Using CS5's Automate to align layers

[sanfairyanne]

I've been playing with layers in the most basic way, camera on tripod, object on table - move object - retake shot etc.
Then I've been going to Photoshop>Automate>Photomerge>Browse>Add files>Untick blend images together. This method automates the process of adding the images in a layer stack and works great in my test images.
However, yesterday I shot a half dozen images of a jet fighter moving across the frame except this time when I do the same process Photoshop tries to make a panorama.

I assumed I'd forgotten to untick the 'blend images together' box. But no that's not it. The images in both cases, the test and the jet fighter were both taken on a tripod.

Is it possible that in my shot of the jet fighter there's nothing but white sky and a plane, no definition in the clouds.

I've gone through my process again, moving a lens hood through the frame and the automate feature works just fine.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

[sanfairyanne]

I think I'm about to answer my own problem. I just did another test shot, I shot a clean white piece of paper with no shadows and moved a drawing pin across the page. One shot left of page and one to the right. Then asked Photoshop to: File>Automate>Photomerge>unstick blend images together>hit ok.

It tried to make a pano' so I'm pretty sure it's because it's a blank screen, I can't see it could be anything else.

[sanfairyanne]

Scratch that, it didn't make any difference when I used the brush tool to make different marks on each image. So I'm flummoxed over this.

Just to recap, I am learning basics in layers, I put the camera on a tripod and shot my lens hood then moved the hood twice. Then happily created three hoods in post. I went to File>Automate>Browse>chose my files>unticked the Blend Images Together box and hit Ok. Photoshop then creates a stack of layers automatically.

However when I tried doing this with a jet plane moving across a blank featureless sky it tried to create a panorama.

Does anyone think this automate idea is a waste of time and if so can someone direct me as to how I should load my images into layers please.


Many thanks.

[BartvanderWolf]

I've been playing with layers in the most basic way, camera on tripod, object on table - move object - retake shot etc.
Then I've been going to Photoshop>Automate>Photomerge>Browse>Add files>Untick blend images together. This method automates the process of adding the images in a layer stack and works great in my test images.
However, yesterday I shot a half dozen images of a jet fighter moving across the frame except this time when I do the same process Photoshop tries to make a panorama.

Hi,

Well, that's what Photomerge is supposted to do, merging. I'm not sure as to what your goal is but you may want to try 'Files|Scripts|Load Files into Stack' instead.

Cheers,
Bart

[sanfairyanne]

Thanks I will try scripts.

I just discovered if I do this I can manually place my layers:

Photoshop>Open>choose one image>Open>choose second image>Go to first image and Cmmd A>Cmmd C> Go to background image and Command V to paste. I continued doing this and all my layers open manually.

I have an article which shows the automated way but it's clearly problematic.

Thanks I'll try scripts.

[kencameron]

How about Edit>Auto Blend Layers>Stack Images?. Seems to do what you want provided the background is smooth and the moving objects don't have overlapping positions. If those conditions aren't met it may complicate things by trying to do focus stacking.

[johnbeardy]

It sounds to me like you were previously using File > Scripts > Load Files into Stack, and for some reason you've switched to using File > Automate > Photomerge which is more for panoramas.

[sanfairyanne]

No definitely not I have used this method of File>Automate to stack my layers a few times and it worked you just have to remember to un-tick the blend images together box. Try it yourself. It works fine for me most of the time, having said that Script>Load Files into Stack works for the problematic image I was trying to put together earlier.

I've been looking for the magazine or book article that first described this method but can't find it. I have a mound of magazines.
Anyway as I say the Scripts method works.