo-lab print size.
Everything is O.K., I can produce action that I want, but here is my problem.
For instance, I have to produce sheets of 300 peoples portrait with that action, then
I will open blank sheet (18x30cm) with grid lines where I was already produce and record my action, then I pull first portrait picture, drag to blank sheet at first position and play action.Now the blank sheet is full with different sizes of portrait pictures, then I go with “save as” in my print workink folder.Then I have to go into history tab for emptying the sheet, pull up the second portrait , drag to blank sheet, play action again, then save in my printing folder but now with different name and………………………………doing that again and again till the end. So here is my MAIN question. How can I produce action or set of action to automate this process, without drag every picture manually, play the action and save the produced picture.I’ve tryed with Automate/Batch tool but when I want to play the action always appears message that command moving or resise picture is not currently available. Please, advanced photoshop forum members for help.
Regards.

[MrJelly]

This sort of advanced automation is what scripts are for, MI6. I seem to be the main proponent of scripting on this forum, but if this is something you do frequently then a script really is the way to go. Then again, learning JavaScript/Applescript/VBScript if you're not familiar with scripting languages is pretty time-consuming. Do you have any familiarity with a scripting language?

[MI6]

No at all.

[MrJelly]

I'll wish you the best of luck then. Hopefully one of the other regulars wil have more experience with complex actions- I've steered clear of them for some time now.

[MrJelly]

Hang on a second. With your action, why don't you start from the original picture, resize it to the postcard size, Duplicate enough copies for everything you need, expand the canvas to the required size, then scale and place all your duplicates. Then you'd just need to run the same single action over every file in the folder or whatever. Make it a duplicate folder and then you can skip the "Save As...", use "Save" instead, run a batch action on the entire folder and go to lunch.

[Klatu Baradda Nekto]

You didn't mention which version of Photoshop you have but you should find File>Automate>Picture Package under CS & CS2. This is just the type of task this was designed for.
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[MrJelly]

Wow... go Adobe!

[Kevin Connery]

You didn't mention which version of Photoshop you have but you should find File>Automate>Picture Package under CS & CS2. This is just the type of task this was designed for.
Agreed. Unless there's a serious reason not to use Picture Package, I'd base any action around that for what was described.

Edit the picture package template (instructions for getting to the instructions file are in the Photoshop Help) for the specific layout desired, then record an action that calls Picture Package using that template. Then run that action as a batch for all files in a folder, or whatever.

[MI6]

Agreed. Unless there's a serious reason not to use Picture Package, I'd base any action around that for what was described.

Edit the picture package template (instructions for getting to the instructions file are in the Photoshop Help) for the specific layout desired, then record an action that calls Picture Package using that template. Then run that action as a batch for all files in a folder, or whatever.


O.K.,I will edit some template that I want, but how can I record action for thet template under the picture package tool.
Regards