Photoshop Creative

On another forum, a question came up about whether there's a Curves Action for the Mac-version of PSE6.
From what I could find out, there are very few Actions at all for PSE/Mac after version 3, due to Adobe not having a Software Development Kit for Mac - so 3rd party software companies (or individuals) cannot write the code for a plug-in for PSE4 and onwards for the Mac.

I did come across one site that seemed to have the answer but I couldn't ascertain whether it would work for later PSE/Mac versions. There's a set of plug-ins called "Booster Elements" http://www.thepowerxchange.com/product_7672_detailed.html (Mac and PC) available for just under $30.

I just don't know how old the plug-in is - and bear in mind that there's been no development kit available for Mac for a while.

Geoff, from what I have been able to gather. Actions are not platform specific. Any action made for elements whether MAC or PC will work. You just have to find the right path to install on a MAC.So if you find a curves action or layer mask action it should work provided it is installed in the proper file. I think I posted somewhere on this forum what the path is. Will look for it and post again here.

here it is

hard drive\Library\Application Support\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\6.0\Photo Creations\Photo Effects

Your old thumbnails won't work in PE 6. You need a separate PNG file for each action, so you will need to save your old psd thumbs as PNG files with exactly the same name as the action. If you had a multilayered original.psd, you will need to save each layer as a separate PNG. (You don't have to do this, but if you don't you wont' get thumbnails, only blank spaces that show the action name as a popup when you move over them).

Now. go hard drive>library>application support>Photoshop Elements>Locale and delete mediadatabase.db3 (you can actually skip this step and just try relaunching elements without it, if you want, but you may need to quit and go back to do this)

Restart Elements and your actions should show up in Show All. In PE 6, unfortunately, you can't create categories without creating XML files for each category.

site for free tools for elements 6
http://www.cavesofice.org/~grant/Challe ... Files.html

click on abbreviated tools
has curves, layer mask etc

My fault - I should have said Curves Plug-In. I know that Actions can work on both Mac and PC but I was asked about a "Curves Action" and that stuck in my mind. (I only know of the Smart Curves plug-in from "easyFilter" and there's no Mac version of it, due to the lack of a software DK).

Geoff, the link I posted has a curves tool. It is not a plug-in though

Thanks Suzi. I found and installed those actions and found the curves action worked very well. However, I seem to be having a problem installing that toolpack as it seems to be knocking my other effects out.

I don't know about the Win version but the mac PSE 6 has something that may help you under enhance>adjust color>adjust color curves. I tend to use shadow/hilites and levels myself. Started when went to PSE4 and didn't have curves anymore. Found I haven't really missed it.

I can't help you with that part. Geoff, as I used Graffi's tools. I would suggest e-mail Grant for help on that.

Well, I'm baffled, but happy. I've opened and closed and opened PSE a few times since my last post and when I last looked, all the actions, effects, styles etc - including the new ones - were back. I'd placed the new (Grant's) tools into their own folder inside "photo effects" and now all's well. Nope, no idea.

Aren't computers great..never cease to keep us confused. I am glad all is working for you now. Do you like the tools??

Sorry, Suzi, I've been away for a couple of days. Yes, the tools - especially the Curves and Channels, are excellent. Glad I've got them, even though some are duplicates of things I already had.