Briefly, I would like to show a moderately complicated Photoshop action in a forum. Saving the .atn file is easy, but it is encrypted by adobe.

I found a 25,475 line .jsx file which will apparently convert it to XML but is unusable without any usage or documentation http://ps-scripts.cvs.sourceforge.net/viewvc/ps-scripts/xtools/apps/ActionFileToXML.jsx

What is the easiest way, other than read action word, type word in text editor, to get the 6 inches of action (as seen in Photoshop) into plain text?

GORY DETAILS:

I have a large number of files which I inadvertently damaged by using perfectlyclear on them. It enhances some of the areas but pathologically destroys all darkish areas by converting them to pure black and near zero contrast. When printed, the pictures look like somebody took a black magic marker and redacted large areas. They are damaged beyond use as-is.

The Photoshop fix is to

duplicate layer
select color range, click on a black area, set fuzziness to ~12, range=100%
select expand 4, feather 3
make new mask channel
select backward (original) layer
delete (nukes blackened area under mask)
save as PNG with transparency

This leaves a PNG file with the redacted areas transparent and with feathering around them. By placing the original file beneath it, the original non-blackeded areas are shown.

I would like to document this modest solution in an ImageMagick forum but can not believe how far adobe has gone to lock my action into adobe-only tools. I want to jailbreak this and all of my other actions.

NOTE: There is a one line usage in ActionFileToXML.jsx: "This script reads an ActionFile and converts it to XML" and no documentation of any type. An alert I stumbled upon states that it will only work in CS2/3/4 and I have CS6. It has a 2007 date on it.

I have read that this .JSX is adobe's version of JavaScript and that you run them from inside Illustrator (which I don't have).

I want to figure out how to decrypt my actions and write a useable script:

USAGE: decrypt.atn.to.txt.pl encrypted.atn [-o text_file_name] <enter>
Supply fully qualified path to a .atn" file and it will be deciphered
into a useable .txt file with the same path/basename and a .txt 
extension unless you use the -O option which will attempt to write to 
the file name you supply. 

Perhaps, I could even make a CPAN module?!

Good thing the .JSX writer had the foresight to include 0.0039% documentation or the program would be completely useless! :)

• actionscript
• action

SOLUTION == and STEP by STEP instructions: The link: http://ps-scripts.cvs.sourceforge.net/viewvc/ps-scripts/xtools/apps/ActionFileToXML.jsx

points to a gigantic adope extend-script. Reading the file, line 3 has the ~only documentation: // This script reads an ActionFile and converts it to XML. The filename already tells you this: ActionFileToXML.jsx

Without wading through 25,000 lines of largely uncommented, 8-year-old code/data/??? it is completely unusable.

What the link poster failed to include was the PACKAGE containing the other 300 files which includes the README.txt, INSTALLATION.txt, /docs, etc.

The PACKAGE supplying context, install, usage, etc can be found at http://sourceforge.net/projects/ps-scripts/files/xtools/v2.2betas/

How to Decrypt adope's .atn file, step by step:

1. download README.txt and xtools*.zip from http :// sourceforge.net|projects|ps-scripts|files|xtools|v2.2betas
2. READ README.txt and unzip zip to any place you like (and REMEMBER where you put it). NOTE: evilnet explorer will by default hide it under some mile long, incredibly ugly file path where you may never find it so use FIREFOX: set tools -> options -> general -> downloads to Always_Ask_Me (or set a reasonable download directory)
3. Photoshop -> actions, click on action set you want to decipher and click the "arrow box" to the right of actions -> save_actions and put them where you can find them

4. Photoshop file -> scripts -> browse and navigate to where you stashed ActionFileToXML.jsx and execute. This pops up a GUI as shown at http :// ps-scripts.sourceforge.net|xtools.html

5. Navigate to where you hid you .atn file, the XML file box will be populated with the same path/file_BASE_name and an XML extension as a default. Adjust name/location to suit

6. hit PROCESS and in a delightfully brief period (in my case), it was done

Get ready to marvel at the succinct efficiency with which adope stores an action like [select->color_range, localized, fuzziness=14, range=100%] (56 bytes written by hand) in only 3635 bytes of unfathomably labyrinthine XML with no default values left underspecified. It look a lot like IRS regulation fine print! ;)

The main difficulty in trying to make sense of the XML is that it is written in some funky interpreter psycho-code which bears absolutely no resemblance to the keys/clicks you actually used to create it.

One of the steps I was attempting to elucidate was was simply layer (I NEVER ToucheDER) -> layer_mask -> hide_selection. It is diabolically obfuscated as (and I quote):

<ActionItem key="TEXT" expanded="false" enabled="true" withDialog="false" dialogOptions="2" identifier="TEXT" event="make" name="Make" hasDescriptor="true"><ActionDescriptor key="make" count="3"> <DescValueType.CLASSTYPE key="1316429856" id="1316429856" symname="New" sym="Nw  " classString="Channel" class="Chnl"/><DescValueType.REFERENCETYPE key="1098129440" id="1098129440" symname="At" sym="At  "><ActionReference key="1098129440" id="1098129440" symname="At" sym="At  " count="1">    

make .. new .. channel .. at .. mask .. hideSelection? Huh?

I had to scratch my head and fiddle around with the Channels panel options before I found the menu solution.

According to the generous and personable developer, Xbytor (who patiently answers emails from agitated would-be users), this XML can be hacked (carefully), translated back into a .ATN file and used by Photoshop. A very powerful possibility.

Brian