In this issue:
Revised Actions Packagehttp://hiddenelements.com/freetools.html
The package contains not only an interface for running an unlimited number of Photoshop actions (please see the instructions for limitations), but several other tools as well. The key difference between the previous release and this one is that you can load up to 84 actions (32 pre-installed), and change the installed actions without closing out of Elements. That means, in other words, that you can load as many actions as you want -- and you can do it by just changing folder names -- rather than getting into the HTML.
I'm working on getting some actions developers involved in making their stuff available and doing the simple conversion to Elements compatability for you.
New tools in the set include:
True Layer Masking
Quick Mask Mode
Selective Color Adjustment Layers
Channel Mixer Adjustment Layers
Action Playback Speed Control
Annotations are in there, but for some reason are temporarily out of order. I'll get them working before the next newsletter.
If you have other suggestions and interests, or you want to help out developing compatible action sets, please let me know! There is a developer kit included with the package.
<<Have not received e-mail in a long time. Apparently the Adobe Photoshop Elements user-to-user forum is less proactive now. Will this group, or RetouchPro forum, be the vehicle for susequent information, teaching, etc?>>
If you've been on the Abobe Elements discussion list at all, I have found that list to be censored so heavily that useful discussion just can't happen. Instead of trying to fight with the moderators on Adobe, I've decided to open my own forum. I would like to keep it censor-free and allow completely open discussion. The only thing I will do to 'censor' is to confine discussions to threads, rather than having them run rampant in a bunch of places. That will allow anyone to discuss anything of interest -- so long as it pertains to Elements. Those who are not interested in advertising will be required to ignore advertisments by not looking at them.
As for the newsletter frequency, I've been frantic trying to get the new free actions tools out. I appologize for not being more consistent. I also realized that I liked the forum atmosphere, and then did a bit of research into setting one up to take care of both the Q&A and keeping in contact with readers and tool users.
Rather than statically update a question and answer page on the Hidden Power site, I decided that an open forum would be a better solution to getting people answers to questions. This has the added benefit of allowing readers to discuss things with one another as well, without my intervention, and without my mono-maniacal perspective. In other words, I know there are readers with valid perspectives, great ideas and they can help other users as well. That seems best for everyone.
The new forum is housed on retouchpro.com, which is run by Doug Nelson (who some may recognize as my technical editor for The Hidden Power of Photoshop Elements 2). Here's the direct link:
http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=142
There are several areas there that cover discussion on how to use tools from the book, how to use free tools, information about free tool announcements, technical support for installation, and miscellaneous stuff. Please sign up and submit things for discussion. The newsletter will still come out periodically, with grouping of topics and questions, but the forum is your way to get involved directly with making the most of the tools -- for yourself and other Hidden Power enthusiasts.
The Hidden Power site has been updated -- and hopefully I killed all the dead links. If you find any, let me know. The Q&A section was replaced with a forum, which will better serve the purpose of immediacy. See the link in the previous section. I've updated the errata, and added a download for the new Hidden Power Actions II release.
I am have a short list of things to work on for the future, including the Healing tool, some additional noise reduction tools, and a few other suggestions. One thing I will be working on are the additional action sets to make more add ons, but I expect to tackle Type controls right after Healing. Updating the Hidden Power Actions II set just got in the way.
Again, I am not exactly sure when it will all be complete. However, I hope it will be soon. Please feel free to make additional suggestions both directly to me (rl@ps6.com), and through the new forum. The forum may be the better place to get reactions from othe users and have them add in what they think is important.
1. Can I slow down actions?
2. Steps problem in Chapter 5 Saturation Masking exercise?
3. I lost my password...How do I get a new one?
4. What's the difference between Elements 1 and Elements 2?
5. How do I apply Gradient Maps?
<<Is there a way to play back actions slower in Elements so we can watch what they do and learn from them?? Strange, first we want faster computers, then we want something to slow them down!???>>
It was a very good request. Actually I was a few steps ahead of you. The new action package includes a tool that does just that -- allows you to choose a speed control for playing back actions so you can see what they do. While you generally won't have to do this for Hidden Power tools (the steps are mostly written down in the book), it is a great way to learn from actions and the experts that create them.
Go down to the website to download the installer and give it a whirl.
<<In the Saturation Masking exercise, I am not getting the right results. I've tried it several times and it just doesn't give me what I see in the book. Do you know the problem?>>
Yes. The problem is there are a few typos in that step-by-step...and the important ones happen to be in Step 5. This amounts to leaving in the word 'another' (remove it) and saying the H should be 50% when I meant that the B should be. These have been added to the errata. At the same time they really don't matter -- in the step you should create a 50% gray fill layer. That is all that has to happen.
The other problem with that which people are having is that they are trying to outthink the process and aren't doing it as I lay it out. I know this won't seem valid because of other basic typos, but the order of what you do and how you do it is built into the steps. The 'another' in one step doesn't really matter --though it is an error. The idea of 50 going in the H really makes no sense if I say to fill with gray. However, creating a layer after activating a specific one will create a layer above the current layer. While the tech editor would have easily passed the 50 in the wrong spot AND the 'another', he'd not have missed the layer ordering. He was very good and did an excellent job catching about all of the mistakes I typed with my forehead as I fell asleep at the computer on those late nights.
