Adobe Photoshop CS2 On Demand [Electronic resources]

Defining and Editing Web Data Variables

When you work with images in ImageReady, or now Photoshop (), you can define variables to drive the graphics in your Web document. Data-driven graphics make it possible to create multiple versions of an image fast and precise. For example, you need to produce several Web banners using the same template. Instead of creating each banner, one at time, you can use data-driven graphics, to generate Web banners using variables and data sets. Any image can be converted into a template for data-driven graphics by defining variables for layers in the image. A

data set is a collection of variables and associated data. You can switch between data sets to upload different data into your template. When you combine a Defined layer with a data set, you can use the information to swap images based on input variables.

Define a Data Driven Graphic

Open a document in Photoshop or ImageReady.

Select the layer in which you want to define variables.

Click the

Image menu, point to

Variables , and then click

Define .

Select from the available options:

• Visibility. Select to show or hide the content of the layer.

• Pixel Replacement. Select to replace the pixels in the layer with pixels from another image file.

• Text Replacement. Select to replace a string of text in a type layer. (Available when a text layer is selected.)

• Name. Enter names for the variables. Variable names must begin with a letter, underscore, or colon.

To define variables for an additional layer, choose a layer from the Layer list arrow.

Click

OK .

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Create a Data Set

Open a document in Photoshop or ImageReady.

Select the layer in which you want to define variables.

Click the

Image menu, point to

Variables , and then click

Data Sets .

Select a pre-defined data set from the list arrow.

Select a variable from the available listed objects.

Edit the following variable data (each available when selected as the definition for the file):

• Visibility. Select Visible or Invisible to show or hide the layer's content.

• Pixel Replacement. Click Browse, and then select a replacement image file.

• Text Replacement. Enter a text string in the Value box.

Repeat Steps 5 and 6 for each variable in the template.

The Image's visibility, a type layer's text, or swapping images, can now be controlled through changing variables.

Click

OK .

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