Detailed instructions for use are in the User's Guide.
[. . . ] Adobe Systems Inc. , 345 Park Avenue, San Jose, California 95110, USA.
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Introduction 1. 1 About this manual 1. 2 Conventions in this guide 1. 3 System requirements 1. 4 Workbench overview 1. 5 Glossary
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Configurator basics 2. 1 Install Configurator 2. 2 Start Configurator 2. 3 Create a panel 2. 4 Set panel name and size 2. 5 Drag objects into the panel 2. 6 Save the panel 2. 7 Export the panel 2. 8 Run the panel in Photoshop CS4
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Workbench 3. 1 Menus and shortcuts 3. 2 Toolbars 3. 3 Object palette 3. 4 Panel Editor 3. 5 Inspector palette 3. 6 Preferences
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Package and deploy a panel 4. 1 About relative paths 4. 2 Export a panel 4. 3 Package a panel for sharing 4. 4 Package a panel for CSXS Extension MXP 4. 5 Package a panel as a ZIP file 4. 6 Working offline in Photoshop
4. 7 Export or deploy a panel on Windows Vista 5 Information for developers 5. 1 Flash panels in Photoshop 5. 2 Extended JavaScript Appendix A. Figures and tables Resources
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Introduction
1. 1 About this manual
This manual provides an introduction to Adobe Configurator 1. 0 on Mac OS and Windows . Chapter 1 covers the basic conventions used in this manual and system requirements. Chapter 2 offers a brief overview of Configurator and describes how to create a simple panel. [. . . ] If you don t have Adobe AIR installed, go to http://get. adobe. com/air/.
1. 4 Workbench overview
1. 5 Glossary
Custom-designed panel executed in Photoshop.
a panel that is designed by the user and
Objects - the predefined components that can be added to customdesigned panels. . GPC the file extension for saved panels.
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Configurator basics
This chapter provides an overview of Configurator and describes how to create your own custom-designed panels for use in Photoshop CS4.
2. 1 Install Configurator
Configurator 1. 0 is an AIR application. AIR can be downloaded from the Adobe website at http://get. adobe. com/air/. Configurator can be downloaded from the Adobe website at http://labs. adobe. com/technologies/configurator. Make sure the downloaded installer is saved with file extension . AIR, and then double-click to execute the installer.
NOTE: AIR applications are platform independent. The same installer is used for Mac and Windows.
2. 2 Start Configurator
On Mac, go to the Applications folder and double-click Adobe Configurator. On Windows, go to the Start menu, open the Adobe folder, and click Adobe Configurator.
2. 3 Create a panel
Click the Create New Panel button on the Welcome page, or choose File > New Panel.
2. 4 Set panel name and size
Click the Inspector palette on the right side to edit the name, height, and width of the panel.
2. 5 Drag objects into the panel
Drag objects from the Object palette onto the new panel, or doubleclick an object to add it to the panel.
Click on the triangle icons to expand or collapse the palette sections. Drag a tool button to the panel.
Drag a text widget to the panel
and then modify the text in the Inspector palette.
2. 6 Save the panel
Choose File > Save Panel, and then choose a folder in the dialog box to save the panel file. The default location is user s Home folder, such as C:\Documents and Settings\username (Windows XP) or /Users/username (Mac OS).
2. 7 Export the panel
The Export command generates the required runtime assets for Photoshop CS4. Choose File > Export Panel, and in the dialog box choose the following location: /Applications/Adobe Photoshop CS4/Plug-ins/Panels/ (Mac OS) C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CS4\Plug-ins\Panels (Windows XP) If Photoshop isn t installed in the default location, navigate to and the Adobe Photoshop CS4/Plug-ins/Panels folder. Press Ctrl + Z (Windows) or Command + Z to undo mistakes, or use the Auto Layout button to automatically lay out all objects.
3. 6 Preferences
Choose Edit > Preferences or press Ctrl + K (Windows) or Command + K (Mac OS) to open the Preferences dialog box. General: Specifies a default size for new panels.
Export: Lets you generate related assets upon exporting a panel. For more information about the Export preferences options, see Chapter 4.
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Package and deploy a panel
Three types of Configurator objects accept relative paths as an attribute. These objects are the Script File button, the SWF/Image widget, and the Movie Player widget. The base path used to resolve a relative path is different in Configurator and in Photoshop. Configurator resolves the relative path based on the parent folder of the panel . GPC file.
NOTE: If the current panel isn t saved, Configurator cannot resolve the relative path. Position the cursor over the tab in the Panel Editor to see the full path of current panel file.
4. 1 About relative paths
For example, if a panel is saved with the path /Users/user/Documents/Untitled-1. gpc and there s a file test. jpg in same folder, Configurator can resolve this file with the relative path . /test. jpg or test. jpg.
When the panel is exported to the Adobe Photoshop CS4/Plug-
ins/Panels folder, the referenced files in the same folder, such as test. jpg, are automatically copied to that folder. After exporting the folder structure looks like this:
When the panel is opened in Photoshop, Photoshop resolves the relative path based on the parent folder of the . GPC file. In our example, that s the /Applications/Adobe Photoshop CS4/Plugins/Panels/Untitled-1 folder. In another example the relative path . . /. . /. . /. . /Presets/Scripts/Image Processor. jsx is resolved in Photoshop to the absolute path /Applications/Adobe Photoshop CS4/Presets/Scripts/Image Processor. jsx.
4. 2 Export a panel
When you choose File > Save Panel, Configurator saves the panel file with the file extension . GPC. [. . . ] In another example the relative path . . /. . /. . /. . /Presets/Scripts/Image Processor. jsx is resolved in Photoshop to the absolute path /Applications/Adobe Photoshop CS4/Presets/Scripts/Image Processor. jsx.
4. 2 Export a panel
When you choose File > Save Panel, Configurator saves the panel file with the file extension . GPC. To create a panel that can be opened in Photoshop, you must export it as a Photoshop Flash Panel extension. If Photoshop CS4 is installed on same computer that s running Configurator, the panel can be exported directly to the Adobe Photoshop CS4/Plug-ins/Panels folder. Then start Photoshop and choose Windows > Extensions to open the custom panel.
If Photoshop CS4 is not installed on same computer that s running Configurator, or you need to run the panel on a different computer, export the panel to any folder, and see section 4. 3 to learn how to package panel so that it can be shared with other people and used on other computers.
NOTE: If you export a panel for the first time while Photoshop is open, you must restart Photoshop in order for it to find panel and display it in the Extensions menu. [. . . ]