Photoshop CS2 Droplets

Tutorials, questions, demos, questionable images ,,,

Moderator: Moderators

Forum rules
Please ensure that you have a meaningful location included in your profile. Please refer to the FAQ for details of what "meaningful" is.

Photoshop CS2 Droplets

Postby Aussie Dave on Thu Aug 10, 2006 10:46 am

Hi everyone,
Just wondering how many people out there use (or have used) the "droplets" feature of PSCS2 and what they think of it ?

I stumbled across it last weekend and played around with it for a while and thought it was great.

For those that don't know what it is, the droplet is a small photoshop application that automatically runs a Photoshop action you create. Basically, you drag a heap of selected NEFS (or any other file format) onto the icon, which I saved onto the "desktop" and it runs photoshop and the associated action. Depending on how automated you make the action determines how automated the workflow is.

I'd be interested to hear how others have used this feature.....
Dave
Nikon D7000 | 18-105 VR Lens | Nikon 50 1.8G | Sigma 70-300 APO II Super Macro | Tokina 11-16 AT-X | Nikon SB-800 | Lowepro Mini Trekker AWII
Photography = Compromise
User avatar
Aussie Dave
Senior Member
 
Posts: 1427
Joined: Sun Nov 21, 2004 1:40 pm
Location: West. Suburbs, Melbourne [Nikon D7000]

Postby makario on Thu Aug 10, 2006 11:22 am

Droplets. How do you create one?
User avatar
makario
Member
 
Posts: 389
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2006 9:01 pm
Location: Keilor, Melbourne, VIC

Postby Aussie Dave on Thu Aug 10, 2006 11:46 am

makario wrote:Droplets. How do you create one?


You start by creating an action in which to use with the droplet, then go to File, Automation, create Droplet.

Choose the action you wish to use and save the droplet where you want (I chose the desktop for ease of use).

My action runs in this order (which is a conversion from NEF to websized pic - though you can use it any way you like):

- NEF opens in Camera RAW (you adjust WB as you wish then select open)
- Selection tool (fixed size 3000x2000px - obviously for a landscape image)
- crop image (to obtain ratio of 3:2)
- fit image to 700px
- opens Levels (and pauses - waiting for me to adjust as required)
- opens Curves (and pauses - waiting for adjustments)
- opens shadow/highlights (and pauses - waiting for adjustments)
- opens brightness/contrast (and pauses, etc..)
- changes mode to LAB & selects lightness channel
- opens up USM (and pauses - awaiting my adjustments)
- changes mode back to RGB
- adds my border to the image
- opens Save as (waits for me to choose location then saves image)
- closes image, ready for the next one

You can have the entire thing run without pausing, but of course you can only preset all your adjustments which will be the same for every image (which might not be ideal). This way gives you the opportunity to adjsut levels etc, or to bypass it and continue to the next step. Certainly a time saver (from what I've discovered). The only downside is that I had to create a Landscape droplet and a portrait droplet, and split my NEFS accordingly, before processing (which isn't a big problem). In time, I hope to perhaps alleviate this and be able to use the one droplet....but I've only just started dabbling and the above process is likely to be refined in the near future :)

I also started using the batch renaming tool in Adobe Bridge, which is also very handy (changing DSC0123.xxx into 0123_web.xxx or 0123_6x4.xxx - which is how I like to name images.
Dave
Nikon D7000 | 18-105 VR Lens | Nikon 50 1.8G | Sigma 70-300 APO II Super Macro | Tokina 11-16 AT-X | Nikon SB-800 | Lowepro Mini Trekker AWII
Photography = Compromise
User avatar
Aussie Dave
Senior Member
 
Posts: 1427
Joined: Sun Nov 21, 2004 1:40 pm
Location: West. Suburbs, Melbourne [Nikon D7000]

Postby Matt. K on Thu Aug 10, 2006 11:51 am

Droplets have been a feature of PS for awhile. Version 7 has them. Their use is only limited by your imagination. I don't have a use for them but can see that they would suit some workflows.
Regards

Matt. K
User avatar
Matt. K
Former Outstanding Member Of The Year and KM
 
Posts: 9980
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2004 7:12 pm
Location: North Nowra

Postby phillipb on Thu Aug 10, 2006 11:58 am

Matt. K wrote:Their use is only limited by your imagination. I don't have a use for them.


