AUTOMATION

Automation- or automatic control, is the

use of various control systems for
operating equipment such as machinery,
processes in factories, boilers and heat
treating ovens, switching on telephone
networks, steering and stabilization of
ships, aircraft and other applications with
minimal or reduced human intervention.
Some processes have been completely
automated.

Types of Automation
1. Discrete control (on/off)
2. Continuous control
* Open and closed loop.
* Sequential control and logical
sequence or system state control.
* Computer Control

Discrete Control- One of the simplest

types of control is on-off control. An
example is the thermostats used on
household appliances.
Electromechanical thermostats used in
HVAC may only have provision for
on/off control of heating or cooling
systems. Electronic controllers may add
multiple stages of heating and variable
fan speed control.

Continuous Control- The advanced type

of automation that revolutionized
manufacturing, aircraft, communications
and other industries, is feedback control,
which is usually continuous and
involves taking measurements using
a sensor and making calculated
adjustments to keep the measured
variable within a set range.

Open and Closed Loop- All the elements

constituting the measurement and control
of a single variable are called a control
loop. Control that uses a measured signal,
feeds the signal back and compares it to a
set point, calculates and sends a return
signal to make a correction, is
called closed loop control. If the
controller does not incorporate feedback
to make a correction then it is open loop.

Loop control is normally accomplished

with a controller. The theoretical basis of
open and closed loop automation
is control theory.

Sequential control and logical

sequence or system state controlSequential control may be either to a
fixed sequence or to a logical one that
will perform different actions depending
on various system states. An example of
an adjustable but otherwise fixed
sequence is a timer on a lawn sprinkler.

States refer to the various conditions that

can occur in a use or sequence scenario of
the system. An example is an elevator,
which uses logic based on the system state
to perform certain actions in response to
its state and operator input. For example,
if the operator presses the floor n button,
the system will respond depending on
whether the elevator is stopped or moving,
going up or down, or if the door is open or
closed, and other conditions.

Computer Control-Computers can

perform both sequential control and
feedback control, and typically a single
computer will do both in an industrial
application. Programmable logic
controllers(PLCs) are a type of special
purpose microprocessor that replaced
many hardware components such as
timers and drum sequencers used in relay
logic type systems.

General purpose process control computers

have increasingly replaced stand alone
controllers, with a single computer able to
perform the operations of hundreds of
controllers. Process control computers can
process data from a network of PLCs,
instruments and controllers in order to
implement typical (such as PID) control of
many individual variables or, in some cases, to
implement complex control algorithms using
multiple inputs and mathematical
manipulations.

They can also analyze data and create real

time graphical displays for operators and
run reports for operators, engineers and
management.
Control of an automated teller
machine (ATM) is an example of an
interactive process in which a computer will
perform a logic derived response to a user
selection based on information retrieved
from a networked database.

CREATING AN
ACTION

Guidelines for recording

actions
Keep in mind the following guidelines when
recording actions:

* You can record mostbut not all

commands in an action.
* You can record operations that you
perform with the Marquee, Move,
Polygon, Lasso, Magic Wand, Crop, Slice,
Magic Eraser, Gradient, Paint Bucket,
Type, Shape, Notes, Eyedropper, and
Color Sampler toolsas well as those that
you perform in the History, Swatches,
Color, Paths, Channels, Layers, Styles,
and Actions panels.

* Results depend on file and program setting

variables, such as the active layer and the foreground
color. For example, a 3pixel Gaussian blur wont
create the same effect on a 72ppi file as on a 144 ppi
file. Nor will Color Balance work on a grayscale file.
* When you record actions that include specifying
settings in dialog boxes and panels, the action will
reflect the settings in effect at the time of the
recording. If you change a setting in a dialog box or
panel while recording an action, the changed value is
recorded.

NOTE: Most dialog boxes

retain the settings specified
at the previous use. Check
carefully that those are the
values you want to record.

*Modal operations and toolsas well as tools that

record positionuse the units currently specified for the
ruler. A modal operation or tool is one that requires you
to press Enter or Return to apply its effect, such as
transforming or cropping. Tools that record position
include the Marquee, Slice, Gradient, Magic Wand,
Lasso, Shape, Path, Eyedropper, and Notes tools.
* If you record an action that will be played on files of
different sizes, set the ruler units to percentages. As a
result, the action will always play back in the same
relative position in the image.
*You can record the Play command listed on the Actions
panel menu to cause one action to play another.

Record an action
When you create a new action, the
commands and tools you use are
added to the action until you
stop recording.

