A Photoshop Question

[Raptisoft]

Hi all,

I'm making the transition from Paint Shop Pro to Photoshop, and so far it's pretty painful, since PSP seems to be made with programmers in mind, while Photoshop seems to be made for the illogical, illiterate, excitable, non-computer-using, guided-by-dreams-and-visions-and-astrology artist in mind.

So, here's my incredibly simple question that I can't find:

Is there a place where you can type in explicit crop information? Like say, you want to crop from pixel 50,50 to pixel 100,150 (or even just specify width/height?).

Now, if you're like the couple of dreamer, brain-dead, love is the answer, give the world a hug photoshop artists I've already consulted on this, you're going to answer to tell me some roundabout mouse driven, non-specific no-numbers-involved way to do this-- I don't want that. If there's no way to get photoshop to crop to specific coordinates without dragging a cropping rectangle with the mouse while wearing a beret, sipping coffee and spouting lame poetry to a bunch of black clad gaping teenage girls who think you're deep, I want to know. I deal in numbers, man.

So is it possible? Or did I just plug down $600 for a tool that requires a degree in not understanding mathematics to use?

[soniCron]

So is it possible? Or did I just plug down $600 for a tool that requires a degree in not understanding mathematics to use? Sorry, man. You've got it.

[Robert Cummings]

Photoshop is worth $600. The actions you can do alone make it invaluable. It has power, but to tap it, you need to learn it. It's way, way better than psp will ever be. Just wait until you dig deeper.

Is there a place where you can type in explicit crop information? Like say, you want to crop from pixel 50,50 to pixel 100,150 (or even just specify width/height?).
Sure, select the marquee tool (a dashed line box icon on the top left of the tool bar) and look for "fixed size along the top row toolbar under "style". You can then enter the sizes you want. Cursor keys allow precise nudging.

I don't think sonicron is much of a photoshop expert :D

[Diragor]

This isn't exactly what you want, but here's what I do. In the tool palette that has the Navigator there's a tab for "Info". It shows the coordinates of the mouse cursor and the size of the selected area. So you still have to drag a box, but at least you can hit the specific start coordinate you want and drag a box exactly the size you need. I believe it defaults to inches but you can change it to pixels in the palette options.

[Robert Cummings]

Of course, there's 100's of plugins. The plugins are easy to code as well, so if you needed a specific thing...

Another thing: actions. You can record actions (similar to macros) and then activate an action within the batch file thing. So you could for example, load in 1,000 pink backdropped tiles, select only the pink colour, delete that, create an alpha channel that works and feather it in, and export as an individually named png sequence with perfect results. All auto...

Photoshop's worth the money once you start using it a lot and realising you don't need crappy little tools any more.

[Raptisoft]

I see the fixed size stuff in the Marquee, but there doesn't seem to be a way to specify the upper left.

Okay: probably it doesn't exist. Can anyone point me toward some tips or whatnot on how to write a photoshop plugin? Seeing as how I've never written one, and I'd like to kick one out by the end of the day? So I'll definitely need the Dick and Jane of writing photoshop plugins page.

[Hamish McLeod]

Go Image -> Canvas Size. If you change the Anchor Point it will crop from a different corner of the image (or the middle).

[amannis]

I'm making the transition from Paint Shop Pro to Photoshop, and so far it's pretty painful, since PSP seems to be made with programmers in mind, while Photoshop seems to be made for the illogical, illiterate, excitable, non-computer-using, guided-by-dreams-and-visions-and-astrology artist in mind.

Yeah I remember when I switched from PSP to photoshop some years ago and it felt very awkward in the beginning. But there's no going back once you've become used to it. Try to master the keyboard as quickly as you can - especially ctrl, shift and alt are very powerful keys in photoshop.

[Robert Cummings]

Photoshop versions 6 and below have the SDK on the cd.
It is also free to develop photoshop 6 plugins, so if someone has the SDK, ask them to send it to you as developing plugins for 6 incurs no charge.

Photoshop cs and above charge $195 (see adobe site) for plugin sdk, so just get the version 6 SDK (works with 7 and cs anyway).

Alternatively there's bound to be a free accurate marquee / cropping plugin if you search deeply enough on google.

Or see if this $25 plugin maker will do the job: http://www.filtermeister.com/

[JoeMaru]

go to view> new guide.. create both a horizontal and verticle guide in the pixel positions you want.. (by typing in the numbers in the number type in) constrain the crop marquee (using the number type in at the top to set it to the pixel values you want).. and it will snap to the guide where you want it to be when you drag the marque into the image window.

not sure if this is what you want.. but it will work.

do you need to do this for a number of images?

edit: removed unnecessary nasty response.. sorry, was in abad mood today.

[Abscissa]

I've had to start using Photoshop at work for some things, and as much as I hate it for the exact reasons you've stated, I admit I have started to appreciate some of it's benefits (although the last version of PSP I used is really old, so it may have the same improvements by now as well.)

But I will warn you on one thing: Photoshop is absolutle CRAP for 1. Palettized images and 2. Pixel painting. I don't know if you'll need those things, but if you ever do have a need for them, stay FAR, FAR AWAY from Photoshop. (Heck, I once did a contest entry on the GBA, and MS Paint turned out to be a far better to for the job. Go figure.)

But for touching up photos, and stuff like that, Photoshop is [wallet demolishing] bliss.

