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Scripts for use with PhotoFlash

In case you don't know, PhotoFlash is a program written by Storm for Apple to bundle with its QuickTake cameras. It is also sold seperately for about $99. An easy-to-use program, it has the distinction of being one of the few recoradable/scriptable image manipulation programs available.

It does have a few bugs, but two are the most frustrating:

It will not release the clut if your monitor is in 8-bit mode. This means that even if you've closed an image, let's say a grayscale image as an example, when you switch to the Finder or another program, the monitor will still show the clut from the last opened image--in the example it would show grayscale. You must either reset the monitor via the Monitors Control Panel or close PhotoFlash or use the Monitors osax to reset for you.
PhotoFlash will corrupt some EPS and all DCS files created or re-saved by the program. TO BE SAFE, DO NOT USE PHOTOFLASH WITH EPS OR DCS FILES.

These bugs have been in the program since the release of 2.0 and will not be fixed. You must work around them. With the Image Companions scripts, I wrote routines that would scan EPS files to look for CMYK plates as a precaution. It will use PhotoShop compatible plug-ins. Add a GIF plug-in from PhotoShop and you're ready to roll.

IN SPITE OF THESE PROBLEMS, I STILL RECOMMEND AND USE PHOTOFLASH.

I just wish some company would come up with a recordable/scriptable image manipulator for us scriptheads. One more thing, if you want to use PhotoFlash with a PPC, make sure it is version 2.0.1. The update is available on the Apple Support boards.

PhotoFlash Scripts - Some of my favs
: Process Photo CD - (50K) This script will batch process a range of images from a photo CD. It even offers the option to rotate images and run another processing script on each image as it is extracted and saved to a pre-indicated location.; Frame Image - (17K) This script will create a frame around the frontmost image. You can indicate the thickness and the script uses either black or the current background color for the frame.; Drop Shadow - (33K) This script will create a drop shadow for the image. You can set the offset, shade, and direction.; Reset 8-bit Monitor - (17K) This script will re-set your 8-bit (256 colors) monitor to solve the problem mentioned above.; Nudge Selection Shape - (17K) One of the limitiations of PhotoFlash is that you can't nudge the selection shape--you can nudge the selection but not the selection shape! This script solves that problem. You can adapt it to a single pixel nudger if you want.; Frame Selection Rectangle - (17K) A neat script for placing a frame around the perimiter of a selection rectangle. You can indicate the thickness and choose between using the background color for the frame or a shade of black.; Shrink/Grow the Selection Rectangle - (17K) Another in the selection series, this script will allow you to indicate an amount in pixels you wish to shrink or grow the selection rectangle.; 4-Way Mirror - (17K) An interesting script that will create a 4-way mirror effect of the chosen image.; Wallpaper - (17K) A repeating version of the 4-way mirror script that will convert your image into a wallpaper pattern! (TIP: the best results are at a setting of 2 or 3 repeats); SelectPoly-Lift NW w/Shadow - (17K) This script will give a "raised look" to a polygon selection in the image.; SelectRect-Lift NW w/Shadow - (17K) A version of the above script for a selection rectangle.; Scale Selection - (17K) This script will scale the selection and its contents by the percentage you indicate.; Batch Convert to 256 TIFF - (17K) This script will convert every image currently open in PhotoFlash to 256 colors with dithering. It will then save the images to an indicated folder as TIFF files.; Full Screen Zoom at 100% - (17K) This script will expand the window of the frontmost image to fille the screen and set the view of the image to 100%. (Requires the scriptable Finder that ships with System 7.5 or higher.; Add Top Image to Catalog - (17K) This script will add the topmost image to an open catalog.; Extract QuickTake Images to Folder - (17K) This script will extract the images in a connected QuickTake camera to an indicated folder. Add your own routines for processing them! (NOTE the use of the scriptable progress bar built-into PhotoFlash!; Crop QXP Images Script - (50K) This script will allow you to crop images to their picture boxes in QuarkXPress! Select the images in your QuarkXPress document and run the script. You have the option to crop the original image or a duplicate. Each selected image will be opened in PhotoFlash, cropped, and re-imported into XPress maintaining previous scaling. Sorry, this one is saved a read-only due to the fact that some of the routines were derived with some help from others and it is not fair to give away their code without asking them. THe scripts will still function well though-enjoy!