Matt, are you saying you don't have any imagination? :shock:
__________
Phillip


**Nikon D7000**
User avatar
phillipb
Senior Member
 
Posts: 2599
Joined: Sat Aug 07, 2004 10:56 am
Location: Milperra (Sydney) **Nikon D7000**

Postby makario on Thu Aug 10, 2006 12:55 pm

Ta, will give it a go this evening.
User avatar
makario
Member
 
Posts: 389
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2006 9:01 pm
Location: Keilor, Melbourne, VIC

Postby Alpha_7 on Thu Aug 10, 2006 1:14 pm

Would you mind making you action available to download? I have a few, but they are much more straight forward, I'd love to give yours a try and see if something a little more refined suits my workflow.
I'm cool too if you'd rather not sure.

thanks!
User avatar
Alpha_7
Senior Member
 
Posts: 7259
Joined: Sun Aug 14, 2005 6:19 pm
Location: Mortdale - Sydney - Nikon D700, x-D200, Leica, G9

Postby Aussie Dave on Thu Aug 10, 2006 2:13 pm

Alpha_7 wrote:Would you mind making you action available to download? I have a few, but they are much more straight forward, I'd love to give yours a try and see if something a little more refined suits my workflow.
I'm cool too if you'd rather not sure.

thanks!


Hi Alpha
I'm happy to share my action, though it involves opening and copying a specific border, which I use along with a signature...so you'd have to refine the action to suit you.

I don't have access to the action here at work, but tonight I can make a slightly stripped down version and can email it to you tomorrow, if you're happy with that ?? If you have space to house it for others to download from, I would be happy for you to do that as well.

If you can PM me your email address, I'll send it onto you tomorrow :)
Dave
Nikon D7000 | 18-105 VR Lens | Nikon 50 1.8G | Sigma 70-300 APO II Super Macro | Tokina 11-16 AT-X | Nikon SB-800 | Lowepro Mini Trekker AWII
Photography = Compromise
User avatar
Aussie Dave
Senior Member
 
Posts: 1427
Joined: Sun Nov 21, 2004 1:40 pm
Location: West. Suburbs, Melbourne [Nikon D7000]

Postby Matt. K on Thu Aug 10, 2006 2:52 pm

phillipb
I imagine you're right. :D
Regards

Matt. K
User avatar
Matt. K
Former Outstanding Member Of The Year and KM
 
Posts: 9980
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2004 7:12 pm
Location: North Nowra

Postby makario on Thu Aug 10, 2006 3:08 pm

I would be interested in this action. I havent used actions/droplets too much in CS2... great to have a base action to start from.
User avatar
makario
Member
 
Posts: 389
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2006 9:01 pm
Location: Keilor, Melbourne, VIC

Postby CraigVTR on Thu Aug 10, 2006 3:09 pm

Dave & Craig
Would love to give your droplet a try if you are cool with that. I have been wondering how to make it a bit eaisier to pp some of the 4000 shots I took on my recent holiday.
Thanks
Craig
Craig
Lifes journey is not to arrive at our grave in a well preserved body but, rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting, "Wow what a ride."
D70s, D300, 70-300ED, 18-70 Kit Lens, Nikkor 105 Micro. Manfrotto 190Prob Ball head. SB800 x 2.
User avatar
CraigVTR
Senior Member
 
Posts: 1243
Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2006 6:09 pm
Location: Montville, Sunshine Coast, Queensland

Postby Aussie Dave on Thu Aug 10, 2006 3:34 pm

CraigVTR wrote:Dave & Craig
Would love to give your droplet a try if you are cool with that. I have been wondering how to make it a bit eaisier to pp some of the 4000 shots I took on my recent holiday.
Thanks
Craig


no probs Craig. If I get time on the weekend, I might even try throwing together a tutorial on creating your own actions (& droplets)....to put on the WIKI for all to use.
:)
Dave
Nikon D7000 | 18-105 VR Lens | Nikon 50 1.8G | Sigma 70-300 APO II Super Macro | Tokina 11-16 AT-X | Nikon SB-800 | Lowepro Mini Trekker AWII
Photography = Compromise
User avatar
Aussie Dave
Senior Member
 
Posts: 1427
Joined: Sun Nov 21, 2004 1:40 pm
Location: West. Suburbs, Melbourne [Nikon D7000]

Postby CraigVTR on Thu Aug 10, 2006 3:36 pm

Thanks Dave
Craig
Craig
Lifes journey is not to arrive at our grave in a well preserved body but, rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting, "Wow what a ride."
D70s, D300, 70-300ED, 18-70 Kit Lens, Nikkor 105 Micro. Manfrotto 190Prob Ball head. SB800 x 2.
User avatar
CraigVTR
Senior Member
 
Posts: 1243
Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2006 6:09 pm
Location: Montville, Sunshine Coast, Queensland


Return to Post Processing

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 18 guests

cron