To guard against mistakes, work in a

copy: At the beginning of the action
before applying other commands, record
the File > Save As command and select
As A Copy. Alternatively, you can click
the New Snapshot button on the History
panel to make a snapshot of the image
before recording the action.

1. Open a file.
2. In the Actions panel, click the Create New
Action button , or choose New Action from the
Actions panel menu.
3. Enter an action name, select an action set, and
set additional options:
Function Key
Assigns a keyboard shortcut to the action.
You can choose any combination of a function
key, the Ctrl key (Windows) or Command key
(Mac OS), and the Shift key (for example,
Ctrl+Shift+F3), with these exceptions:

In Windows, you cannot use the F1 key,

nor can you use F4 or F6 with the Ctrl key.
Note:
If you assign an action the same shortcut
that is used for a command, the shortcut
will apply the action rather than the
command.
Color
Assigns a color for display in
Button mode.

4. Click Begin Recording. The Begin

Recording button in the Actions panel turns
red .
Note:
When recording the Save As command, do not
change the filename. If you enter a new
filename, that new name is recorded and used
each time you run the action. Before saving, if
you navigate to a different folder, you can
specify a different location without having to
specify a filename.

5. Perform the operations and commands you

want to record.
Not all tasks in actions can be recorded
directly; however, you can insert most
nonrecordable tasks using commands in the
Actions panel menu.

6. To stop recording, either click the Stop

Playing/Recording button, or choose Stop
Recording from the Actions panel menu, or
press the Esc key.
To resume recording in the same action,
choose Start Recording from the Actions
panel menu.

Record a path
The Insert Path command lets you include a
complex path (a path created with a pen tool
or pasted from Adobe Illustrator) as part of
an action. When the action is played back,
the work path is set to the recorded path.
You can insert a path when recording an
action or after it has been recorded.

1. Do one of the following:

* Start recording an action.
* Select an actions name to record a path at
the end of the action.
* Select a command to record a path after the
command.
2. Select an existing path from the Paths panel.
3. Choose Insert Path from the Actions panel
menu.

If you record multiple Insert Path commands

in a single action, each path replaces the
previous one in the target file. To add
multiple paths, record a Save Path command
using the Paths panel after recording each
Insert Path command.
Note: Playing actions that insert complex
paths may require significant amounts of
memory. If you encounter problems, increase
the amount of memory available to
Photoshop.

Insert a stop
You can include stops in an action that let
you perform a task that cannot be recorded
(for example, using a painting tool). After
you complete the task, click the Play button
in the Actions panel to complete the action.

You can also display a short message when

the action reaches the stop as a reminder of
what needs to be done before continuing
with the action. You can include a Continue
button in the message box in case no other
task needs to be done.

1.Choose where to insert the stop by doing one of

the following:
*Select an actions name to insert a stop at the end
of the action.
*Select a command to insert a stop after
the command.
2.Choose Insert Stop from the Actions panel menu.
3.Type the message you want to appear.
4.If you want the option to continue the action
without stopping, select Allow Continue.
5.Click OK.

Change settings when

playing an action
By default, actions are completed using the
values specified when they were originally
recorded. If you want to change the settings
for a command within an action, you can
insert a modal control. A modal control
pauses an action so that you can specify
values in a dialog box or use a modal tool.

(A modal tool requires pressing Enter or

Return to apply its effectonce you press
Enter or Return, the action resumes its tasks.)
A modal control is indicated by a dialog box
icon to the left of a command, action, or set
in the Actions panel. A red dialog box
icon indicates an action or set in which some,
but not all, commands are modal. You cant
set a modal control in Button mode.

*Do one of the following:

*To enable a modal control for a command within
an action, click the box to the left of the command
name. Click again to disable the modal control.
*To enable or disable modal controls for all
commands in an action, click the box to the left of
the action name.
*To enable or disable modal controls for all
actions in a set, click the box to the left of the set
name.

Exclude commands from

an action
You can exclude commands that
you dont want to play as part of a
recorded action. You cant exclude
commands in Button mode.

1.If necessary, expand the listing of commands in

the action by clicking the triangle to the left of the
action name in the Actions panel.
2.Do one of the following:
* To exclude a single command, click to clear

the check mark to the left of the command

name. Click again to include the command.

*To exclude or include all commands or

actions in an action or set, click the check
mark to the left of the action or set name.
*To exclude or include all
commands except the selected command, Altclick (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) its
check mark.
*To indicate that some of the commands
within the action are excluded, the check
mark of the parent action turns red.

