Communicating with Modificator

In Modificator version 1.3, you can now use keyboard shortcuts to control any supported tool property through scripts. Rather than creating individual scripts for each of the 70+ modules, I’ve decided to provide a template that users can modify to suit their needs. Note that there are some limitations, please see below.

How it works

  1. Create a template. To do so:

    • Right-Click on any (apart from the color strips) module on Modificator, select Module Settings... and use the Copy Script Template button — this will copy the template for the current module to clipboard.

    • Or alternatively use the text template in the bottom of this page;

  2. Create a new text file, paste the template (Ctrl+V for Windows, Cmd+V for Mac), modify if needed, and save it as a script_name.jsx file to

    • Windows: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop [version]\Presets\Scripts, note that this folder is Read Only by default unless you’ve installed MDF with the .exe installer;

    • Mac: /Applications/Adobe Photoshop [version]/Presets/Scripts/

  3. If Photoshop is already running, restart it. If Modificator is not running, start it. Then, locate the script in the menu at File > Scripts > script_name and run it to test it. Please note that the script currently does not have many error-checking mechanisms, so running a module that doesn’t exist for the current tool could result in an error message;

  4. Assign the script to a keyboard shortcut in the menu at Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts... or via AHK;

Modifying the template

The template consists of two parts:

  • a message that’s being sent to Modificator — this part you may want to modify;

  • code that sends the message — changing anything in this part may result in a nuclear explosion;

The template message consists of several parameters:

  • module: the name of the module to change, it could be aquired from the Module Settings... dialog or put manually using the References list below. The name of the module should be in quotes;

  • action: the action to perform. All modules have the "set" action, Checkbox modules have a unique "toggle" action and Slider modules have "add" and "multiply" actions. The name of the action should be in quotes;

  • value: this parameters isn’t used for the "toggle" action of checkboxes, but all the other modules will have to have it.

    • Radio Buttons modules will require a text in quotes (check the References below);

    • Slider and brush Angle modules will require a number (no quotes);

    • Checkbox modules with the set action will require a true or false value (no quotes);

Here are some examples of basic messages.

  • To add 10 to the brush opacity:

    var message = {
  module: "opacity",
  action: "add",
  value: 10,
};

  • To substract 10 from the brush opacity. Note that there’s no subtract action, it’s still add but with negatve value. The same goes for dividing instead of multiplying:

    var message = {
  module: "opacity",
  action: "add",
  value: -10,
};

  • To toggle the Wet Edges brush option:

    var message = {
  module: "wetEdges",
  action: "toggle",
};

  • To set the blending mode of a brush to Clear (Erase):

    var message = {
  module: "mode",
  action: "set",
  value: "Clear",
};

Modifying the message should be straightforward and doesn’t require any coding skills, just don’t forget the quotes where needed and don’t remove the comma in the end of the parameters.

Limitations

Known limitations:

  • after using a script to modify any Mixer Brush parameter, resizing the brush will reset the color sample;

  • toggling on and off a section (for example Color Dynamics) will reset the section values to 0 so utility of those togglers is limited;

  • color slider modules (hue / saturation / lightness) modules aren’t available for hotkeying at the moment;

References

Here is the list all the available modules and values for Radio Button modules to set:

  • Auto-Select: "autoselect" (type: checkbox)

  • Auto Select: Group: "autoselectgroup" (type: checkbox)

  • Angle: "angle" (type: angle)

  • Angle Control: "angleController" (type: radio); module values:

    • "Off"

    • "Fade"

    • "Pressure"

    • "Tilt"

    • "Stylus Wheel"

    • "Initial Direction"

    • "Direction"

    • "Rotation"

    • "Dial"

  • Anti-Alias: "aa" (type: checkbox)

  • Apply per Tip: "colorDynamicsPerTip" (type: checkbox)

  • Angle Jitter: "angleJitter" (type: slider)

  • Aligned: "cloneAligned" (type: checkbox)

  • Blend Mode: "mode" (type: radio); module values:

    • "Normal"

    • "Dissolve"

