Actions – loading actions by opening .atn action file

DR
Posted By
Danny Raphael
Aug 28, 2003
Views
665
Replies
8
Status
Closed
WHAT YOU DO:
* Double-click on, right-click/Open, or right-click/Open With (Photoshop) an .atn file

RESULT:
* Photoshop opens AND
* The actions from the .atn are copied into the Actions Palette, too — just as though one executed a Load Actions command on the .atn via the Actions Palette Menu.

WHAT’S WEIRD:
Many folks in a different PS forum reported this didn’t work for them – including me.

A pretty sharp tech. guy reported this capability can be enabled with a registry hack (albeit a fairly simple one if you want to go there).

Others reported being able to do this w/o having done the registry modification.

It doesn’t appear to related to the Windows flavor / PS version installed either.

It works:
* Win98SE – PS6
* Win XP Pro – PS7

No go:
* Win 2K – PS7
* Win XP Home – PS6, PS 7
* Win XP Pro – PS7

This method was reported as a "tip" in a recent Photoshop User mag, as well.

– – – – – –

I’m wondering if Tony, Trevor, Mathias or any of the action heavyweights who participate here can shed some light on this.

Why can come folks do it (w/o the registry change) and some folks not?

Clues, hints, pearls of wisdom appreciated.

TIA – Danny
Related Tags
action atn file load open

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Y
YrbkMgr
Aug 28, 2003
Danny,

I’m looking into it, but fwiw, it doesn’t work for me either. I can drag it onto the work area and it will load but double clicking or right click Open won’t add it to the actions pallet.

Win98SE and PS7.

Peace,
Tony
DR
Danny Raphael
Aug 28, 2003
Here’s the registry change that supposedly enables this functionality in case it might ring any bells.

————-
NOTE: Use at your own risk.

To my knowledge this has not been tested this and I take NO responsibility for its outcome.

Registry changes (if done improperly) can cause great pain and grief.

————-
Start => Run=> type "regedit" click ok

Browse to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
SOFTWARE
Classes
PhotoShop.ActionsFile
shell
open
command

And in the right frame you will see an icon "Default", double click on this and you’ll see something like this:

C:\Program Files\Photoshop 7.0\Photoshop.exe

Change to:

"C:\Program Files\Photoshop 7.0\Photoshop.exe" "%1"

(Note the placements of " quotes)

Close the regeditor
P
Phosphor
Aug 28, 2003
The registry tweak worked on 2000. Looks like you could do it without editing the registry too. You can do it by changing the file association. Under folder options, choose file types. Find atn in the list then highlight it and choose advanced. Highlight open and choose edit. Then just wrap the original statement in quotes and add "%1" to the end (don’t forget the space).
DR
Danny Raphael
Aug 29, 2003
Here’s the registry change that supposedly enables this functionality in case it might ring any bells.

————-
NOTE: Use at your own risk.

To my knowledge this has not been tested this and I take NO responsibility for its outcome.

Registry changes (if done improperly) can cause great pain and grief.

————-
Start => Run=> type "regedit" click ok

Browse to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
SOFTWARE
Classes
PhotoShop.ActionsFile
shell
open
command

And in the right frame you will see an icon "Default", double click on this and you’ll see something like this:

C:\Program Files\Photoshop 7.0\Photoshop.exe

Change to:

"C:\Program Files\Photoshop 7.0\Photoshop.exe" "%1"

(Note the placements of " quotes)

Close the regeditor
P
Phosphor
Aug 29, 2003
Tony, you should be able to set a file association by right-clicking on an atn file and then choose open with. Then pick photoshop and check the always use this program option.

You’ll then have to go and edit the association. It’d be easier to use regedit. You can skip the association stuff. Just create the key (use string value), the association will get set automatically when the key is added.
Y
YrbkMgr
Aug 29, 2003
Eric,

you should be able to set a file association by right-clicking on an atn file and then choose open with.

Yes, thanks, I know. The real question was, on user machines where double clicking on the ATN adds it to the bottom of the pallet, is theirs automatically associated (with the filename variable added to the registry key)? If so, how did that happen? If not, it’s a moot point. See what I mean?

I’m not trying to fix it – I personally don’t care. But what Danny brings up is interesting. To wit, why does it work on some user machines and not others? Is there a common thread that we can identify?

Danny’s writing some tutorials on Actions and we’ve corresponded via e-mail as well as in the forum in the past. As a result, he’s trying to be as comprehensive as possible, probably as an academic exercise <grin>, to document much of the functionality of Actions. I think this is one of the quirks that he’s trying to chase down.

Peace,
Tony
MV
Mathias Vejerslev
Sep 1, 2003
This has never worked for me either.

Appreciate the hacks, though.
Y
YrbkMgr
Sep 1, 2003
Just for clarification, drag-n-drop works, even though double clicking doesn’t. To me, there’s little difference so I prefer not to be bothered with a registry hack – just me, but I thought I’d add my two cents <shrug>.

Peace,
Tony

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