In a tight spot? You've come to the right spot.
Have you run into a problem? Have a question perhaps? Or maybe you just want to catch up on the latest news, or see some neat ways your new time savers can be put to use. Well, you found what you're looking for. And remember, if you get stuck and you can't find a solution here, pop me an email and I'll get you sorted out.
Who is MikeD?
I own a photography business called Photos for Life, specializing in weddings. Most of the tools you see here were created by me to solve problems I ran into in the course of running my own photography business, and I thought they could help you, too. Judging by the fan mail, I think I was right!
You can keep up with all things MikeD by following me on Twitter.
My Facebook Page is a good spot to see what's new too!
All of my video tutorials can be viewed on my YouTube channel, too.
Frequent Questions
Here are some of the questions I have received about the plugins I offer. If you have a question and you don't see it answered here, let me know and I'll add it to the list.
1. Does AutoLoader load RAW files?
2. How does AutoLoader work with RAW processing programs like Lightroom or Aperture?
4. Once I purchase your stuff, how many computers can it be used on?
5. I didn't get the download email...WTF?
6. An actual question about how AutoLoader works.
7. The second part of the question about AutoLoader.
8. Is this a plugin? or a script? What's a script?
11. Do you have trial versions of your stuff?
12. My screen size is 800x600 and I can't see the whole dialog box when I run your plugins.
14. Something isn't right. Where should I start?
15. I'm clicking on the tabs in ProofMaker but nothing is happening.
16. AutoLoader/Proofmaker is complaining when I run it along with my favourite action.
17. I am getting an Error 21 message when I run an action with Proofmaker/AutoLoader.
18. I have a bunch of border files from AutoFX. Can I use them with Sloppy Borders?
20. I can't find the folder to install the Bridge part of the scripts.
22. I am seeing "Error 48" or "Error 64" messages when I run your plugins.
25. I AM the administrator and there is no other person on the computer.
26. Parts of the Proofmaker UI don't seem to be working.
28. Is there a way to save both a PSD and a JPG at the same time with AutoLoader?
29. Does AutoLoader work in <image editing program that is not Photoshop>?
30. When I try to run Autoloader Next it says there are no files in that folder. What do I do?
1. Does AutoLoader load RAW files?back to top
No, and there are currently no plans to add RAW support to AutoLoader (or Proofmaker for that matter). Loading RAW files using AutoLoader misses the point of what AutoLoader does and eliminates one of the principle strengths of shooting RAW in the first place: copying adjustments.
One of the major advantages of shooting RAW is the ability to adjust one image, and apply those adjustments to all images taken in the same environment. Lightroom and Aperture, and to a lesser extent Adobe Camera Raw, can do this.
If AutoLoader loaded RAW files one by one, every image loaded would trigger Adobe Camera Raw, forcing you to adjust each image individually, one by one. This is inefficient, repetitive, frustrating, and slow. And it would also lead to inconsistent colours across your image set, because you are adjusting each image one by one instead of all together. This would actually make your process feel slower, which again flies in the face of what AutoLoader is supposed to do.
A better solution is to process all your files at once, render/export them, and then use AutoLoader to do any retouching or other adjustments.
2. How does AutoLoader work with RAW processing programs like Lightroom or Aperture?back to top
The short version is that it doesn't.
AutoLoader comes into play after your files have been adjusted and rendered/exported, and you are ready to load them into Photoshop for final editing or individual adjustments.
Loading a file from Lightroom into Photoshop is cheating, sorta, because what is actually happening is that Lightroom is exporting the RAW file as a TIFF file, and sending it to Photoshop. Once Photoshop is done with it, Lightroom re-imports the adjusted TIFF file. So for each file you adjust directly in Photoshop from Lightroom, you are adding a 30mb TIFF file to your library.
If you have multiple files to adjust in Photoshop, why do it inefficiently one by one from Lightroom? Simply export all the files first, then use AutoLoader to do the loading into Photoshop.
3. I'm using 64bit Windows and 64bit Photoshop. I followed the installation instructions, but when I open Photoshop I don't see AutoLoader/Proofmaker/Sloppy Borders in the Automate folder. Where is it?back to top
If you use 64bit Windows, you have to install things into two places, one for the normal/32bit installation, and one for the 64bit installation.
