"Filters" palette

[Raphael]

Hi Guys,

This is probably going to sound obvious to most of you, but recently I went for a look see on the Computer Arts PS Forum where someone was asking what we'd like to see in PS7 (Saw ya there Markzebra).

Whilst reading through the previous posts I couldn't believe the amount of PS users moaning about how unwieldy the Filters menu is, how "You have to sort through loads of filters to get to the ones you use all the time." Someone even suggested a 'Filters Palette' to make them more accessible.

Now, I agree that the filters could do with a good overhaul and an updating, (The envelope distort feature from Illustrator 10 would be cool, if a little slow.) but I thought I'd point out the (I thought obvious, but obviously not) solution within PS6 (and 5?):

Open a new RGB document (size doesn't matter, allegedly).

Open your 'Actions Palette'

Click on the arrow at the top right of the palette and go to "New Set", Type "Filters" and click OK.

Now with the "Filters" Set you've just created highlighted, click on the little page icon at the bottom of the palette. Type the name of your favouritest Filter, assign a Function key with or without modifier if you want, and click on "Record".

Now go to and select your favouritest Filter, (if it wants you to enter any values don't worry anything will do).

Once the filter has finished running go back to the 'Actions' palette and click on the stop button (little button with a square on it at the bottom of the palette).

You will notice that the filter has appeared in the 'Filters' set in the palette.

Now, if the filter you ran didn't need any value from you there will be a little tick in a box to the far left of the palette from your filter name, and a blank space to the right of that.

If the filter did require values from you, then there will be a little box to the right of the tick, click on it. An icon will appear (don't ask me what it's supposed to be), this means that when you run the Action, Photoshop will ask you for new values, instead of just using the ones you entered when you recorded the action.

Repeat this process for all your favourite filters.

Now anytime you want to use one of those filters you can either select it in the 'Actions' palette and click on the 'Play button' (little button with a triangle on it at the bottom of the palette), press the function key you assigned it, or if you go into the little, top right, arrow menu and select "Button Mode", this turns all your actions into buttons on the palette.

And hey! We just made a "Filters Palette", including keyboard shortcuts!

I have a Actions Set of "Menu Options" too, for things that don't already have keyboard shortcuts, like "Copy Layer Style" etc.

Another solution to filter clutter, as someone (I believe Markzebra) pointed out on the CA Forum, is to actually remove any filters you never use from the Plug-ins folder within the PS application folder, before you launch. (Is that how it works on PC's too I don't know?) Personally I don't like that idea as I never know what obscure filter I'm going to find a use for.

So there we are then. Sorry if that all seemed a bit simple or patronising to a lot of you, but as Greg points out, a majority of 'shoppers are beginners, and if all this has helped but one of us, then it's worth it.

Raphael;}

[Greg Vander Houwen]

Good tip,

"Sorry if that all seemed a bit simple or patronising to a lot of you..."

Be carefull there buddy, it does seem obvious but I hadn't thought of it. :|

greg

[Utopian23]

For years I've been an advocate for using keyboard shortcuts as often as is practical. I'm a big fan of efficiency when I'm working. I learned, as soon as it was possible, to create actions with custom key commands for menu functions that Adobe left out. I haven't done it with many Filters, though Gaussian Blur is one I use regularly. Others I've set up are Color Range, Selective Color and Brightness & Contrast, Image Size and Canvas Size, New View, Render Type, Clear Guides, Select Similar, Grow, Purge All, Create New Channel from Selection...shoot, just have a look...

http://www.phosphor.f2s.com/CustomActions.gif

Here's one for ya...perhaps this ought to be CC:ed to the Challenge forum. See if you can figure it out. I've created an action that'll draw out guidelines, one from the top and one from the left, that will intersect at the center of any size document window. This comes in quite handy as you can imagine. I've also created a similar action to divide any document into 9 equal panes...like it was divided by Tic-Tac-Toe lines. (These are the two blue colored buttons, above) If it's obvious to you, let it idle for awhile to see if anyone else can suss it out.

EDIT:Can't forget the custom action for the All-Important "Button Mode." This makes switching back and forth while editing actions easy.

[Raphael]

Yep, got it. :D

I shan't say how, let it ride

Stumped me for about 10 mins, until I was looking at the 'Guides & Grid' preferences and notices the unit choices for the grid.

I've not gone that into depth on guides before, you just prompted me into finding out a rather useful fact. Nice one, cheers U23.

Raphael;}

[mark]

I've been snagged by my own enthusiasm for shortcut function keys. On my Mac I have assigned function keys to open apps, this overrides the shortcut keys I made with actions in PS. Does anyone know how I can make both sets of shortcuts to operate?
Thanks, Mark.

[Raphael]

Mark,

I don't believe so, not on a Mac anyhoo, (I may well be wrong).

My best suggestion would be...

...pick different keys dude.%'

Raphael

[dlz]

Originally posted by Raphael
I don't believe so, not on a Mac anyhoo, (I may well be wrong).
If the keyboard shortcuts have been defined through the Mac OS Keyboard control panel (and not a third party gadget), holding down the Option key (alt) while pressing a function key will send the key press to the frontmost application instead of the operating system. The drawback to this method is that you lose the ability to use alt in keyboard combos.

[mark]

You legend dlz, that works a treat.

[sPECtre]

That idea of a feature request forum outside adobeforums.com is odd...
I just go to the "real one", not where the adobe technicians won't look...

[Greg Vander Houwen]

Welcome sPECtre,

I just go to the "real one", not where the adobe technicians won't look...

I wouldn't make that assumption. One thing the PS team does very well is to keep an eye out for good ideas. They don't limit their view to just their own site and they don't go out of their way to annouce their presence to others.

But the point here isn't to change Photoshop, just to exchange and argue ideas.

But I agree, if you want to put in a feature request, one of the best places to get it seen by the people who make those decisions is at http://www.adobe.com/support/forums/main.html and then select your forum.

Greg

[sPECtre]

My point was that the engineers have already a lot to do, some even visit the forum in their spare time (when they have)

If they have to "screen" 10 forums (fora?), they won't have time anymore ->no improvements (of course this is an exageration, but I guess you see what I mean)

And any constructive discussion is always a good thing, especially between Sirs and plebeians :D

Pierre