Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
function keys at the top of your keyboard. By using combinations
of Shift and Option (Alt) as modifiers to the function key, a stan-
dard keyboard can have 48-60 customizable keys (depending on
the size of your keyboard).
NoTe
F keys = System Keys?
Your OS may be using the func-
tion keys for controlling things like
volume and screen brightness. You
may need to disable or modify this
system behavior in your control
panel settings for the OS. You could
also rely on modifier keys inside
Photoshop.
Meet the Actions Panel
If your Actions panel looks something like this figure, you're using
Button mode. This is a useful way to access actions, but you cannot
create or modify actions when using Button mode.
To u se a ct ion s , let 's t a ke a closer look a t t he
Actions panel. To toggle the visibility of the
Actions panel, press Option+F9 (Alt+F9). If the
panel does not look like a list, go to the panel's
submenu (in the panel's upper-right corner) and
make sure that Button mode is not selected.
The interface has fairly clear controls. The Stop,
Record, and Play buttons behave as you might
expect. The folder icon creates a new set (place)
to store actions, and the page icon creates a new
(empty) action. Click the trash icon to delete the
highlighted items, or you can drag actions or sets
onto it.
Let's practice with actions by using some of the
built-in actions.
1.
Open the file Ch15_Bike.tif from the
Chapter 15 folder.
2.
From the Actions panel submenu, choose
Image Effects. This menu item adds a set
of actions that will process the image to a
different look using a combination of filters
and adjustments.
Tip
Tools of Action
With Photoshop CS6, you can record the relative posi-
tion of tools, allowing for some very complex actions.
