Actions How to create an action that pauses for input/

[puppychew]

Hello - My goal is to move the color over lay box out of the way towards the bottom of the screen. I have been trying to create an action but the action task, seems to need to be completed before i can stop recording.

My thoughts are to begin the action by starting at a layer and choose Layer/Layer Style/Color overlay.
At this time the Color Overlay box opens up and is blocking what I have on the screen. My solution was to move the box out of the way to the bottom side and then click anything just to get a color and hit OK. that way I can save the Action.

Providing the Color Overlay box moves to the bottom, is there a way to pause the action to allow for my color input?
I tried to edit the action but was not able to. My goal is to get that box out of the way easily.

 

[thebestcpu]

Hi @puppychew

There is another approach to your Layer Stack that might make it a whole lot easier. I know that changing how you have done things may not be possible, but I thought it worth mentioning.

Instead of a Layer Style, use a solid Color Layer with a Mask with the Layer set to Overlay and include the clipped Hue Sat Adjustment Layer above each color Layer.

It does the same thing yet lets you change the color for each portion of the image by selecting the Layer and clicking on a color swatch. No big panel opens up at all, with the same result.

As I said, this may not work for you, but I thought it was worth mentioning rather than a complicated Action workaround.

I hope it is worth considering
John Wheeler

 

[puppychew]

Thank you - I tried that. To change a color, I still need to double click on the color icon on the layer and that makes the box pop up. The thing is that I may change colors a few times in a minute. The color over lay box needs to be moved off the screen manually each time.

 

[thebestcpu]

Thank you - I tried that. To change a color, I still need to double click on the color icon on the layer and that makes the box pop up. The thing is that I may change colors a few times in a minute. The color over lay box needs to be moved off the screen manually each time.

I do not know how to do what you want with an Action other than what I had posted in your previous post/thread.
If double-clicking is an issue, the Foreground Color Picker can be set up to open with a single Key Shortcut, and then the sequence would be
1) Select the Solid Color Layer you want to change
2) Click the Keyboard shortcut to open Foreground Color Picker
3) Manually select the desired color
4)Hit the return Key to close Color Picker, which accepts the new color into the Solid Color Layer

If you stay on the same Layer, repeat starting at #2.

I may not know all the shortcut keys when using a Layer Style, which could make it more efficient.

I will leave it at that since I believe that is the limit of my knowledge of the direction you have chosen.
Best wishes on your project I and hope another Forum member can add a good solution for you.
John Wheeler

 

[MarshySwamp]

is there a way to pause the action to allow for my color input?

Yes, this is what the action modal control icon is for:

 

[puppychew]

Ah - yes. I was able to pause the action but moving the layer style box to the bottom of the screen did not work.