At the same time, this is a difficult concept and not an easy exercise. You need to struggle with it...and once you have it, you will be much further on the road to owning the content of your images. But sorry for the typos.
<<As you can see from the document below I purchased your fine book from Chapters. I was happily working my way through it when my pc crashed. I lost my password/user name what ever the term for it is...How do I get a new one?????>>
The password for the tools on the CD is in the introduction for the book. The password for the Hidden Power action II installer is: hpa2 on both mac and PC.
<< Just found your site and am wondering how Photoshop Elements 1 and 2 differ. >>
Not by much...There are some features that have changed, but here is the official overview from adobe:
http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshopel/pdfs/aag.pdf
From a Hidden Power standpoint, the tools sets are very similar and differ in access almost exclusively. PE1 users actually get an extra tool to allow saves for alpha channels (selections).
<<There must be a more systematic way than trial and error to apply Gradient Maps. For example, can this be done using the eyedropper to evaluate the tones in the image and then translating it to a stop point on the gradient? >>
I do believe exactly this is discussed in Hidden Power, and it is really the only system I know of that can work. You can't get much more exact than using the eyedropper to measure a tone and then apply that measurement to get a result.
Other ways of targeting areas of tone using a sampler to automate the process would be combining the Hue/Saturation (p. 108-114) masking technique to target a section of tone, and use that mask to apply color. Or Curves can be used to make a mask from specific areas of tone that you can use to isolate image areas and apply tone. You might want to look at the Blend Mask techniques on 84-88.
Part of the problem you may be experiencing is that in 300 pages, I couldn't explore every possibility -- I had about enough room to show you different techniques that can get you results. ALL of those techniques can be combined in different ways to produce even more techniques...and you might see from that it'd go on forever. My experience with selling big books (my last was 900 pages) is that it frightens people, or they can't find things because there is too much to wade through. My new direction is to simplify, show the essentials, and fill in as questions come up.
If you don't see it, ask me. I'll gladly go through this in more detail if you want. We can also discuss that kind of thing in the new forum and listen to other people's perspectives (successes and ideas) beside just my own.
<< I have been trying to install the [XYZ].atn and have had no luck getting it to run in your interface. What's wrong? >>
I've gotten this question from a LOT of people, and that's why I made it generic. The most common reason that particular actions won't run include the following:
First, I am very willing to help people get ANY action to run in Elements, so long as there is no copyright violation possible. You have to do two things for me: read the instructions included with the readme files in the installer, and after trying yourself, just ask me. Maybe that's three things. If you are doing custom installation with the HiddenPower Actions II package, it is imperative that you read the advanced.rtf file.
If you look at the above list above, of a-c, I tend to suspect them in that order. It can be tricky to adjust the code, and especially if you are doing something like this for the first time, be like Santa and check it twice. If you really are not comfortable doing an installation, the new package makes it a LOT easier to deliever customized stuff. I am not kidding when I say CONTACT ME. If I create a custom installer for you, I can distribute it to a lot of people, and in the long-run it'll save everyone a little time. As we group together a few experts through the Forum, we'll probably get a brigade together putting effort into creating action sets to help the less technical people in the group.
Be sure that the action files and names are in all small letters. I can't tell you how many files I have received to date where the action file name had caps in it. Capital letters won't work.
There are a few things that happen in actions that are created in Photoshop that won't work directly in Elements. That doesn't mean that the action never will. but that they might need to be adjusted before they do. If you can get an action to run, but it fails, that is a good candidate to forward to me. We'll take it apart and fix it. The only thing: be sure you tell me where the action came from so I can check for potential copyright problems before I begin.
If you have already sent me an action that you wanted converted and I haven't done it yet, Please send me a gentle reminder with the action name.
<<Where can I download action sets that are compatible with your action package?>>
A very good question.
As the package is a few days old and there hasn't been much circulation, there are few sets available to add at this point. However, if we work at it to make those providing actions aware that I would be very interested in helping them create compatible sets for Elements users, then I can keep a running list and make those resources available.
SO...If you happen to visit a site and say to yourself "Gee, wouldn't it be neat if this guy could make these actions available for Elements?!?" Drop the action author a note,include my website and email address, and tell them I'd like to help them convert their actions.
You can even use this form:
Dear [action author],
I would like to run your actions in Photoshop Elements but don't see that you have a package availalbe to work with Richard Lynch's Hidden Power Actions II package for Elements users. Richard has invited people using the package to contact actions authors and have them contact him about making the actions available.
Please visit his site to have a look at the book and free tools:
http://hiddenelements.com
http://hiddenelements.com/freetools.html
And you can contact Richard directly here:
Thanks!
[your name]
It is when we get action authors involved in making the conversions that you'll see an
explosion in the amount of stuff you'll be able to successfully run in Elements.
Brought to you by Richard Lynch
in conjunction with
The Hidden power of Photoshop Elements 2
and
http://hiddenelements.com
Get it the book here:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0782141781/newwriting/
Copyright (c) 2003 Richard Lynch