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Post by Paul Whiting on Jan 6, 2017 20:09:08 GMT
I've been studying this post photoshopelementsandmore.com/post/2886 and I'm loading Grant's Tools via the Effects Panel. For each tool I get an icon of a tree so I need to hover over the tool to see what it's for. I must be doing something wrong that's very simple but how can I get the unique icon for each tool? Thanks all, Paul |
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Post by Sepiana on Jan 7, 2017 2:37:41 GMT
Hi Paul,
You are not doing anything wrong. I believe the ThumbDatabase.db3 file is. The ThumbDatabase.db3 file "caters" to the Effects panel. i.e., it generates the thumbnails for the Effects panel. Sometimes this database gets corrupted or Elements "forgets" to update it and that's when you have problems with the thumbnails (such as generic thumbnails being displayed). The usual solution is to delete this database to force Elements to generate the correct thumbnails in the Effects panel.
1. Set your folder options to show hidden files.
www.tenforums.com/tutorials/9168-hidden-files-folders-drives-show-windows-10-a.html
2. Navigate the path below and delete the ThumbDatabase.db3 file.
C:\ProgramData\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\13.0\ThumbDatabase.db3
3. Open Elements and wait for the program to recreate this file.
4. Once the process is completed, check to see if the thumbnails have been generated correctly.
Hope this helps!
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Post by Paul Whiting on Jan 7, 2017 17:41:41 GMT
Thanks, Sepiana, that did the trick. Actually, I had the correct thumbnails for Red, Green and RGB Channels, they had loaded fine. It was just Blue Channel, Channel Mixer and Curves that had the generic thumbnails. And, I did not actually delete the .db3 file, I was a little reluctant to do that, I simply renamed it. As expected, it took a while upon opening PSE for the new database to be generated. Looked like the old one so I thought all was well. All actions seem to work ok except for Curves, I got a popup saying the "file could not be found".
Any thoughts on that? Plus, just to be sure, I thought I might delete the newly generated .db3 file and re-name the old one back.
Regards,
Paul
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Post by Sepiana on Jan 7, 2017 18:22:45 GMT
Paul, you are most welcome! Glad to hear that did the trick.
If you are reluctant to delete that database file, renaming it is a safe alternative. Another alternative is just to move that file to a place on your computer away from Elements such as Documents, Dowloads, etc.
As to the error message concerning the Curves action -- "file could not be found" -- let's try this.
1. Right-click on the Curves action thumbnail and select "Delete Content". 2. Then, load the action again. (NOTE: If the error message still pops up, close/open Elements, and then load the action.)
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Post by Paul Whiting on Jan 7, 2017 20:10:25 GMT
Sepiana,
Well, I tried your tricks but no joy... then I got daring and tried copying the atn family of three (atn, png, xml) that I had instlled for PSE 9, over to the folder of Grant's Tools for PSE 13. But alas, same result. "Cannot complete the action because file not found" or something like that. I do get the dialog box for Curves - but when I try the various boxes in that dialog, say Options, Auto, whatever else, that's where I get this error message. Those atn etc files worked fine for Grant's Tools Curves on my pse9, just tried it to be sure.
Sorry to ruin your Saturday!
Paul
PS Just tried installing curves via the Actions Panel, but same result. I got the thumbnail in the Action panel, then the dialogue box but again the error message when click on various choices in the box.
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Post by Sepiana on Jan 7, 2017 20:58:36 GMT
Paul, I don't really know what is going on. I tested the Curves action in Elements 13. It works just fine. The only thing I can think of is that your Curves .atn file got corrupted somehow.
Let's try this.
1. Remove the Curves action from both the Actions panel (Delete) and the Effects panel (Delete Content).
2. Go to the photo effects folder at the end of this path and remove the Curves .atn file and the accompanying .png and .jpeg files (if they are still in that folder).
C:\ProgramData\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\13.0\Photo Creations\photo effects
3. Load the Curves .atn file onto Elements 13.
You can make a fresh download of Grant's Tools from this thread. Scroll down to the fifth post.
photoshopelementsandmore.com/thread/1140/backed
NOTE: Adobe has made some changes starting with Elements 11. All you need is the .atn file. No need for the other files (.xml and .png).
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Post by Paul Whiting on Jan 7, 2017 23:15:04 GMT
Sepiana,
Well, I went through those steps, following them carefully. Used your fresh download. And I installed just the .atn file. Did I understand correctly that I don't need the png and xml files? This time I paid more attention to the various choices in the Curves dialog box. Everything worked except for the "Auto" and "Option" choices, that's where I got the error message about a missing file. I went over to my PSE9 and tried out the Auto and Option on an image there and I see now what I'm supposed to see in PSE13.
All other actions are working, the R,G,B, RGB and the Channel Mixer. Basically it's just the Auto and Option choices in Curves that don't work.
