[APh] Extended Macro Recording Abilities

[- S -]

As people have mentioned in other posts, it could really do with a way to rename layers when recording a Macro.  However, I would go one step further and suggest not only being able to rename layers, but also have the ability to move the layers to change the layer order, select particular layers, etc. during recording too.

 

Following on from that, it's missing the ability to 'Insert Menu Item', which is equally important when creating macros.  As an example, it's possible to record a macro that will resize the document based on what values you enter, however if you just want the macro to bring up the Resize Document dialogue box for the user to enter their own dimensions, there doesn't appear to be a way.  If there was an 'Insert Menu Item' option like in Photoshop, you could then select 'Insert Menu Item' > Document > Resize Document, this would then prompt the macro to just open the dialogue box, and then after the user enters the dimensions and hits 'apply' the rest of the macro would continue playing.

 

Another example would be if part of a macro involves a sharpening step, you would be able to use 'Insert Menu Item' > View > Zoom > 100%, which would automatically change the image view to actual pixel size right before the sharpening step, then afterwards use 'Insert Menu Item' > View > Zoom > Zoom To Fit, to automatically display the entire image on screen for the next step of the macro.  Additionally it could also be used to prompt saving the image at the end of the macro by using 'Insert Menu Item' > File > Export.  Obviously, there are lots of additional possibilities by being able to insert a menu item.

 

I have noticed that some filters such as Gaussian Blur, Unsharp Mask, etc. allow you to click the cog icon after recording a macro and then select the 'eye' to allow the user to adjust the sliders during macro playback.  However, if you use more than one, it won't just sequentially go through them one by one and allow you to adjust them individually, it just dumps all the settings into one dialogue box, where you don't even know what settings are what.  I just added Gaussian Blur, Unsharp Mask and Twirl macros (all with 'eyes' selected) to the library to see what would happen and when played back was met with a single dialogue box with three different 'Radius' sliders...  Each filter should really have it's own dialogue box that the macro launches in a sequential order.

 

Another thing that seems to be missing is the ability to 'Insert Stop'.  Although this is not something that I use particularly often, it can be useful for adding notes to macros.  For example, to insert a stop with a note saying "In the following step, keep the threshold slider above 20 to prevent haloing", etc.  Or use it to pause the macro midway to allow the user to manually paint on the layer mask before continuing with the next steps in the macro.

 

And finally a couple of smaller items to do with the macro library.  Settings in the library should be sticky.  So if you collapse a category, it stays collapsed, otherwise every time you go to use the library you end up with a big list of macros.  And lastly having the ability to assign shortcut keys to macro's that are saved in the library would be a welcome addition too.

[anon1]

It is also not possible to select multiple layers (and group them)

[Richard S.]

Dasim,

 

When you select the eye icon, you can rename the slider's description to something more meaningful.

Hope that helps (a little).

[- S -]

Dasim,

 

When you select the eye icon, you can rename the slider's description to something more meaningful.

Hope that helps (a little).

 

It's probably easier to show what I mean with a screenshot.  As they say, a picture tells a thousand something, something.

 

[Richard S.]

Yes - all settings are put into a single dialogue box.

I'm not sure why you would want multiple separate dialogue boxes, when you can simply rename each slider's description, resulting in only 1 dialogue box needing to be presented to the user?

 

By displaying three separate dialogue boxes, the user would still need to change the same amount of sliders, so it makes complete sense to have them all in 1 dialogue window.

[- S -]

Yes - all settings are put into a single dialogue box.

All you need to do is rename the descriptions for each slider to something more meaningful, as per my previous post.

 

Now I see what you mean. 

 

The problem with that is not only would it be a long-winded process renaming each individual field, I would prefer to just stick with the standard slider names for each tool.  Therefore I'd still prefer each filter to have it's own dialogue box that the macro launches in a sequential order.

[Richard S.]

I understand what you are saying, however, you only need to rename each slider's description once (when you initially make the macro). Every other use of that macro, post creation, would display the new descriptions.

You could also keep the descriptions very close to their originals.

 

For example:

Rename "Radius" to Gaussian Blur Radius. etc. etc.

 

I know this is not exactly what you would like, but it will at least make things a little easier.