MikeD's Photoshop Tools » How-To

Easily migrate your Actions, Tool Presets and Workspaces to CS5

MikeD — Mon, 03 May 2010 22:20:50 +0000

I have a highly customized Photoshop configuration, including a lot of custom actions, tool presets and workspaces to streamline getting my work done, not to mention a special workspace that facilitates programming and debugging. And so the thought of migrating all that to CS5 was not a pleasant one.

Happily, it’s pretty easy The key is that all the custom settings for Photoshop are stored in individual files, in a special folder. The trick is to copy these special files from the CS4 folder to the CS5 folder. The exact steps are as follows:

Shut down Photoshop
Locate the CS4 preferences folder. In OS X, this folder is /Library/Preferences/Adobe Photoshop CS4 Settings. On a PC, I can’t keep track since it seems to vary with what version of Windows you are running. So search for “Actions Palette.psp” and you’ll find it.
Select the files you want to copy:
- to migrate actions, copy “Actions Palette.psp”
- to migrate tool presets, copy “ToolPresets.psp”
- to migrate your workspaces, copy the contents of “Workspaces”
- to migrate your keyboard shortcuts, copy “Keyboard Shortcuts.psp”
- etc. the files are named in a straightforward way
The target is the CS5 configuration folder. The CS5 folder is next to the CS4 folder, so there should be no problem finding it if you found the CS4 folder. Simply copy the settings files from the CS4 folder to the CS5 folder, and you’re all done. Note: I always rename the file that is already there by adding “stock” to the end, so make sure I can go back to the original version if I need to.

Start up Photoshop CS5, and behold: your actions, presets and workspaces are ready and waiting.

…Mike

Using Actions with AutoLoader

MikeD — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:36:42 +0000

One of the strengths of AutoLoader is it’s ability to run an action right after your image is loaded, right before it’s saved, or both. This is useful for applying a starting point for your retouching at the beginning, or doing things like resizing, sharpening, or modifying the colourspace at the end.

In this video, I’ll describe how to use actions with AutoLoader, potential problems, and how to get around them.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KQt4EHX01o

In a nutshell, you can use any action you like, but there are things to be aware of. First, a “stop” step will cause errors, because it is halting the execution of the action, which AutoLoader interprets as an error. Next, a “duplicate” step causes problems because the duplicate file doesn’t have an actual file name until it is manually saved at least once. So when AutoLoader goes to save it, an error will be generated.

Describing how to fix these errors is beyond the scope of this post…there are just too many ways this stuff can be done to provide a definite solution. I suggest that you edit the action until it runs without stop or duplicate steps, at which point you’re golden. Usually unchecking the stop action works aces, but duplicate removal can be a bit more involved.

…Mike

Dealing with Extension Manager issues in Windows

MikeD — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:35:55 +0000

The Adobe Extension Manager is designed to permit the easy installation of plugins. For Windows Vista and 7 users, it can cause troubles doe to the way that user permission rights work. If you attempt to install one of my plugins and you get an error message that talks about about appropriate permissions, this video is for you.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8ECcyBPf0M

…Mike

How to Assign Keyboard Shortcuts in Photoshop

MikeD — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:13:43 +0000

Assigning keyboard shortcuts in Photoshop is pretty straightforward, but as with most things if you don’t know exactly where to look, it can be elusive. In this video, I show you where to look

www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wvzixuNEgU

…Mike

Installing Proofmaker in Photoshop CS4

MikeD — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:08:47 +0000

Thanks to the Extension Manager that comes as a part of Photoshop CS4, installation for you CS4 users will be a breeze. But just in case you are more visually oriented, here is a quick installation How-To video to help you along.

Here you go, in high def goodness!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVnjo_mjDxg

Still having trouble? Post a comment or pop me an email. We’ll get you sorted out.

…Mike

Installing Proofmaker into Photoshop CS3

MikeD — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 02:30:03 +0000

If you are using Photoshop CS3, installing a script can be tricky. Your manual details the steps, but this How-To video should help you if you get stuck. This is primarily for CS3 users, but you CS4 users can use the same steps to install into CS4 if the Extension Manager method doesn’t work for you.

Here you go, in high def sweetness!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnDUDSY88Q8

Still having trouble? Post a comment or pop me an email. We’ll get you sorted out.

…Mike

Installing Sloppy Borders into Photoshop CS4

MikeD — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 02:26:17 +0000

If you are using Photoshop CS4, then this installation How-To video is for you. Feel free to follow along in your manual, but it’s so easy you probably won’t have to. Enjoy!

Here you go, in high definess!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEbFbYQWt28

Still having trouble? Post a comment or pop me an email. We’ll get you sorted out.

…Mike

Installing Sloppy Borders into Photoshop CS3

MikeD — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 02:25:38 +0000

Installing Sloppy Borders into CS3 can get tricky, what with all the files that need to be put in just the right spot. Your manual details the steps, but I also put together this video tutorial to help you out.

This is primarily for CS3 users, but you CS4 users can use the same steps to install into CS4 if the Extension Manager method doesn’t work for you.

Here you go, in high def coolness!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n9NPVUTgeM

Still having trouble? Post a comment or pop me an email. We’ll get you sorted out.

…Mike

Installing AutoLoader into Photoshop CS4

MikeD — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:08:17 +0000

Installing AutoLoader into CS4 is a snap, thanks to the Extension Manager that comes with CS4. Your manual details the steps, but I whipped this up for you CS4 users in case you are more visually inclined

Here you go, in high def no less!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVnjo_mjDxg

Still having trouble? Post a comment or pop me an email. We’ll get you sorted out.

…Mike

Installing AutoLoader into Photoshop CS3

MikeD — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:44:11 +0000

The very first thing you need to do is to install AutoLoader before you can actually use it Your manual details the steps, but it can be tricky to copy everything where it needs to go. So here is a video tutorial to help you get `er done.

This is primarily for CS3 users, but you CS4 users can use the same steps to install into CS4 is the Extension Manager method doesn’t work for you.

Here you go, in high def sweetness!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2tiOeo2nFQ

Still having trouble? Post a comment or pop me an email. We’ll get you sorted out.

…Mike