Mini Tutorial for using FF filters Batch render with Photoshop Actions

First of all I want to give thanks to CorvusCroax with the text shown in this link where he made know that it was really possible and I was making something wrong.

I was before wrong in how the actions work with external plugins and I was wrong using them and now I have seen some very good tutorials and now I have found a much easier way to do it and that WORKS!

Automating Photoshop - Learn to use Actions

Photoshop Actions Tutorial - Editing An Action

Photoshop Actions Tutorial - Editing An Action

Until know I have been using wrongly the actions, I mean when I had to make one myself, as I have used many already made actions made by others.

USING PHOTOSHOP ACTIONS WITH FF FILTERS

Do not be put off by this long text, it may seem perhaps long or difficult BUT IS NOT once you make it, it is really easy and short to follow and make it.

I have attached below and example of 3 random filter I have choosen just as to show it how is done
VERY IMPORTANT: If you download the file it has the .ffxml extension, you MUST change it to .atn and then double click on it to open it in Photoshop.

I have been able to make an action that stores many different FF filters with their choosen settings and then after you can apply all this to another image OR to a whole folder of images!

It is really very easy

1 - Open Photoshop and choose ANY image you want, better if it is a small one so it will take less time.

2 - Go to Photoshop Actions menu and make a new Action Set (Second icon left from the trashcan in the bottom right part of the panel) and then create an action (the icon next to the trashcan)

3 - Now is recording (click on record if not) and you ONLY have to go to Filters----> Filter Forge 3

4 - Now that Filter Forge is open it will show the image and you can select any filter you want and customize the settings as much as you want, NOTHING will be recorded by the action UNTIL you press the APPLY button in the bottom right.

5 - Now after you hit the APPLY button it will be stored in the action AND the image will have the filter effect applied.

6 - You can now decide if you want to just have ONE single filter and hit on stop and apply this filter to many others OR you can continue adding more filters.

7 - If you decide to add more filters you JUST have to go again to Filters----> Filter Forge 3 and do the same as in point 4 AND it will load the image with the first filter already applied and after clicking on APPLY you will store this filter in the action too

8 - You can add as many filters as you want by repeating point number 7

9 - When you have been satisfied you can stop recording and you you will have all the filters recorded with their own settings to be applied to any other images you want

10 - The best thing of this is that all the render times will be summed to you will not have to wait each time that it renders each filter, you only have to wait until all is finished. As said above you can make the action with a small low resolution image and then apply this same action to much higher resolution images.

11 - Now that you already have the action you can:

1 --------- Load an image and apply the action with the filters

2 ---------- Use the File ---> Automate ---> Batch and select the action you have just made and choose a folder of images to be applied.

3 ---------- Use the File --->Scripts---->Image Processor selecting a folder of images and select at the end the action you have just done

That is all, it may seem perhaps long or difficult BUT IS NOT once you make it.

You can store and have as many actions as you want with different filters and settings

MODIFY THE SETTINGS OF ALREADY MADE ACTIONS

Once you have made the action, you CAN change any of the settings of the filter as much as you want, you ONLY have to double click over the filter that you want to modify and then Filter Forge window will open to let you change it, and then apply the new settings.

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VERY IMPORTANT: CHANGE the .ffxml extension to .atn and then double click on it to open it in Photoshop.

Filter Forge Actions.ffxml

I will see and search for OTHER ways that the Photoshop Actions can be used other than the one I have put above.

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SKybase Put these things on a blog man. Stuff like this gets buried in public forums.

Sorry that I do not have a blog and will not have one, you are free to put it in your own blog if you want.

I know that this is going to be buried in the forums as many other useful and interesting threads but anyway is here.

I will have soon my personal thread as many of you already have so I can put this there, so is not lost.

Nice one Ray

I think the forum should have a new tutorials subforum, where all the (mini)tutorials ppl write, and threads pointing to external ones, can go.

I changed the .ffxml to .atn and it will not open in either PS or FF 4beta?

Has anyone else tried to use the file attached in the first post and it does not work In Photoshop CC ?

I have not tried it myself, and can´t do it now