CS5 Actions - inserting a PAUSE ?

I have a group of actions under separate function keys that do things like noise reduction, curves, output sharpening, etc. Within each of those I have checkmarks for interacting with the pop up dialog boxes for adjustments. Each of these is done on a separate layer named for that action and the actions do not flatten the image upon completion.

Now, I am building a separate workflow consolidation action that calls each of those separate actions individually, in sequence together, and I want to insert a pause at the end of the sequence so I can adjust the opacity and blending of the individual action layers so I can get my desired appearance before saving. How do I insert what is basically a null step that creates a pause in the action execution?

bsmotril wrote in post #11994710
I have a group of actions under separate function keys that do things like noise reduction, curves, output sharpening, etc. Within each of those I have checkmarks for interacting with the pop up dialog boxes for adjustments. Each of these is done on a separate layer named for that action and the actions do not flatten the image upon completion.

Now, I am building a separate workflow consolidation action that calls each of those separate actions individually, in sequence together, and I want to insert a pause at the end of the sequence so I can adjust the opacity and blending of the individual action layers so I can get my desired appearance before saving. How do I insert what is basically a null step that creates a pause in the action execution?

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You insert a stop and make sure that you tag "Allow continue". Once you hit play after you have finished making your changes the action will continue from the point at which you inserted the stop. There is a danger in this that say you were on layer 21 when you stopped and then you changed to layer 15 and made some changes. If you hit play at this point the action will commence but from layer 15. Make sure that you return your layer selection to the point at which you paused. I do this in some actions and to avoid this problem I always name my layers. If I stopped/paused on a layer called Graphic then the first statement after my stop would be to select the layer Graphic.

If by chance you happen to put in the stop and forget to tag the continue simply go to your action and double click the Insert Stop line item in the action and it will open the dialog box again so that you can then make that change. In fact if you don't like the forced settings that you have in an action line item you can double click it and make the changes in the function and it will save the new settings to the action. You do not have to be recording to do this.

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ssim wrote in post #11999985
You insert a stop and make sure that you tag "Allow continue". Once you hit play after you have finished making your changes the action will continue from the point at which you inserted the stop. There is a danger in this that say you were on layer 21 when you stopped and then you changed to layer 15 and made some changes. If you hit play at this point the action will commence but from layer 15. Make sure that you return your layer selection to the point at which you paused. I do this in some actions and to avoid this problem I always name my layers. If I stopped/paused on a layer called Graphic then the first statement after my stop would be to select the layer Graphic.

If by chance you happen to put in the stop and forget to tag the continue simply go to your action and double click the Insert Stop line item in the action and it will open the dialog box again so that you can then make that change. In fact if you don't like the forced settings that you have in an action line item you can double click it and make the changes in the function and it will save the new settings to the action. You do not have to be recording to do this.

That is what I was looking for. Thanks so much !

Thanks for asking and answering that. I had wondered about this too ...