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Photoshop UI toolkit for plug-ins and scripts

  As of July 2024, Photoshop’s legacy 3D features have been removed. However, now in the Photoshop (beta) app you can seamlessly add 3D objects to your 2D Photoshop design using the Adobe Substance 3D Viewer (beta) app. Click here for more details.

What is changing?

Script-generated UI in Photoshop has now been enhanced to support HiDPI/Retina displays and look consistent with the overall application UI. Also, script-generated UI is now based on a new framework rather than Flex.

List of affected dialogs

The following is a list of dialogs in the application affected by this change:

Dialog Menu
Contact Sheet II File > Automate > Contact Sheet II
Conditional Mode Change File > Automate > Conditional Mode Change
Fit Image File > Automate > Fit Image
Lens Correction File > Automate > Lens Correction
Merge to HDR Pro File > Automate > Merge to HDR Pro
Photomerge File > Automate > Photomerge
Export Color Lookup   File > Export > Color Lookup Tables
Layer Comps to Files File > Export > Layer Comps to Files
Layer Comps to PDF File > Export > Layer Comps to PDF
Artboards to PDF File > Export > Artboards to PDF
Export Layers to Files
File > Export > Layers to Files
Image Processor File > Scripts > Image Processor
Scripts Event Manager File > Scripts > Scripts Event Manager
Load Layers File > Scripts > Load Files into Stack
Image Statistics File > Scripts > Statistics
Measurement Scale Marker Image > Analysis > Place Scale Marker
Flame Filter > Render > Flame
Picture Frame Filter > Render > Picture Frame
Tree Filter > Render > Tree
Upload to Sketchfab 3D > Share 3D Layer on Sketchfab
Export/Import Presets Edit > Presets > Export/Import Presets
Brick Fill

Edit > Fill

Select "Pattern" in the contents drop-down

Select "Script"

Select the option from Scripts drop-down

Cross Weave
Place Along Path
Random Fill
Symmetry Fill

UI Layout

There are no changes in the scripting APIs for creating user interfaces. However, there is a difference in the way the grouping widget works.

In Flex, the “group” widget used to act as layout mechanism for grouping widgets and used to be completely invisible itself. Now, “group” is itself a widget with its own background and can’t overlap with other widgets.

For instance, if we have two groups arranged one over the other with widgets in each group such that widgets from one group do not overlap with widgets in the other group, all widgets are visible in Flex.

Photoshop UI layout

However, in the new framework, in the same scenario, the group at the top hides the group at the bottom.

Photoshop Group widget - New framework
Group widget - New framework

Note:

Some users may find that their existing scripts have incorrect UI layout in the new framework because of this same reason. All such scripts should be modified by removing overlaps in the “group” widgets. Scripts created afresh in the new framework or modified to run in it work fine in Flex as well.

HiDPI support

With this change, script UI now supports HiDPI displays as well. However, no change is required in the scripts to make it work on HiDPI displays. You just need to place the 2x image assets alongside the 1x image assets having same filename as 1x image asset followed by @2X as suffix.

For instance, if the filename for 1x image asset is imageFile.png, then 2x image asset should be named as imageFile@2X.png and present at the same location.

Note:

If the 2x image asset is not found, 1x image asset will be used.

Known issues

  • The Flash Player widget is no longer supported. It is not possible to play SWF/Flash/Flex files through the script UI any longer.
  • Treeview widget is not supported.
  • Graphics drawing is not supported on Checkbox and Radiobutton widgets.
  • Button background color cannot be changed.
  • Font styles on text are not supported.
     

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