Photoshop Trick - load files into stack

focpt · 3 Dec 2012, 17:16

I just learned a new trick. Typically, when I get to post-production I have several sketchup exports I want to have in layered together in Photoshop (lines, color, shadows, etc.)

In the past I have always opened all the files and one at a time, shift-dragged images into a new file.

There is a shortcut in Photoshop File > Scripts > Load files into stack

This loads all the images files you select into one layered file. Maybe everyone already knew this trick, but it was new to me!

emerald15 · 3 Dec 2012, 17:23

OOh! Thanks. 'wonder if that works in my Serif version on Photoshop too?

pbacot · 3 Dec 2012, 17:59

That's cool.

And in GIMP open a file then go to File "Open as Layers", then choose multiple files and press OK.

tinanne · 3 Dec 2012, 18:00

Great tip! Thanks! I'm going to try that on my next project.

Chris Fullmer · 3 Dec 2012, 20:16

I've never used that either, good tip. Thanks!

pedrinalex · 4 Dec 2012, 03:03

Thank you very much Nathan

srx · 4 Dec 2012, 05:46

I use this feature in GIMP...But I miss similar thing from SU. It would be useful plugin for automatic export of this images used for PP: lines, black shadows with and without transparency, diffuse channel, material ID channel (diffuse without textures), alpha channel (all materials black), all gray with fog (for DOF and fog . This plugin could simply be called "SketchUp render". I'll start another topic about this.

Aerilius · 4 Dec 2012, 17:04

I've been using it also a lot in GIMP.

@srx said:

But I miss similar thing from SU.

Yes, drag&drop API methods and multiple drag&drop would be cool! But I assume you meant to export several images at once (plugin request). So manually you do that by changing the display and style options? (That could then be done by a plugin with one click)

Chris Fullmer · 4 Dec 2012, 17:22

A long time ago, John Wehby made a plugin that would add scenes to your model that would duplicate most of the major different layer needs. I just tried it again to see if it still works, looks like something broke. It was made for SU v4. But that made it easy to export jpgs from the scenes.

So what would be ideal, would you like to setup a model to have a scene for each layer type you want exporter? Or would you like it to automatically export certain certain jpg layers on its own? Or something else?

focpt · 4 Dec 2012, 17:31

Whoa....we are on to something here. This would be very useful for me. Ideal scenario:

Export each scene in a model to .jpg with differnent style, shadows etc.
All done from one dialog box. setup options then 'go button'
Have the option to choose size of jpg
Automatically rename (e.g. Scene 1-color no lines, Scene 1-black white, etc.)
Have 'save settings as' feature because sometimes I may not need material ID pass, etc.

One of you plug-in guys want to start a new thread and post the link here?

-Nathan

srx · 4 Dec 2012, 17:35

I already started one here: http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=49323

I guess it would need to create scenes first..., but it would be even better to go one step more, and make images of that scenes (it could be a plugin of it own for exporting scenes to images, or one could use snapshot plugin
Thanks.