I deal in numbers, man. Heh. Dude, Photoshop just doesn't deal in numbers. ;)

[soniCron]

I don't think sonicron is much of a photoshop expert :D Yeah, well, I'd venture a guess that I'm far more proficient in Photoshop than you are at reading! ;)
Is there a place where you can type in explicit crop information?

[Raptisoft]

I'll say this already about photoshop: It handles the mouse better, everything moves smoother and LOOKS better rendered than PSP. Drag the mouse in an arc while on both those programs, and you'll see quite a difference.

Though I'm disappointed that Photoshop doesn't allow any explicit number typing in, I hope I can rectify that with plugins. I love writing plugins anyway. My 3DSMax work for Hamsterball was an insane maze of plugins-- so much so that now, almost two years later, I couldn't make a Hamsterball level for the original game to save myself.

But we'll see how it goes. The biggest thing I want out of photoshop is being able to edit the alpha layer, and some of the filters. And the ability to write plugins. PSP lost me because it didn't expose a way for me to write C++ plugins.

[soniCron]

The biggest thing I want out of photoshop is being able to edit the alpha layer, and some of the filters. And the ability to write plugins. PSP lost me because it didn't expose a way for me to write C++ plugins. What Photoshop needs is a good scripting engine. I'd be a happy camper if we only had that... *sigh*

[sllohcin]

Go Image -> Canvas Size. If you change the Anchor Point it will crop from a different corner of the image (or the middle).
Honestly, it sounds like all you need is to do is this... maybe even a few times. It's the easiest route if you know already know the size you're looking for.

[svero]

PSP uses the photoshop plugin format. So you can write plugins for it as easily as photoshop. I use tons of photoshop plugins when I work. (eye candy 4000, flaming pear's stuff etc..)

[hanford_lemoore]

yes! you can type coords in by hand, here's how:

Select > All (ctrl-A)

Select > Transform Selection

The first icon in the options bar sets your anchor point. Click it to choose upper-left.

Type the upper-left coords in the X and Y fields

type the width and hight in the W and H box; make sure to type px after it so Photoshop knows its pixels and not percentages you want.

When you've got it perfect, commit the transform.

You should be able to crop from there.

Hope that helps!

~Hanford

[hanford_lemoore]

What Photoshop needs is a good scripting engine. I'd be a happy camper if we only had that... *sigh*

Photoshop does have scripting, although the status of "good" is debatable. I've personally never needed it but I've written a sample script to do branching actions and I've posted it here:

http://www.hanfordlemoore.com/photoshop/index.htm

have fun

[Robert Cummings]

Photoshop has a great macro script angine but it's based off input. Those are actions. I think that lil plugin maker link does plugins based off scripts.

[soniCron]

Photoshop has a great macro script angine but it's based off input. Those are actions. Gosh, Robert. Thank you. You know, I was wondering what these silly, "Actions," were that everyone was talking about. :rolleyes: Ok, I'll rephrase: Good. Scripting. Engine.

[hanford_lemoore]

Well, the scripting I'm refering to is different than Actions. It uses a Javascript syntax, allows for the creation of in-app dialogs, and supports multiple documents.

The script I linked to is written for Photoshop's scripting language. However, all it does is branch to different Actions (Actions don't have conditionals, but scripts do). This simple branching script allows non-programming artists to change the results (via actions) without scripting.

You should check it out to see if you think it's a good scripting language or not. I've never needed a scripting language in a photoshop-like program before, so I'm not the right person to evaluate it. Some people think it's too complex.

[Sysiphus]

sorry, lazy to read whole post -that's as I am bit brain dead, after all-

but...you have several free utilities, several DOS based, that will crop as you say an deven by those coords, as you mention.

The opposite to that was GlueIt.

I may make a very quick search for you now. If my dead brain allows it.

BTW, Adobe is the King, hehe. You only would need to seat up some grid with the size wanted in aodbe's preferences, like 16x16 pixels.

Then, put on "adjust" , and set cehcked "to grid", and any marquee selection you'd do would snap to the grid.

If u want just cells that are different sizes, well, u can just "show rules" in view menu, and drag from the rule to make a guide. A guide is just a blue line. If u put in Adobe's preferences to use rule units pixels, and in general, all in pixels, you can put the guides where u want. Like one in x 50, another in 120, etc. Now, in adjust, put also "adjust to guides" .Again, any marque (rectangle selection) will snap automatically to guides.

I do so every day at work.

if you want to in batch mode...I'll see if find now that dos util for u ....

(btw, someone said, yes, you can use "fixed" in toolbar options of marquee selection)

[Martoon]

Photoshop cs and above charge $195 (see adobe site) for plugin sdk
*sigh*
Another major software company shoots themselves in the foot. Why are these companies so determined to make barriers to people who voluntarily help promote their product?

[Sysiphus]

http://www.thecastle.com/software.html#splitimage

This freebie has batch processing, you only need to make once a grid file, and it'll take that one to cut in batch mode all file selected.

To do the grid,(besides using the splitting icons) you can drag the column and row delimiters by mouse, or use the "row column editor" , an Epsilon greek letter icon, to do in a more programmer way...


My half dead isolated drunk lonely neuron full of useless dreams and poetry could do it in seconds with a sample image.... ;)


Imho that above is what u seek, but more flavours (with no batch processing, probably ) :

http://www.iron-fe-works.com/pictureclip.asp
http://www.feldfunker.de/software/splitz.htm