The Plugin version of FocalBlade 2 now offers scripting support in Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro and Debabelizer. This means that you can record the effect settings in actions/scripts in these applications. The recorded action or script can then be used for batch processing. FocalBlade will automatically suppress the dialog and immediately render the effect to the image. You need to record a new action or script for every FocalBlade effect that you want to apply during batch processing.
If you are using another application under Windows (e.g. Fireworks), the FocalBlade dialog is not automatically suppressed during batch processing. So you need to use Cloak Mode, which suppresses the dialog when activated. Corel Photo-Paint on the other hand automatically suppresses the FocalBlade dialog when called from a script, so you do not need to activate Cloak Mode for it. In all of these cases you only need to record a single action or script with FocalBlade and can always use it during batch processing, because there are no effect settings recorded in the action or script.
Even if you are using FocalBlade in Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro and Debabelizer, you can still decide to use Cloak Mode. If Cloak Mode is activated, FocalBlade will ignore the scripting values and apply the last used setting. Using Cloak Mode has the advantage that you do not need to record a new action or script for every new FocalBlade effect that you want to apply, but you also always need to set a new effect in FocalBlade before you can start with batch processing.
If you want to use FocalBlade as a smart filter in Photoshop CS3, CS4 and CS5, please deactivate Cloak Mode before batch processing, otherwise FocalBlade will not work properly as a smart filter.
If you decided to use Cloak Mode, you can activate it by holding down the CTRL key and clicking on the Cancel button. The message box displayed below will appear. After pressing YES, the current settings will be saved and FocalBlade will be exited without rendering the effect to the image.
When you run FocalBlade again by choosing it from the Filter menu of your image application, the dialog of FocalBlade won't show up and the previous settings will be rendered immediately to the image. So if you have the On Start Up combo box on the Prefs tab sheet set to "Default Settings", this setting is ignored in Cloak Mode and the previous settings are applied. However, if you have On Start Up set to "Logged Settings", FocalBlade will search for automatically logged settings for each image and apply them if they are available.
After you have processed your series of photos in Cloak Mode you can uncloak FocalBlade again. To do that, keep the the Shift key pressed down when selecting FocalBlade from the filter menu in your image application. This will display the FocalBlade dialog again and exit Cloak Mode.
Alternatively you can also delete the file cloakfb.ini in the FocalBlade folder. But this is just an emergency strategy.
Photoshop offers a Batch feature on its File > Automate menu. This feature lets you batch process a series of images with the help of a Photoshop action. So if you want to batch process images in Photoshop you only need to record an action that contains FocalBlade.
Recording an action with FocalBlade:
1. Open an image in Photoshop.
2. Switch to the Actions panel on the right and create a new action by using the New Action button or the pop-up panel menu.
3. Choose FocalBlade from the Filter menu.
4. Now adjust the effect settings in FocalBlade, so that they are recorded in the action.
5. Press OK on the FocalBlade dialog.
6. Press the Stop button on the Action panel.
Now you have your FocalBlade action that you can use with File > Automate
> Batch.
Batch processing a series of images with FocalBlade:
1. Open one of the images from the image series.
2. Select File > Automate > Batch.
3. In the Batch dialog make sure that your FocalBlade action is selected.
4. Set the other batch options and click on OK to run it.
You can record a new action for each sharpening task that requires a different FocalBlade effect. On the other hand if you do not want to create a collection of different actions, you can also change the FocalBlade settings that are recorded in the action by clicking on the FocalBlade item in the Actions panel, changing the settings in the appearing FocalBlade dialog and pressing OK. If you want to apply individual FocalBlade settings to each image during batch processing, please activate the small dialog icon next to the FocalBlade entry in the Action panel. This will make the FocalBlade dialog appear for every new image.
On the other hand if you want to use FocalBlade in Cloak Mode for batch processing a series of images, you only can use any action that runs FocalBlade. First run FocalBlade, adjust the settings and activate Cloak Mode by holding down the Ctrl key when clicking on the Cancel key. Then continue as mentioned above with Photoshop's Batch tool. To uncloak FocalBlade again afterwards please hold down the Shift key while running FocalBlade from the menu.
Paint Shop Pro (Version 8 and higher) offers a Process feature on the File > Batch menu for batch processing a series of images with the help of a PSP script. Recording such a script is quite easy.
Recording a PSP script
with FocalBlade:
1. Open an image in PSP.
2. Select File > Script > Start Recording.
3. Choose FocalBlade from the Effects > Plugins menu.
4. Now need to adjust the effect settings in FocalBlade, so that they are recorded in the script.
5. Press OK on the FocalBlade dialog.
6. Select File > Script > Stop Recording and save the script. Now you have a FocalBlade action that you can use with File > Batch > Process.
Batch processing a series of images with FocalBlade:
1. Open one of the images from the image series.
2. Select File > Batch > Process or File > Batch Process.
3. In the Batch Process dialog choose your FocalBlade script with the Browse button from the Script frame.
4. Set the other batch options and click on the Start button to run it.
You need to record a new script for every FocalBlade effect that you want to apply during batch processing. You can create a collection of scripts with various FocalBlade effect and use these scripts as you need. If you want to apply individual FocalBlade settings to each image during batch processing, please deactivate the "Run script in silent mode" check box in the Batch Process dialog. This will make the FocalBlade dialog appear for every new image.
On the other hand if you want to use FocalBlade in Cloak Mode for batch processing a series of images, you only can use any script that runs FocalBlade. First run FocalBlade, adjust the settings and activate Cloak Mode by holding down the Ctrl key when clicking on the Cancel key. Then continue as mentioned above with PSP's Batch Process tool. To uncloak FocalBlade again afterwards please hold down the Shift key while running FocalBlade from the menu.
There are some other applications that support batch processing with the help of plugins, e.g. Fireworks, Debabelizer and Photo-Paint. Basically batch processing in other applications works the same as in Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro. In Fireworks you need to record a script and use Cloak Mode for batch processing. In Photo-Paint you need to record an script, but do not need to use Cloak Mode, because it already automatically suppresses the FocalBlade dialog. If you use FocalBlade 2 in Debabelizer, you also do not need to activate Cloak Mode.