For the 64bit side, install them to
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CS4 (64 Bit)\Presets\Scripts
For the 32bit side, install them to
C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CS4\Presets\Scripts
4. Once I purchase your stuff, how many computers can it be used on?back to top
Up to three computers that you personally own. If you are a retouching shop, site licenses are available...email me for more info. Please don't steal my stuff.
5. I didn't get the download email...WTF?back to top
When you place your order, the email address that your link gets sent to is your paypal address. If you have some email associated with paypal that you never check, don't be surprised if you don't get the link in the email account you use daily. The download is fully automated, so make sure you check the correct email address.
6. This was an actual question about AutoLoader, and I include it here to drive home the primary point of AutoLoader:
"If someone starts processing a directory and like in my case I was into about 100 files, the user should be able to SPECIFY what the next file is to be loaded. That to me is a huge mistake in your program. A friend of mine told me about AutoLoader. I am sad it doesn't have the basics to be functional."back to top
This was my reply: "The biggest issue here stems from a basic misunderstanding of what AutoLoader is designed to do, so bear with my while I explain a few things in more detail. Please understand I'm not trying to tell you that you're wrong or anything of the sort! Everyone has their own way of doing things, and perhaps for you, AutoLoader is not a good fit.
AutoLoader was designed to load files as quickly as possible, and there is no faster way to do it. It does this because it makes two assumptions. First, that your files are named in the order they should be loaded. And second, that you want to load files sequentially. If those two conditions are met, AutoLoader is for you, and the loading is handled automatically for you.
Having it stop and wait for you to specify the next file is the opposite of what Autoloader does. First, because this would be no different than loading the files manually without using AutoLoader at all. Second, because this would slow the loading process down from being near-instantaneous (minus the overhead of the read and write that is tied to the speed of your computer) to being dependent on user intervention. Which again begs the question: why use AutoLoader at all?
AutoLoader does indeed have everything it needs to be functional, as long as you understand what it is designed to do. If you are looking to control exactly which file gets loaded every time, then you don't want an automatic file loader, you are wanting to do it manually, and AutoLoader is not for you."
7. The second part of the question was this: "I figured the scripts would have basic intelligence and they don't. I renamed my files from 0001 to 1372 and when I processed 099 it jumped to 1000."back to top
My reply: "As for the file loading order, that is determined 100% by the way you name your files. If you sort your files and rename then sequentially, that is the order they will be loaded into Photoshop, and how it has worked for years.
I'm not sure how exactly you have named your files, because 099 is three digits and 1000 is four, which can lead to trouble with sorting, especially in Windows. Try naming all your files with the same number of digits and you should be fine."
8. Is this a plugin? or a script? What's a script?back to top
If it does the trick, does it matter? :) But if you are curious, technically they are scripts, which are mini-programs. They operates like plug-ins, and so that's what I call them for simplicity's sake. I also call them plug-ins to avoid the "What is a script?" question. :)
9. I tried a shortcut key, but it doesn't work, or it brings up a strange window with code in it. What is going on?back to top
Some shortcuts don't work properly, for reasons that I have never been able to figure out. For example, Ctrl-Shift-Alt-F12 can sometimes open the scripting debugger, which is a tool used when programming.
If you are trying a shortcut and it doesn't seem to be working, it could be conflicting with a shortcut already assigned to something else. Actions are a big culprit here, because the shortcuts assigned to actions don't show up in the keyboard shortcut menu item.
There is no fix for this other than to use a different shortcut key combination. Ctrl-Shift-Alt-F12 doesn't seem like much of a shortcut anyway! :)
10. I have my images on a network drive/external drive, and sometimes I get an error message when I try to open them using your plugins. What's going on?back to top
Adobe does not officially support network drives with their applications. There is nothing I can do to address this. It works for some people and not for others...it's maddeningly idiosyncratic. Same goes for Lightroom too, FWIW. I have no solution because it is a limitation of the scripting engine that Adobe provides.
11. Do you have trial versions of the scripts?back to top
Nope.
