cropping pictures

[Mark H]

Dave - I'll presume that you are familiar with Fireworks (8 in my case) batch processing, and that you know that you can't do it using the standard commands, but what you can do quite easily is to add one or more new commands.

• Back up all the images you intend to batch process (batch processing can cause a lot of damage in a short space of time if you don't get it right first time).
• Open Fireworks - you need to be able to see the panels (usually to the right) and in particular the "Frames and History" panel - expand this panel so that you can see the two tabs "Frames" and "History" - choose the History tab.
• Click on the "options" button near this tab and clear the history if it is not already clear.
• Open a copy of one of the images you want to process.
• Modify | Canvas | Canvas size to 300x300, making sure that the original image is centered using the centre anchor button - it should be by default.
• The image should now look like you want it to.
• You should now see that there is one history step ("Crop Document") in the History panel - select this step by clicking on it once.
• Click on the little floppy disk icon - "save steps as a command" - name the command in the dialog box eg "300 centre crop".
• You should now see "300 centre crop" as a command in the batch processing options under commands (click on the little cross to see all the commands) - this can now be used together with the other standard options (or other commands you might save, such as make background transparent....).
• Saved commands can be managed under Commands | Manage Saved Commands.

Have fun!

[dave_finlayson]

Mark,

Thanks for that, it's much the same to something I had a play about with before. Sadly, it doesn't seem to work. As a single command in Fireworks it's fine, however, as a batch it does not seem to work, it does set the background to 300 x 300 but the image is not centered unfortunately. I think it has something to do with the original saved command taking into account the sample image size used for the sazed command and using the co-ordinates for centering it on the other images. Fine if they are the same size but not if they are different. Any other thoughts, been trying to work this one out for ages!!!!!

Dave

[Mark H]

Hmmm - different sized images to start with might be a problem, although it seems to work with two different sized images at this end (quick test - only time for two!) I'll have a play with it and get back to you later today - if it doesn't work at the moment I suspect that the answer might be to combine the 300x300 crop step with another one to fool Fireworks, although I don't know what that other one is yet.

[Mark H]

OK Dave - back now - try this:

• Open fireworks, clear history etc etc
• Load copy of one of your images (all less than 300x300)
• Modify | Canvas | Canvas Size to 300x300
• Select rectangle tool
• Drag a rectangle on the canvas (any size, might go over original image - doesn't matter)
• adjust rectangle colour in properties (I used white with no border)
• In properties, type in 300 for width, 300 for height, 0 for X, 0 for Y, press enter
• Modify | Arrange | Send to back
• Select | Select All
• Modify | Align | Centre Vertical
• Modify | Align | Centre Horizontal

Image should look the way you want it. Select all the steps (a few more now but you only have to do it once!), save as a command and use in batch processing. Good luck. Mark.

[Mark H]

Dave - sorry - forgot to mention - use the biggest of your original images (but still less than 300x300) when you are creating the saved command. I don't know why, but if you use the smallest, it doesn't work!

[dave_finlayson]

Mark,

Sorry for not coming back sooner, bit of a mad few days. Just wanted to say that it worked perfectly, thanks for taking the time to look at it. If anyone else is planning on doing it I simply created a blank image 1 pixel smaller in both width and height and used that to create the batch command.

Thanks again

Dave

[Mark H]

No problem