When you get hand in in operation with Photoshop, is mandatory come to necessity of its acceleration to leave to yourself more time for creativity. You begin, for certain, that study and will widely use hot keys instead of control of the mouse. Try to estimate somehow, what is the time you save by means of this, apparently, insignificant changeover, and, most likely, will be amazed by results. To help you, in application 1 the list of hot keys Photoshop 6.0 is resulted. Working with prior version it is necessary to mean that some of them changed and it is necessary to be retrained a little.

In Photoshop 6.0 is, become already the standard for the interface of application programs of the shortcut menu, caused by the right key of the mouse. "Context-sensitive" it is called because its contents depend on a current state of the program (the active tool, presence of selection, type of the image and etc.) and actually represent the list of the most probable commands which you could fulfill. Use shortcut menu possibilities more widely, and speed of your operation is mandatory increases.

Many standard graphic receptions should be fulfilled many times even for one mounting, not to mention a series of the same. Spare expended time and relieve itself of routine operations by means of filters of indirect vendors. These filters find application not only by operation with program AdobePhotoshop, but also with any other program supporting architecture Plug-ins.

It is impossible to ignore and remarkable "regular" filter set Photoshop. It is possible to solve the most difficult graphic tasks With its help.

The built in filters at installation automatically are located in a folder \Pkig-ins or any other directories of the program. Here most reasonably to rewrite and additions. At loading Photoshop there is a handling of files to filters which can be found after that as menu items Filter (Filter). They are used to similarly built in filters though outwardly can differ very strongly.

One more method of automation of routine operation is a creation of operations. Photoshop is able to "remember" actions of the user, and then on its command to play back them. Such specialized "tape recorder" in Photoshop is palette Actions (Operations).

Operations can assign hot keys to accelerate a call of most often used. Is admissible to appropriate hot keys and to the normal commands Photoshop which does not have those by default. By means of hot key it is possible to fulfill not one, and some menu commands and in addition to include in such composite command, operation, setting of dialog boxes. Into operation can enter and file operations that allows to construct operations of continuous handling of a considerable quantity of documents. Unique commands which cannot figure in operation, it is drawing commands (though could, as in FractalDesignPainter). But also without it palette Actions (Operations) provides the user with very convenient service.

Palette Actions (Operations) (fig. 12.1) consists from:

• · the List of dial-ups of the operations marked with triangular arrows and the image of a folder. Pushing arrows opens the list of the operations which are in the selected dial-up.
• · the List of the written down operations designated by triangular arrows. Pushing such arrow opens the list of commands of which the operation, specified as their performance consists.
• · the Switch of a dialogue mode (to the left of a command name).



Fig. 12.1. Palette Actions


• · the Switch activating a command.
• · the Icons-buttons allocated in the lower part of a palette and intended for (from left to right):

1. Stops of performance or operation record.

2. Operation records.

3. Operation displays.

4. Creations of a new dial-up of operations.

5. Creations of new operation in the selected dial-up.

6. Removals of the selected operation.

The palette can display operations in two modes: in the form of the list and in the form of buttons. For playback of operations it is more convenient to use the last method, but for editing it is necessary to pass in a list mode. The mode is selected by means of command Button Mode (Button) which are in the menu of a palette. Look, as both modes look, but return to list representation.

To use palette Actions (Operations) it is expedient in three cases.

• When it is necessary for you to process the big series of images under the same circuit.
• When you created the interesting circuit of handling and consider that it is useful to you in
The further.
• When you simply want to assign hot key to any often used command or group of the commands which do not have standard hot keys.

To begin with we consider one of the ready operations delivered together with Photoshop. Operations are stored in separate files with atn extension. They can freely be transferred between computers. Some the useful dial-ups of operations are in a folder \Presets\PhotoshopActions, enclosed in folder Photoshop on your hard disk. We use operation Spatter Frame from dial-up Frames. That it to make, it is necessary to load a dial-up which includes the given operation, into palette Actions (Operations).

1. Open palette Actions (Operations) by command Show Actions (to Show operations) menu Window (Window) or hot key.

2. Select command Load Actions (to Load operations) from the menu of palette Actions (Operation).

3. From the opened standard dialog box select file Frames.atn. In palette Actions (Operation) there will be a new dial-up of operations Frames.

4. Click the mouse cursor on a triangular arrow near to a dial-up name. Under line with name Frames there will be a list of all operations entering into this dial-up. The very first operation, Spatter Frame, also is necessary to us.

All commands making operation, are written down at performance of appropriate actions in Photoshop, i.e. are reflection of any menu commands or actions of tools of the program. If to find out such correspondence it is possible to perform operation operation "manually". Certainly, it makes sense only if needed modifications of another's operation or in the educational purposes. For training we do this operation for operation Spatter Frame.

1. Open a file Woman.jpg with applied diskettes.

2. Find operation Spatter Frame and click the cursor on a line occupied with it.

3. Select from the lower part of a palette an icon of start of operation in the form of the triangular arrow directed to the right. After Photoshop copes with performance of all steps of operation, the image appears on a white background and its edges "will be artly shabby" (fig. 12.2).

4. Push a triangular gray arrow to the left of an operation name — it "will be torn" in the list of the commands entering into its composition. The part of these commands, in turn, is marked by arrows. Pushing such arrows opens the parameter list of a specific command if those exist. Commands without parameters, type Invert to (Invert), Cut to (Cut), Paste to (Interpose), Delete to (Delete), have no arrow to the left of a name. Viewing the list of commands and their parameters, it is possible to clarify, how the given operation works.