12. My screen size is 800x600 and I can't see the whole dialog box when I run your plugins.back to top
I can't help you with that. The size of the dialog box and the elements inside it are layed out by the Adobe scripting engine; I have no control over how much space is used around each object in the interface. For this reason, a 1024 x 768 screen size is a minimum requirement.
13. I installed AutoLoader and ran AutoLoader Set, and nothing is happening...no images are being loaded. What gives?back to top
AutoLoader is a two step process. In the first step, Autoloader Set is opened, and AutoLoader is told which files to load, what to save them as and where...basically all those steps you have already figured out.
Once that step is complete, you then use Autoloader Next to actually load the files. Choose File, Automate, Autoloader Next and presto, your first file will open. Then keep selecting AutoLoader Next and your images will load one after the other. You can make this even faster by assigning a keyboard shortcut to AutoLoader Next, the procedure for which is in the manual that you got with your download.
14. Something isn't right. Where should I start?back to top
Sometimes the issue involves a configuration file that has gotten corrupted.
For ProofMaker, delete _proofmaker3-general.settings from you home folder.
For Sloppy Borders, delete _sloppyborders3.settings from you home folder.
For AutoLoader, delete _autoloader3-general.settings from you home folder. You may also have to delete the folder-configuration files from the folder containing the images you were loading. The following files could be present and they should all be deleted:
_autoloader3-control.settings
_autoloader3-control2.settings
_autoloader3-turbo.settings
_autoloader3-bridge.settings.
If this happens to you, please let me know. I'm all about fixing bugs in my stuff :)
15. I'm clicking on the tabs in ProofMaker but nothing is happening.back to top
Click the space around the tabs, not the text, and you should be fine. Adobe doesn't provide the ability in its scripting engine to create tabs, so I had to use some ninja programming skills to make them work...and sometimes the labels don't sit in the right order.
16. AutoLoader/Proofmaker is complaining when I run it along with my favourite action. back to top
Actions are useful with AutoLoader and ProofMaker, but you have to keep a few things in mind when using them.
Steps that may be a part of your action that can cause troubles include:
- Flattening the image. ProofMaker looks for specific layers to be available to manipulate things like the text and the borders. Flattening layers removes them, and will cause errors.
- Closing the file
- Creating or working on a duplicate
- Renaming layers.
How to edit an action is a bit beyond an FAQ like this, because doing so can have unforeseen consequences with how the action does it's thing. The only thing I can suggest is for you to experiment until it works.
17. I am getting an Error 21 message when I run an action with Proofmaker/AutoLoader. back to top
Your action is creating a copy of your image and working with that copy as part of what it does. When you make a copy of an image, either by using the copy-new-paste method or the duplicate image method, the file doesn't actually have a name internally yet; an internal name is assigned only after you save it for the first time.
What I mean is that it has a name in the sense that it says "New Document 1" or "Blah Copy" in the title bar, but that name is only a placeholder that the internal bits of Photoshop don't have access to. For the same reason, if you try to save this file, it will ask you for a name to save it as; compare this to saving a file that you have just opened, and it will just save the file because it already has an internal name.
So the answer is, don't make a new document as part of your action.
18. I have a bunch of border files from AutoFX. Can I use them with Sloppy Borders?back to top
Yes. The files that come with AutoFX with the AFX extension are simply JPG files. Just change the extension to JPG and you can view them.
19. When I assign AutoLoader to F5 on my Mac, it doesn't do anything; instead, my speakers get louder. What should I do?back to top
This is because, by default, the F keys are set to control the various bits of a mac, instead of operating as normal F keys. To fix this, go to System Preferences, Keyboard and Mouse, Keyboard and make sure that "Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys" is selected.
20. I can't find the folder to install the Bridge part of the scripts. The instructions say (for example) to copy it to "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Startup Scripts CS3\Adobe Bridge" However, there is no "Startup Script CS3" folder. What should I do?back to top
The easiest way to find the correct folder for the bridge stuff is to get Bridge to tell you :) Open Bridge and select Preferences, Startup scripts and click on "Reveal Scripts." at the bottom. This will open the folder into which you can copy the script.
