auto save script/plugin for photoshop cs

Thegodzero

Anyone have a auto save script/plugin for photoshop cs? I think i remember someone having one but can't remember who.

Saving as all the time kinda kills my brain's natural action of saving the main file. So now i need something to do that for me.

indian_boy

all i ever do is set up an action and hit F9 all the time. in case ur wondering, F9 is my 'save action' hotkey... mainly cuz all my FPS games have the same. Setting up a few handy actions could go a long way.

Jeff Parrott

I posted in the 2d & 3d discussion. I have actions set up. But changing the save location if that changes is a pain. Any way to automate that?

HarlequiN

Are you refering to saving your TGA or JPG version, requiring you to navigate to an output folder?

Your question made it sound like you meant autosave in the way that Max has it, in that it just saves your PSD every five minutes, but I'm assuming that's not what you're getting at.

Thegodzero

No no that is exactly what I'm asking for, a plugin/scrip that autosaves PSD's every five minutes.

The other part of saving off the file isn't a problem you can't loose work that way but you can when you forget to save your PSD for 4 hours...

HarlequiN

Well, this is the closest I can figure, unless you're working on a Mac. If you wanted the other I might have been able to help a little more. Soz.

http://www.sharewareconnection.com/autosave-demo.htm

Personally I've just trained myself to hit CTRL-S after CTRL-Z on occassion. Seems to work out fairly well, especially since they're right next to each other.

Eric Chadwick

Might be something here.
http://ps-scripts.com/

HarlequiN

That's where I found the Applescript one.

I'm 95% sure you can't write an autosave script for Photoshop using Extendscript (which is what the majority of scripts are written in - it's basically Javascript with knobs on), since - unlike running a maxscript in Max - running an Extendscript essentially locks Photoshop out from user control until the script is completed.

I guess it might be possible to write one in VB-Script, but I don't know a lot about how VB differs in use from Extendscript since I've never used it. If, like apple script, it can effect things outside of the software that's running it then it could work I guess.

Another alternative that just occured to me would be to set up some kind of external timer program that runs a particular file (in this case a script)at the interval you set, though you'd have to remember to turn it on and off when you start and stop using Photoshop...
I wonder if that could be done with a batch file? Hmmm, this requires more thought.

HarlequiN

OK, turns out there is a way to do this (on windows XP anyway - I assume Vista would be similar), but it takes a little setting up, and you *have to remember to turn it off before you exit Photoshop (you'll see why in a second).

I had found an easier way, but a glitch in some windows security update means it's not reliable, and I can't test it at all... Shame. If you wan tto see if that would work on your system then say - but the following is tried and tested.

To set it up:

OK, open a new file in your plain txt editor (EG Notepad), and paste in the following:

DIM objApp
SET objApp = CreateObject("Photoshop.Application")
REM Use dialog mode 3 for show no dialogs
DIM dialogMode
dialogMode = 3
DIM id5809
id5809 = objApp.CharIDToTypeID( "save" )
Call objApp.ExecuteAction( id5809, , dialogMode )

OK, now save this file to your desktop as Autosave.VBS

Now open the Windows Scheduled Tasks manager (you can just open a new window and type Scheduled Tasks into the address bar).

Double click Add Scheduled Task in the scheduled task manager. This will open a shitty wizard - I hate wizards. Hit Next.

Browse to the VBS file you just saved. Say you want to run it daily (you don't of course, which is why I hate wizards), hit next until you have to enter your password, and enter your Windows password twice. Hit Next.

Check the advance properties box and hit finish.

In the advanced options, uncheck the Enabled box in the Task tab, then hit the schedule tab, and click Advanced...

Check "Repeat Task" and set the duration to 24 hours. Click OK until the window buggers off.

OK, so it's all set up - now to run it just open the Scheduled Tasks Manager when Photoshop is running and has an image open (this is important), double click Autosave, and click the Enabled Box and OK. The script will now save whichever image is currently selected, and it will run every 10 minutes.

Before you close all the images in Photoshop make sure you un-enable it again using the same method; This is because the script is very cheap and cheerful, and just saves the currently selected image when the time rolls around - If there's no file for it to save it will pop up an Error. If Photoshop isn't open when the script runs it will open Photoshop just so it can give you the error.

Potentially I could write a series of scripts that would enable the task when you open an image in Photoshop, and end the task when you closed all the images, or exited the software - though the initial setup would still be as laborious. Don't hold you breath though, writing that would take more time than I currently have free.