Action And Linked Layers

JC
Posted By
Jim_Carleton100
Nov 3, 2003
Views
561
Replies
10
Status
Closed
Hi,

I am trying to automate centering images on a black background. I have created a new action and in it I have linked the new image layer to the background layer and then aligned the layers to vertical and horizontal center. Works great so far.
The problem occurs when I go to Automate/Batch/ and select my new action. I keep getting the error message:

The command "Link" is currently not available.

Is there a way I can do this?

Thanks,

Jim

Master Retouching Hair

Learn how to rescue details, remove flyaways, add volume, and enhance the definition of hair in any photo. We break down every tool and technique in Photoshop to get picture-perfect hair, every time.

Y
YrbkMgr
Nov 3, 2003
Have you tried Insert|Menu Item?

One of the easiest ways that I know of to center an image on the background is to do the following.

Select the background (Ctrl-A). Target the layer you wish to center. Click on the Move tool, look at the options bar – the buttons at the top will align your layer relative to the selection.

Now in version 7, you can’t record the clicking of the buttons at the top. So simply record the menu selections of Layer|Align to Selection|Horizontal Center, and then do the same for Vertical Center.

Peace,
Tony
JC
Jim_Carleton100
Nov 4, 2003
Hi Tony,

Thanks for your help.
I looked up Insert/Menu item in the help section, but I seem to be doing it wrong. I didn’t find the help section provided much detail here. If you have a second or two, could you run me through it please? I am using version 7.0, but will be getting CS shortly. Do you know if you can you record the clicking of the top buttons in CS?

Thanks again,

Jim
Y
YrbkMgr
Nov 4, 2003
First, I can’t see a reason to link the layers if all you want to do is that simple alignment, but…

When you’ve recorded your action, click on the step where you would like to link the layers. In the actions pallet, click the flyout menu in the upper right hand side. Then choose Insert Menu Item. It will tell you no item is selected. Make your menu selection Layer|Link or whatever, then click OK for the Insert Menu Imem dialog.

But as I say, aligning using Layer|Align to Selection is pretty snappy…

Peace,
Tony
JC
Jim_Carleton100
Nov 4, 2003
Wow,
That was fast. Thanks again.
I definitely want to do it the easiest way possible.
My problem is I cannot find align to selection.
I am only finding align linked.
Where do I find Layer/Align to Selection?

Thanks,

Jim
JC
Jim_Carleton100
Nov 4, 2003
Hi Tony,

I found Layer/Align to selection. I had not selected the background. I recorded the steps again, but this time I get the message that align layer is currently not available.
Should it be available? Am I doing something wrong in the recording process?

Sorry to be a pain. I am just determined to get this.

Thanks,

Jim
Y
YrbkMgr
Nov 4, 2003
Sorry to be a pain. I am just determined to get this.

No pain at all. Helping people who are not looking to have thing handed to them makes this enjoyable.

Do me a favor though. Go over my first post carefully. Select your background either by ctrl-clicking the layer in the layers pallet or being on your background and Crl-A for Select|All. Without knowing whether your background spans the area of the canvas or not makes it hard to say which is better, but they both get you there.

Okay, so we have an area selected. Now target the layer you want to center. Then Layer|Align to Selection.

For giggles and grins, before you go recording it, try it manually. First use the buttons in the options bar to align the layer. To do that, after you select your background, target the layer to be centered, then click on the MOVE tool and look at the options bar. See if you can center it.

If you can, undo the alignment steps, then use the menu to do the same thing: Layer|Align to Selection|Horizontal Center. Does it work when you do it manually? If so, then you should be able to record the alignment.

If you can’t do it manually, you may be trying to align a layer that can’t be aligned – like an adustment layer or something. Then you may have to use linked layers – I have never used a linked layer so that’s an area out of my experience. I’ve always aligned to selection.

In order for an action like that to work, your layer names must always be the same from image to image. Just so you know.

Let me know how you make out.

Peace,
Tony
DM
dave_milbut
Nov 4, 2003
Go over my first post carefully

What?!! NObody reads the first post!!! 🙂
Y
YrbkMgr
Nov 4, 2003
heh.
JC
Jim_Carleton100
Nov 5, 2003
Hi Tony,
Admittedly, the first time I did not fully understand the first posting. I wasn’t selecting the background itself, but instead the background layer and that is why I was not getting Align to Selection.
As I was saying, I now have that figured out and I did try it manually first and it worked like a charm. Thanks.
The problem still occurs, however, when I record the actions by choosing Layer/Align To Selection – vertical and then horizontal centers, and then use Automate/Batch and select the new action.
I am now getting the following error
"The command "Align" is currently not available. When you say target the layer you want to center, all I have done is selected that layer in the layer palette and then I aligned it using Layer/Align To Selection. It works, but did I do something wrong here?

Thanks again,

Jim
Y
YrbkMgr
Nov 5, 2003
Jim,

When you say target the layer you want to center, all I have done is selected that layer in the layer palette and then I aligned it using Layer/Align To Selection. It works, but did I do something wrong here?

No, that’s exactly what I meant.

But…

"The command "Align" is currently not available.

The problem with trying to do this in a batch, is as I mentioned earlier: all layers must be named the same in each file you try to perform the action on.

Look at the action steps in detail. Notice that they say Load Selection, select Layer X, etc. If all the images you intend to process have different layer names it won’t work.

Now, the reason Align is not available is, I assume, because the background of the area you are selecting wasn’t selected first. How can that be? Well, if some files have the bottom layer called Background, and some are called Layer 0, then the action won’t know that since it’s referring to layer names that must be preserved.

So… as I had said, I don’t know how many layers you have in your images, or if the background expands the entire area of the canvas. So telling you how to get around it means we have to know more about what you’re trying to do. But the easiest thing to do is to target the background, Ctrl-Click that layer, then target the layer to align and use the menu items.

Again though, if the subesquent images have different layer names that won’t work.

Now if what you’re trying to do is to put a logo on and center it, there are probably easier ways – but without knowing what you’re trying to do exactly, the most likely answer is that the layer names are different from image to image.

Peace,
Tony

Must-have mockup pack for every graphic designer 🔥🔥🔥

Easy-to-use drag-n-drop Photoshop scene creator with more than 2800 items.

Related Discussion Topics

Nice and short text about related topics in discussion sections