21. If I want to pause AutoLoader to go do something else, how do I pause it? What do I do with the last image that was open (after I edited it)? Do I save and close? And how do I resume where I left off?back to top
AutoLoader can resume where you left off, but it doesn't know when you have done so all by itself. When you are ready to do something else, just manually close the last file that AutoLoader opened, and go do whatever. Then when you want to resume an AutoLoader session, run AutoLoader Set again, and don't change anything, just click Save and Close. This will tell AutoLoader to load the previous image, right where you left off.
For example, if you have 10 files and you want to stop after editing file 6, hit AutoLoader Next and 6 will close and 7 will load. Then close 7 manually. When you are ready to resume, run AutoLoader Set again and it will tell you that it will resume loading at file 7. Run AutoLoader Next, and file 7 will load, and you're on your way again.
22. When I run your plugin, I see an error message pop up with the text "Error 48: File or folder does not exist" or "Error 64, Nothing in the file"back to top
When you installed the scripts, you didn't copy over everything :)
With your installation, there is a folder that needs to be copied to the Photoshop scripts folder as well as the script. For example, with AutoLoader the folder is called "AutoLoader Scripts Only". The entire contents of the installation folder have to be copied in order for things to work properly. Give it another shot.
23. When I use AutoLoader, I always use the same source folder to load my images from. Sometimes I get an error stating that an image can't be found. What is going on?back to top
You are using an out of date turbo file. Turbo mode caches the filename list for super speed, but if you remove any of these files before you have loaded them, this can happen. If you are going to load files from a folder in which the list of files changes as you run it, deselect Turbo mode. This will slow AutoLoader down, but will ensure that this error goes away.
24. When I use the CS4 installation packages, the Adobe Extension Manager pops up a message that says "You are not authorized.....contact your administrator...." or some such. back to top
You apparently don't have administration rights on your Windows machine, probably Vista with UAC active. Try opening Extension Manager manually by right-clicking it and selecting "Run as Administrator."
25. That didn't work. back to top
Then I'm not sure what is going on. You'll have to follow the CS3 installation instructions in the manual instead. Don't forget to substitute "CS4" for "CS3."
26. In Proofmaker, it seems as if it's not saving the changes I make to a text entry box. For example, I am doing the following steps:back to top
1. On the "Text" tab, I click on the Text box
2. I enter "copyright 2008" in the Text label entry box
3. I change 2008 to 2009 and click on Save Preset
4. The "Save Preset" dialog box opens, and I save the preset
5. I click BEGIN to start the processing, but the year is still 2008back to top
Photoshop (nor any program, really) does not acknowledge that the text entry has changed until you click somewhere else in the GUI other than a button. So after you are done entering the text, either hit Enter or click on something else that is not a button, and it will register the change.
If you're curious, here is why text boxes work this way. Almost always, there is a bit of code that checks what you have entered into the text box to make sure it's formatted correctly. As an example, let's say that there is a text box into which you want to enter a US zip code, which is a 5-digit number. If the code that checked that this number was indeed 5 digits did the check after every number was typed, you would end up getting 4 warning boxes stating that the zip code wasn't long enough, once for each digit until the final fifth one was typed. So instead, it waits until it thinks you're done (which it determines by waiting for you to go to some other spot in the user interface) and THEN checks it. All very logical :)
27. In Proofmaker, if I resize an image to 5x7, it ends up putting a black edge around the image on 2 sides...can I make that white instead?back to top
Yes, set the Inner border colour to white and the bars will be white.
28. Is there a way to save as both a PSD and a JPG at the same time with AutoLoader? back to top
This is doable if you write an action to save the PSD, and then run that action right before the file is saved (in other words, set up AutoLoader to call the action as part of the File Saving Options). You'll have to move the PSDs to their proper home of course.
29. Does AutoLoader work in <image editing program that is not Photoshop>? back to top
No.
30. When I try to run Autoloader next it says there are no files in that folder. What do I do?back to top
One of two things are happening. Either the folder doesn't have any images, or the file type in the folder is not the file type you are loading. For example, if your folder is full of PSD files and you have told AutoLoader Set to load only JPEG files, it will tell you there is nothing to load.