Well, maybe we should get away from it a while... enjoy the weekend, what's left of it! I'll do a fresh install tomorrow, make sure I didn't miss something in your procedure.
Cheers,
Paul
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Post by Sepiana on Jan 7, 2017 23:32:40 GMT
Paul,
In Elements 11 and above you just need the .atn file. This was one of the "gifts" Adobe gave Elements (brought over from Photoshop).
OK! Let's take a break! I need to do more testing re the Curves action (using different variables). I don't understand why the Auto and Option choices don't work.
Pardon me! I am getting a bit confused. I have a question -- Does the Curves action work as it should in Elements 9? Are the Auto and Option choices working? Your answer will help with the troubleshooting.
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Post by Paul Whiting on Jan 7, 2017 23:42:41 GMT
Yup, Grant's Curve worked fine over in pse9.. including Auto and Options.
Hey, it's Saturday Night - Live - in Billings, Montana, population 100K. Biggest city in the state!
Regards,
Paolo
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Post by Sepiana on Jan 7, 2017 23:49:31 GMT
Paul, I am back because there is a new development.
I had to reinstall Elements 13 (for reasons not related to this issue but to the Open With command). Now I am getting the same error message you mentioned when I run the Curves action (both in the Actions and in the Effects panel) in this version of Elements. Auto and Options are not working. I need more time to look into this. |
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Post by Paul Whiting on Jan 8, 2017 0:21:07 GMT
I wish you luck... I mean that sincerely ... sounds like a tough one.
p
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Post by Sepiana on Jan 10, 2017 5:40:54 GMT
Paul,
I tested the Curves action in Elements 11 through 15 on two computers, using both the Actions panel and the Effects panel. Here are my findings.
Elements 11 and 12 -- This action worked just fine. No error message when I clicked on the Auto and Options button. Elements 13, 14, and 15 -- It was a no-go! The error message kept popping up.
I am baffled. I have no idea why this is happening with this particular action. I can only make suggestions to other alternatives.
- Run this action in Elements 9 as you said it works in this version. - Use Enhance>Adjust Color>Adjust Color Curves. (A rather restricted version of Photoshop's Curves, with a simplified dialog box, a few preset settings, and not as many adjustment points.)
- Use a Gradient Map adjustment layer in the Luminosity mode. Simulating Curves with a Gradient Map
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Post by Paul Whiting on Jan 10, 2017 17:26:32 GMT
Thanks for the follow-up, Sepiana, and your research. Is Tom (?) Grant still around? I wonder if he'd chime in with a fix for us. Or does the onus fall on PSE. Or maybe a member here has run into this and will chime in with a fix. I do have a DVD for version 11, it came free with my latest Epson printer. Never installed it. I'll have to refer back to an earlier thread where you helped us understand the differences in the various PSE versions. I'd be able to understand what I'd be giving up by moving back a few versions from my 13.
Thanks also for your suggested workarounds. I know about Color Curves, I've tried them before. I do mostly black and white but if I change the Mode to RGB the Color Curves work on a B/W image. Your other suggestion will require some study from me.
Best regards,
Paul
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Post by Sepiana on Jan 10, 2017 18:05:12 GMT
Paul, you are most welcome! Let's hope one of our members will have encountered this problem and will have a solution (instead of just workarounds).
Grant Dixon and the late Wendy Williams kept Grant's Tools updated and shared them with members of the now-closed EV forum. Grant is not a member on this forum. Unfortunately, his website where he had several versions of the Tools available, tutorials, etc. is no longer up and running. Here is his new website.
www.grantdixon.ca/index.html
I am afraid the problem may lie within Elements. Panos, an action-writing guru and a member here, posted these reports on the Adobe Photoshop Elements forum.
forums.adobe.com/thread/1968723
forums.adobe.com/thread/2092763
As a side note -- It may be a good idea to install Elements 11. Adobe removed several features from Elements 12.
I'll have to refer back to an earlier thread where you helped us understand the differences in the various PSE versions. I'd be able to understand what I'd be giving up by moving back a few versions from my 13.
I will save you a trip. This may be what you are talking about.
www.photoshopelementsandmore.com/post/30329
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Post by Paul Whiting on Jan 18, 2017 14:33:36 GMT
Sepiana,
This thread is a bit old but I want to make a follow-up. I did eventually install PSE11 and then proceeded to install Grant's Tools. But once again I don't get the unique thumbnails, just a generic tree for all effects. Tried deactivating my db3 file and generating a new one, but this didn't help. Oddly, somehow the db3 file was generated when I installed version 11, it was about 20K in size. Why would it contain anything? I hadn't even opened a single photo. Then, when I relabeled it so's to make it inoperative, the new db3 that was generated was 0 in size!
The good news is that Auto and Options work... you had tested various versions of Elements and confirmed that these two features in Grant's Curves work fine in 11 and 12.
Paul
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