Photoshop Smart Objects - Mass Adding

[Justin]

Looking for some advice.

I currently use mock-ups to display my products but it's incredibly time consuming making uo the files. I've sped this up a great deal by using action in Photoshop. I manually import an image, choose the action and it copies the file, adjusts the size and inserts into the main image using a smart object.

Whilst this helps, I can't help thinking I could automate this further so the images all get imported and applied then saved en mass with a filename of my choosing.....am I asking too much or is this a possibility? Pretty sure I've done something a little similar in the past. Maybe using Batch Automation?

I would apreciate advice on how to speed this process up please. When you want to add 50 products and have to create several iumages for each you can appreciate it's very gtime consuming! TIA.

[pisquee]

Yes, from Bridge - go to tools then Batch or Image Processor
Batch seems to be more picky and throws up more errors, so I tend to use image processor - here you can select the folder of images you want to process, along with where to save the resulting file (inc file type, pixel size) along with which Photoshop action to run on the file.

[Justin]

Can I just run the commands in Photoshop or is there a benefit to running in Bridge? I don't have Bridge installed.

So, I have my master file opened and a second file containing the smart object opened, also my artwork to be imported file is open....

My action is set thus:

1. Select All
2. Copy Image
3. Paste Image into smart object file.
4. Save Smart Object file (which imports and updates into Master file)
5. Return to Master file

Now, this all works fine if I manually open each file, run action and then I can save etc. When I set the image processor I'm choosing the folder with my artworks in. It seems to open them all fine but is renaming the master file before saving. Therefore when it comes to the second and subsequent attempts it just saves the first file over and over.

Can anyone see where I'm going wrong please?

[Justin]

OK, Bridge is installed, is this necessary?

[pisquee]

Yes, as from bridge you can set it away to a whole folder worth of images.
If it's saving over the master then there is a save command in your action - delete this bit.
Bridge will open the file, perform the action and then save the resulting file - so you don't want additional opens and saves in the action itself.

[Justin]

Many thanks, much appreciated. I'll do it through Bridge. the only save command I have in the action is to update the smart object. The next save is being done by the image processor? Maybe I have an incorrect setting here.

[Justin]

OK, I've run through 'Batch' through Bridge and it's working, creates the file...moves on to the next one. Just the save part that isn't working so looks like an issue in the Batch processing.

[pisquee]

Hard to say without seeing what it is you're trying to do

[Justin]

Still not managed to achieve this if anyone can help please?

[pisquee]

can you do a video or something to show what you are trying to achieve?