5. For simplification of analysis of operation it is possible to attract "protocol" of its operation — palette History (Protocol). If it is grouped with palette Actions (Operation), divide them and allocate on the screen nearby (fig. 12.3).

6. For convenience of tracing of the actions produced by commands, you can return instruction pointer in palette History (Protocol) in the uppermost position, canceling thereby all actions of operation. Then, in process of analysis of each step of operation, move the pointer downwards, giving the chance Photoshop to do the next command. When the command is fulfilled, define its result, examining the image, palettes Layers (Layers) and Channels (Channels).

Let's consider operation operation on steps-commands.

1. Makesnapshot. In palette History (Protocol) you see result of action of this command — picture Snapshot 1 that is similar to click on an icon of a new picture in palette History.

2. Convert Mode. This command generally is not present in palette History (Protocol). The matter is that the source image already has model RGB, and the command does not cause any actions Photoshop. It is necessary in case you launch operation for the image in other model.

3. Reset Colors. You also do not find (Protocol) of this command in palette History. It sets the main and background default colors and is similar to click on icon Default Foreground and Background Colors (Working and background default colors) in a palette of tools. This command in any way does not operate on the image and consequently does not register in palette History (Protocol).

4. Set Selection. The command parameter says that all image is selected. The same result command All gives All) menus Select (Selection). In palette History (Protocol) corresponds to it the second line — Select Canvas.

5. Duplicate Selection. The selected area (all canvas) in the new channel, as is saved at performance of command Save Selection (to Save selection) menu Select (Selection). In palette History (Protocol) the command is written down under such name. Parameter Name in operation installs for the channel a name shape.

6. Canvas Size. Obviously, it is record of the command with the same name from menu Image (Image). Command parameters are the new sizes of a canvas and a place of layout of the image on it. The sizes are set in percentage of initial as operation "does not know" about exact overall dimensions of the image processed by it.

7. Set Selection. This command already met on a step 4.

8. Duplicate current layer.Дублируется a current layer to which name Spatter is appropriated. Action is written down by command Duplicate Layer (layer Duplication) the menu palettes Layers (Layers).

9. Make. So creation of new layers and channels registers in palette Actions (Operation). To understand that the command creates, it is necessary to address to its parameters. Parameter New speaks about formation of the new channel. Parameter At specifies in a place of its creation — a layer-mask. Mode Using means that the mask is completely flooded by black color (it is masked nothing). In palette History (Protocol) is defined sense of this step more explicitly: Add Layer Mask. Obviously, here menu command Layer (Layer) Add Layer Mask, Reveal All (to Add a layer-mask to Show all) was used.

10. Set Selection. Creation of the selected area. The parameter That specifies that it is loaded from the channel shape. In palette History (Protocol) performance of command Load Selection (to Load selection) is written directly down. 5 channel created on a step shape contains a mask of all image.

11. Contract. The command is equally displayed in both palettes and corresponds to the same menu command which is in list Modify to (Change), enclosed in menu Select (Selection). The parameter of command By speaks about reduction of area on 16 пикселов.

12. Inverse. Inverse of the selected area, equivalent to menu command Select with the same name (Selection).

13. Fill. There corresponds to command Fill (Filling) of menu Edit (Editing) and has the same parameters: 100 %-s' filling by black color at a mode of superimposing Normal (Normal).

14. Set Selection. Again setting of the selected area, this time with parameter None, that is a selection canceling. Palette History (Protocol) speaks about it directly — Deselect. Record is produced by means of the command with the same name from menu Select (Selection).

15. Spatter.Вызов the art filter from dial-up Brush Strokes. The layer-mask to receive irregular edges is sprayed in this case. In operation command parameters are specified also: Spray Radius — 15 пикселов, Smoothness — 5 пикселов.

16. Show current layer With Toggle Others.Эта the command is not reflected in any way in palette History (Protocol) as does not produce any actions with the image but only installs leaking a layer spatter, disconnecting visibility of remaining layers (layer Background).

17. Make Layer. Layer creation. In palette History (Protocol) menu command New Layer (the New layer) from the menu palettes Layers (Layers) is truly specified.

18. Fill. Again filling performance, this time white color. Filling operates for all new layer.

19. Move current layer and Select forward layer.В to palette History (Protocol) they correspond to one command Send Backward (to Shift back). Action is written down by the same command from list Arrange (Mounting) which is in menu Layer (Layer). In operation relocation of a layer and its activation are divided.

20. Merge Layers. Action is written down by means of command Merge Down (to Reduce downwards) menu Layer (Layer) about what the appropriate line speaks palettes History (Protocol).

21. Set Selection. Loading of selection from the channel shape, on what specifies command parameter. In palette History (Protocol) the command which was used for this action — Load Selection (to Load selection) is written down also.

22. Crop. Image cropping on square-topped selection. Record is produced by means of command Crop (Scrap) of menu Image (Image).

23. Select channel and Delete current channel.В to palette History (Protocol) is not displayed a channel choice shape before its removal, but in palette Actions (Operation) it is marked. Obviously, removal of the channel unnecessary more is produced by command Delete Channel (to Delete the channel) the menu palettes Channels (Channels).

If you watched closely a plot of our "detective" investigation it should be clear to you how the effect has been created. The principal idea of operation in creating a layer-mask with the irregular edge, closing image edges. It is reached by means of a layer-mask masking edges of the image, and handling by its filter Spatter (fig. 12.4) is produced. All remaining operations are necessary, but have auxiliary character.

Now it is clear, what sequence of menu commands of program Photoshop you could reach the same result, as operation start. But after all after you wrote down operation, you should not recall next time as this or that trick becomes!