Loading actions into PSE 9--?!@#$#$

I downloaded some actions from www.thecoffeeshopblog.​com and was quite excited to use them over the weekend...until I started trying to get them to load into Elements 9. Oh my...I consider myself of average computer intelligence, not a genius, and that was some of the most frustrating, and fruitless, 2 1/2 hours I have spent in a while.

I have PSE 9, and Windows 7. I tried using the help guide on the coffeshopblog website to load them, but in following the file directory they said to use, the file they said the actions should be loaded into did not exist in my file directory. Uggh.

Anyone have any insights into loading actions into PSE 9, or a good source to look at?

Were the instructions you are referring to specific to Elements? Actions in Elements are different from Actions in the standard Photoshop. And, I believe, there is a bit of a difference between versions of Elements as well, although I'm not sure about that or any specifics.

You might want to check into one of the Elements forums:

http://forums.adobe.co​m/community/photoshop_​elements

http://www.elementsvil​lage.com/

I just checked on mt Win 7 pro and the directory that is mentioned shows up on my system. As a matter of fact I have a couple of the actions loaded and running on PSE10

2 1/2 hours? Its almost a 3 click process!

Open your photoeffects folder... drag and drop. ( not the zip but the actual file)

Raname/move to safe place the media database file.

restart elements

Are you having trouble finding the photoeffects file? Or the mediadatabase file?

Mark1--Maybe the mediadatabase file is the one step I am fouling up.

Here is the instructions I found in several places:

Windows XP:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\9.0\Locale\en​_US\Workflow Panels\actions

Vista and Windows 7:

C:\Program Data\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\9.0\Locale\en​_US\Workflow Panels\actions

Mac: Library\Application Support\Adobe\Photosho​p Elements\9.0\Locale\en​_US\Workflow Panels\actions

Then open PSE9 and the action you installed will be in the Actions player drop-down menu.

If you want to add them to the effects palette then these are the paths:

Mac: Library\Application Support\Adobe\Photosho​p Elements\9.0\Photo Creations\Photo Effects

XP: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\9.0\Photo Creations\Photo Effects

Vista: C:\ProgramData\Adobe\P​hotoshop Elements\9.0\Photo Creations\Photo Effects


I could never find the workflow panels files, but I did eventually find the photo effects files so I moved a couple of the actions I downloaded there. Then, when I reopened PSE 9, I could never get them to show up anywhwere.

From the Elements 9 Help file (the one available from Adobe):

(Note that my Windows 7 system matches the directory structure listed below for Vista. On my system the sample actions provided with Elements 9 are located in that subdirectory.)

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Automated Actions

Lets you perform a series of tasks on a photo. Photoshop Elements comes with a set of actions. You can also play actions created in Adobe Photoshop CS3. Keep in mind that the custom actions can only perform tasks that use features supported in Photoshop Elements, and may not work on all file types or layers.

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Install actions created in Photoshop

The Action Player in the Automated Actions guided edit can play actions created in Photoshop. Keep in mind that you can only play actions that use features supported in Photoshop Elements.

Copy the .atn file to one of the following locations:

Windows XP C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Adobe\PhotoshopEl​ements\9.0\Locale\en_U​S\Workflow Panels\actions

Vista C:\ProgramData\Adobe\P​hotoshop Elements\9.0\Locale\en​_US\Workflow Panels\actions

Mac System library/Application Support /Adobe /Photoshop Elements /9.0/Locale/en_US/Work​flow Panels/actions

The next time you start Photoshop Elements, the action will appear in the Automated Actions guided edit menu.

Elements keeps a list of installed "things". It does not simply read what is in a folder. (what it should be able to do). But the data base is faster to read and so the program starts faster.

So you have to make it rebuild the list to add new items. Renaming the file is good as you can always put the old name back if something happens. Or move the file somewhere you know it is. When Elements restarts and sees it is missing, it makes a new file.

Well, I thought I would just post a quick update...my quest to get these downloaded actions installed on PSE 9 has become a mission...I MUST conquer PSE 9.

I finally located all the files that the messages above are talking about. I pulled about 10 of my downloaded actions into the photo effects folder. I also finally found the mediadatabase file and deleted it. When I restarted PSE, it took a while to start, as it was rebuilding the mediadatabase file. When it was finally done...no photo effects at all. Not the actions I had imported, and none of the original ones as well. Tried deleting mediadatabase file and doing it again, same result.

LOL. At this point I am just laughing at myself. Maybe it's a sign to learn to do these processes on my own rather than using actions? Who knows. I figure I will keep trying and maybe one time just by random accident it will work.

Which actions did you load?