If you have CS, then you can do it as follows and it will save in the same directory as the source file.
In the Batch dialog box, choose Save and Close as your Destination, tick Include Subfolders and Override Action Save As Commands. You must have a Save As Tiff in the action but the action ignores this.
The same settings apply if you don’t have CS, except the "Override Action ‘Save as’ commands" option is grayed out = you will need to reply to the .tif option dialog for every file. 🙁 aka: One more reason to upgrade to CS! 🙂
Does that mean I have to navigate the anoying folder list every time I do this? I just want to vae a TIFF in the same folder. How hard is it to add this to Photoshop?
RE: Does that mean I have to navigate the anoying folder list every time I do this?
No. In either PS7 or PS CS you only have to specify the Source (and therefore the Destination folder) once as part of the Save & Close option. In PS7 only you will need to reply to the .tif options dialog for each image, but no folder navigation.
RE: How hard is this to add to PS?
In CS it’s a fully hands off process; there’s no need to reply to the .tif dialog.
In either PS7 or PS CS you only have to specify the Source (and therefore the Destination folder) once as part of the Save & Close option.
That’s what I meant. Whenever I run the action, I have to specify a source directory and a target directory, or just a traget directory if files are open or by using the browser. On a large network, theat can be quite a frustrating process, especially since I have created shortcuts to my most common directories, but cannot use them in the Batch Action window.
Let me summarize, and correct me if I’m wrong: I cannot create a completely hands free action to convert a file from any format to TIF.
You could do this easily with VBScript. Hardcode the directory name into each script and then just double click to run the script. I can post code which will do this if you want.
RE: I cannot create a completely hands free action to convert a file from any format to TIF.
Not true.
In PS7 you can convert from whatever format to tif "hands off" under these circumstances: * The source folder contains image files only. Destination folder can be the same as or different from the source folder. (One folder at a time model.)
* The source folder contains any combination of image files, subfolders or shortcuts to other folders. (This accommodates situations where one has "multiple input folders" and a need to process them all at once.) The fine print: All processed images, regardless of source folder, will be placed in the destination folder. If they must be placed in the folder where the source image resides, it will require a manual click of the OK button in the .tif dialog for each record. Labor intensive, but functional.
In PS7 there is no way to convert multiple folders of images to .tif format _and_ put the converted images back in the folders along side the source images in a single pass w/o dealing with the .tif options dialog.
A modification to the CS batch dialog overcomes this restriction in PS7 and earlier versions. In CS you can convert multiple folders full of images to tif, put the converted images into the original source folders, do so "hands off" and process all folders in a single pass.
Since you’re doing this on a network, perhaps this means this is a work setting? If work related and you have to do these types of conversions on a regular basis, the $170 or so to upgrade to CS would pay for itself in labor savings fairly quickly, I’d think.
Although you cannot choose a shortcut to a folder in the batch source dialog, if you place one or more shortcuts in a folder. Then specify that folder the source dialog and turn on the "Include all subfolders" option. PS will batch process the files in the folder(s) which corresponds to the shortcut(s).
RE: "Whenever I run the action, I have to specify a source directory and a target directory…"
When I read this comment it made me think, "Hmmm… maybe Scott is in a siltation where he has a fairly fixed set of directories to process."
Is this a one time conversion you’re doing or something that’s <ongoing?
Are the source folders pretty static or are they always changing? If the former, you could create individual actions that "hard code" the individual folder names that would enable you to process a given folder, hands off, one at a time. You could stack these one folder at a time actions so they could be played (hands off) against multiple folders (one after another) in a single hands off pass.
If you’re so inclined (and not frustrated beyond hope by now), share some additional information about your specific workflow and environment. How are you handling the situation now?
I’m not sure what Scott is asking…
As I read through this thread, it sounds like:
I want to open 20 files from 20 diffent locations and run an action that saves the open files as Tiff, in their source folder, without a dialog"
If that’s the question, then "no". The Save As command will always prompt the dialog for tiffs (and other formats that have options) unless you hard code the choices into the action. Along with that, you hard code the location.
If you weren’t changing formats, you could just Save, which does what you want, without a conversion.
The only way to accomplish this is using batch operations. By its nature though, it requires a different organization to the workflow. You can use a droplet or the batch dialog (I prefer the latter) and run it folder by folder, specifying the destination folder in each run. That in combination with using File Browser Selections as the source may be the quickest route to the issue.
IOW, you would have to segregate your work to accomodate the batch process, folder at a time.
There is no way that I am aware of, without scripting, to automate the conversion of file formats across several folders, unattended, and have the result saved to the respective source folders.
Peace,
Tony
Tony
You can do this with PSCS as in my first post. Still don’t know what version Scott is using. But what Scott doesn’t want to do is to have to navigate to the folder each time he wants to run an action. Danny’s last post suggesting putting shortcuts into a folder seems to be the easiest way if we’re talking CS.
Thanks for the clarification Mick. Sounds like Scott has PSCS due to the title of the thread, so your solution would work then. Sorry I missed the detail, I only have lowly PS7 <smile>.
Peace,
Tony
Well thanks to you Tony for pointing out that it is CS. I don’t think I realised that before.
I must be reading forums too much. Until Tony pointed it out, I didn’t notice CS in the thread title (LOL). Doh.
See, Tony, that’s why we need you eyeballing the forums to pick up on major details like that!
Shoot: Scott should be home free.
* Source: Include all subfolders (put shortcuts inside ‘real’ source folder) * Destination: Save and close
* Destination: ‘Override Action ‘Save as’ commands’ = on (The last two settings are mutually exclusive in PS7, but not in CS. Mick and I discovered that awhile back.)
Dave,
Been awful busy. Danny wrote me a note to see if I was still alive, and as I explained to him, I’ve just been too busy to post anywhere. So that kind of served as a reminder to bop in. Problem is, I simply don’t have time to contribute much.
Danny,
See, Tony, that’s why we need you eyeballing the forums to pick up on major details like that!
Point taken <smile>
Peace,
Tony
I understand T. A man on a mission! Go get em tiger. Don’t be a stranger when things slow down. Actually, I hope I never see you again! The busier the better! 🙂