Insert a non-recordable
menu command
You cannot record the painting and toning
tools, tool options, View commands, and
Window commands. However, you can
insert many non-recordable commands into
an action using the Insert Menu Item
command.

You can insert a command when recording

an action, or after it has been recorded. An
inserted command doesnt execute until
the action is played, so the file remains
unchanged when the command is inserted.
No values for the command are recorded
in the action. If the command opens a
dialog box, the dialog box appears during
playback, and the action pauses until you
click OK or Cancel.

1.Choose where to insert the menu item:

*Select an actions name to insert the item at the end of
the action.
*Select a command to insert the item at the end of the
command.
2.Choose Insert Menu Item from the Actions panel menu .

3.With the Insert Menu Item dialog box open,

choose a command from its menu.
4. Click OK.

Edit and rerecord actions

You can tweak the settings of any specific
command within an action, add commands to
an existing action, or step through an entire
action and change any or all settings.

Overwrite a single
command
1.In the Actions panel, double-click the command.
2.Enter the new values, and click OK.

Add commands to an action

Do one of the following:

*Select the action name to insert a new

command at the end of the action.
*Select a command in the action to insert a
command after it.
3.Click the Begin Recording button, or choose
Start Recording from the Actions panel menu.
4.Record the additional commands.
5.When finished, click the Stop
Playing/Recording button in the Actions panel
or choose Stop Recording from the panel menu.

Rearrange commands
within an action
In the Actions panel, drag a command to
its new location within the same or
another action. When the highlighted line
appears in the desired position, release
the mouse button.

Record an action again

1.Select an action, and choose Record Again
from the Actions panel menu.
2.If a modal tool appears, use the tool to
create a different result, and press Enter or
Return, or just press Enter or Return to retain
the same settings.
3.If a dialog box appears, change the settings,
and click OK to record them, or click Cancel
to retain the same values.

Batch processing with an

action
1.Make sure that all the files are in a single

folder of their own.

Any subfolders will be included in that
folder.
2.Choose FileAutomateBatch.
The Batch dialog box opens.

3. In the Set pop-up menu, select the set that contains

the action you want to apply.
If you have only one set of actions loaded, that set
appears by default.
4. In the Action pop-up menu, select the action that
you want to apply.
5. In the Source pop-up menu, select Folder.
You can also select Opened Files to process files that
you already opened in Photoshop, Import to process a
series of files captured with your scanner or
transferred from your digital camera, or Bridge to
process files that you selected in Adobe Bridge.

6. Click the Choose button, navigate to

the folder that you want to use, and click
OK (in Windows) or Choose (in Mac
OS).
7. Select other options in the Source area,
as desired.
Heres a description of your choices:

Override Action Open Commands: If the

macro does contain an Open command, select
this option. With this option active, Photoshop
overrides Open commands in the actions that
use specific files.
*Include All Subfolders: Select this option to
process files in subfolders within the folder
that you specify.

* Suppress File Open Options Dialogs: Select

this option to have Photoshop disregard any
options that possibly could be selected upon
opening a file.
*Suppress Color Profile Warnings: Selecting
this check box suppresses the choice of using
a files own color profile or Photoshops
default profile; Photoshop always uses its
own default color profile.

8. In the Destination area, tell Photoshop what to do

with each file after the action has been applied to it.
Choose one from the drop-down menu:
*None: Leaves the file open on your Photoshop
desktop without saving it.
*Save and Close: Closes the files in the same

folder in which Photoshop found them. Your

original file is overwritten.
*Folder: Saves the document in a folder.

9. If you chose Folder in Step 8, click the

Choose button and navigate to a destination
folder for your files.
10. Select the Override Action Save As
Commands check box to ignore any Save As
parameters in the action and use the filenames
of the files.
11. Specify how you want Photoshop to create
the filenames for the new, processed files by
selecting options from the drop-down menus.

When you process large numbers of files,

these naming tools can help you keep track of
when and how the files were created.
12. Select the Windows, Mac OS, or Unix
check box to specify what operating system
you want the saved filenames to be most
compatible with.

13. In the Errors pop-up menu, select whether

you want Photoshop to stop processing a batch
when it encounters an error or whether you want
it to simply continue and list the errors in a file.
If you select the latter option, click the Save As
button and, in the Save dialog box, specify a
name and location for the log.
14. When you finish selecting options in the
Batch dialog box, click OK to start the batch
processing.