[Photoshop] best approach to custom tools?

Tools Photoshop
#1

Our artists are fond of using theQsave script they found on Polycount

It works quite well but I have had to dig into the JavaScript a few time to customize it for our needs.
My experience has not been positive, because either
[ul]
[li]I just don’t undertand JS as well as I thought (which I doubt)
[/li][li]The code is barely readable, or
[/li][li]Photoshop’s JS extension is a mess from the get go
[/li][/ul]

In order to more fluidly incorporate Artist’s asks I would like to scrap Qsave and come up with our own tool.
What would you guys recommend?
I’ve written some stand alone tools in C#, and I have some Python chops , although I never wrote a stand alone tool GUI.
I understand some people have used the COM interface to get at Photoshop, but I have never messed with that.
Can anyone point me to resources?

#2

depending on which version of Photoshop you are using, you can try the new extensions which are a mix of HTML and JS. They are a pain in the butt to get off the ground, but once you do, its not too hard to provide some good automated tools. For example, I made a tool for adding guides based on either pixel or percentage spacing. The Gui for it docks nicely with the rest of the Photoshop interface.

however, our main texture exporting tools are all python through the COM interface, since I need to talk to our Source Control through a custom python library. It’s a separate python application that talks to Photoshop, so it doesn’t minimize with photoshop, or close when photoshop closes, etc.

#3

i’m assuming by your point 1 that Qsave is all action descriptor nonsense and yes, that is bonkers and not meant for human consumption.

If you go the python route, I wrote a lib that can talk to PS without the need for compiled bins (pywin32) and is a hell of a lot lighter :slight_smile: Plus you can subscribe to events: https://github.com/theiviaxx/photoshopConnection

I’d also second rgkovach’s sentiments on the new panels for CC. Every single time i go to implement it, i have to dig around to find out whats going on. Here is a good boilerplate one to use, i think rgkovack also has one floating around.

Post here or slack if you need help or specifics, im glad to help.

#4

[QUOTE=Mambo4;29202]Our artists are fond of using theQsave script they found on Polycount

It works quite well but I have had to dig into the JavaScript a few time to customize it for our needs.
My experience has not been positive, because either
[ul]
[li]I just don’t undertand JS as well as I thought (which I doubt)
[/li][li]The code is barely readable, or
[/li][li]Photoshop’s JS extension is a mess from the get go
[/li][/ul]
[/QUOTE]

Hi, I also had wrote similar as that script in Photoshop just use javeScript

Basic UI in Photoshop script is simple, and easy to write.

You can check out my implement if you have times -

No readme now, I glad to make discussions to any one who have interest.

: )