bulk RAW actions

[asamuel]

Can I create bulk RAW actions? Open up a series of pictures and get the RAW application to do its automatic adjustments, the open them in photoshop and do a basic sharpening action in one huge batch?

I have experiemented with pushing my exposures to the highlights without too much over exposure. I have also set my camera sharpening to 0. ...I have taken what I have read to be good advice on spec at this point.

........I now have a bunch of pictures that I want to work on further but this quick "rendering" would give me a point at which to analyse a more 'Familiar" image as I am not yet able to see the possibilities with such skeleton information, nor do I have the time with the amount I have at my hands right now to labour at each and then decide its for the bin.

.............any advice?

p.s. good to be back, missed yuz help:lust

[colourbox]

Several raw converters do bulk actions. Since you posted in Photoshop Shenanigans, you might be asking about Adobe Camera Raw. There are multiple ways to do what you're asking:

Select multiple raws in Bridge, open in Camera Raw, select multiple in Camera Raw, do a bulk Save or bulk Open. (The buttons will change to "Save 58 images" or "Open 58 images")
Select multiple raws in Bridge, run Tools>Photoshop>Image Processor, and bulk convert.
Select multiple raws in Bridge, run Tools>Batch, and apply the Photoshop action of your choice.


If you don't get the detail you need from the help file and this is very important to you, run out and buy the book Real World Adobe Camera Raw CS2. That's how I learned.

[Nikolai]

I know, it may sound like a complicated procedure, but in fact it's much faster to actually do it than to describe it. I use this approach all the time..

Essentially you have these two consecutive steps:

1. Fiddle with RAW in ACR
2. Fiddle with the rest in PS

Step 1. Bulk RAW
This can be done in (at least) two different ways.
One would be to select your images in Bridge, open them in ACR (Ctrl+R), select all, apply the settings. Or, alternatively, set the settings, select all, and hit synchronize.
The other would be change the raw settings in one image, close ACR, right mouse button, "Copy RAW settings", then select the resat of the bundle, right mouse button, "Paste RAW Settings".
Either way, you'll end up with the same settings for all selected images.

Step 2. PS CS2
Play with one image, and once satisfied with result, reload it and create an action. No need to include open/save command, just repeat your correction steps. Close the file without saving it, leave PS open.

Note.
If you already have an action ready, you may skip Step 2 altogether. It's only needed if you don't have an action or want to modify it.

Once both steps are done, select your images again in Bridge, and go to Tools | Photoshop | Image Processor...

Set the dialog properties and include the action you've created.

That's it!

HTH