10 Replies Latest reply: Jan 2, 2010 2:15 PM by bonalymac999 RSS

    Crop in action problem

    bonalymac999 Community Member

      Can someone help a newb please.

       

      I've created a droplet to take an image, crop it (after letting me select the crop location) to a square 800 x 800px, increase canvas size by 7% to give me a nice white border, and then save the file.

       

      It works perfectly if I stick with the landscape images that I set it up with. However as soon as I use a portrait picture, (I've tried several and checked that I am using images more than 800 x 800 in size), the crop guidelines show up as a patently portrait shape, but when I hit enter after positioning the guidelines, I get a square 800 x 800 image with the contents distorted to fit.

       

      The Perspective option on crop was NOT set, and I tried creating another action using a portrait image to set it up. It then works fine with portrait images, but distorts a landscape one.

       

      I'm guessing that I'm missing something obvious, but I can't see what. I did try a search of the forum but couldn't see any obvious solutions. Or is what I want to do just not possible?

       

      Any suggestions welcome.

       

      Thanks

        • 1. Re: Crop in action problem
          Reynolds (Mark) Community Member

          Its quite possible to set up a droplet that will do what you are trying to do.

           

          To get this straight - what you are trying to create are square documents all 856 x 856 pixels. This is including your 7% white border. My answer is based on this, but whatever you want to do there will be a way to do it.

          the crop guidelines show up as a patently portrait shape,

          … this suggests you have made a mistake it the way you have set up the crop tool. Should be done the following way…

           

          Picture 1.png

          Action looks like this …

           

          Picture 2.png

          There is a stop in the action at the crop step to allow you to reposition the crop box.

          • 2. Re: Crop in action problem
            bonalymac999 Community Member

            Hi Mark

             

            That's certainly very similar to what I have, but the Top, left, bottom and right vales have pixel entries. I'm now assuming that this iswhat is causing the distortion. But as I don't know how to get blank entries here I'm still stumped.

             

            Colin

            • 3. Re: Crop in action problem
              Reynolds (Mark) Community Member

              No those vales are arbitary, and only define where the box starts.  I deleted them in the screenshot not to confuse you, because they can have any value. I suggest you re-record the step, making sure that you try and center the crop box when you do.

              the crop guidelines show up as a patently portrait shape,

              …what did you mean by that?

              • 4. Re: Crop in action problem
                bonalymac999 Community Member

                Here's an example of what I am getting. I've captured the 800 x 800 crop on a portrait image, and it pauses for adjustment. Once entered it gives me an 800 x800 square image, but with the area shown compressed down to 800 x 800.

                • 5. Re: Crop in action problem
                  Reynolds (Mark) Community Member

                  K there's a number of things confusing me…

                   

                  If your  target width and height is set to 800 x 800 px, the crop box should always remain square. No attempt to make it rectangular, like your sreen shot, should work.  Something is wrong.

                   

                  Another odd point - the visible box while using the crop tool should look, as far as I'm concerned, like solid edges, not dotted (maybe this graphic is different in Windows OS?) - anyway, other than some odd Windows glitch, which I am not qualified or inclined to try and sort out…

                   

                  Save your Action out and then try resetting Photoshop Preferences

                   

                  It should also be possible to hold down SHIFT key while resizing your crop box to constrain the values to square

                  • 6. Re: Crop in action problem
                    bonalymac999 Community Member

                    I tried re-sizing from within the action. I can increase the size, but the shift key has no effect. I tried doing the same thing outside the action and it worked as expected. (the crop lines were dotted inciodentally)

                     

                    I re-booted (The PC was re-built from a clean HD only 7 days ago so it should be in good nick). I restarted Photoshop deleting the prefs file. Checked for Updates (The prog tells mwme I'm on CS3  Extended 10.0.1.   Adobe updater tells me there are no new updates.

                     

                    Tried the action again, still same issue

                     

                    Colin

                    • 7. Re: Crop in action problem
                      Zeno Bokor CommunityMVP

                      Try using the Rectangular Marquee tool to make the selection that you want to crop and then use Image->Crop

                      • 8. Re: Crop in action problem
                        bonalymac999 Community Member

                        Doing it using the rectangulat crop tool seems to wrk apart from one issue, I can't pause the action to adjust the crop position.

                         

                        So it doesn't really solve the prob fully.

                         

                        Colin

                        • 9. Re: Crop in action problem
                          Zeno Bokor CommunityMVP

                          After you've made your selection, go to Select->Transform Selection and modify the selection a bit so that it's recorded in the action and then make that step adjustable.

                           

                          Your problem with the Crop tool is that you've used pixel values in the Width/Height fields. The Crop tool isn't really meant for cropping using pixel values, the marquee/crop method is much better for that

                          • 10. Re: Crop in action problem
                            bonalymac999 Community Member

                            Thats it.

                             

                            Thanks, I would never have figured it out without the help.of you guys.

                             

                            Once again thanks

                             

                            Colin