    • "Behind"

    • "Clear"

    • "Darken"

    • "Multiply"

    • "Color Burn"

    • "Linear Burn"

    • "Darker Color"

    • "Lighten"

    • "Screen"

    • "Color Dodge"

    • "Linear Dodge"

    • "Lighter Color"

    • "Overlay"

    • "Soft Light"

    • "Hard Light"

    • "Vivid Light"

    • "Linear Light"

    • "Pin Light"

    • "Hard Mix"

    • "Difference"

    • "Exclusion"

    • "Subtraction"

    • "Divide"

    • "Hue"

    • "Saturation"

    • "Color"

    • "Luminosity"

  • Clone Stamp Sample: "cloneSampleSheet" (type: radio); module values:

    • "All Layers"

    • "Current Layer"

    • "Current & Below"

    • "All Layers (No Adj)"

    • "Current & Below (No Adj)"

  • Color Dynamics: "useColorDynamics" (type: checkbox)

  • Contiguous: "contiguous" (type: checkbox)

  • Clean After Stroke: "autoClean" (type: checkbox)

  • Diameter Control: "sizeController" (type: radio); module values:

    • "Off"

    • "Fade"

    • "Pressure"

    • "Tilt"

    • "Stylus Wheel"

    • "Dial"

  • Dyn. Brightness: "dynamicBrightness" (type: slider)

  • Dual Count: "dbcount" (type: slider)

  • Dyn. FG/BG Jitter: "dynamicsJitter" (type: slider)

  • Dyn. Hue: "dynamicHue" (type: slider)

  • Dyn. Jitter Control: "dynamicsJitterController" (type: radio); module values:

    • "Off"

    • "Fade"

    • "Pressure"

    • "Tilt"

    • "Stylus Wheel"

    • "Initial Direction"

    • "Direction"

    • "Rotation"

    • "Dial"

  • Dyn. Saturation: "dynamicSaturation" (type: slider)

  • Dual Spacing: "dbspacing" (type: slider)

  • Diameter: "diameter" (type: slider)

  • Dual Size: "dbdiameter" (type: slider)

  • Dual Scatter: "dbjitter" (type: slider)

  • Dual Flip: "dbflip" (type: checkbox)

  • Dual Blend Mode: "dbmode" (type: radio); module values:

    • "Multiply"

    • "Darken"

    • "Overlay"

    • "Color Dodge"

    • "Color Burn"

    • "Linear Burn"

    • "Hard Mix"

    • "Linear Height"

  • Dual Both Axis: "dbbothAxes" (type: checkbox)

  • Eye Dropper: "eyeDropperSampleSheet" (type: radio); module values:

    • "All Layers"

    • "Current Layer"

    • "Current & Below"

    • "All Layers (No Adj)"

    • "Current & Below (No Adj)"

  • Flow: "flow" (type: slider)

  • Flip Y: "flipY" (type: checkbox)

  • Flip X: "flipX" (type: checkbox)

  • Finger Paint: "fingerPaint" (type: checkbox)

  • Flow Control: "flowController" (type: radio); module values:

    • "Off"

    • "Fade"

    • "Pressure"

    • "Tilt"

    • "Stylus Wheel"

    • "Dial"

  • Feather: "feather" (type: slider)

  • Gradient Type: "gradientType" (type: radio); module values:

    • "Linear"

    • "Radial"

    • "Angle"

    • "Reflected"

    • "Diamond"

  • Hardness: "hardness" (type: slider)

  • Invert Texture: "invertTexture" (type: checkbox)

  • Impressionist: "impressionist" (type: checkbox)

  • Load: "dryness" (type: slider)

  • Load Solid Colors Only: "loadSolidColorOnly" (type: checkbox)

  • Load After Stroke: "autoFill" (type: checkbox)

  • Line Width: "LnWd" (type: slider)

  • Lasso Type: "lassoController" (type: radio); module values:

    • "Lasso"

    • "Polygonal"

  • Min Diameter: "minimumDiameter" (type: slider)

  • Min Opacity: "minimumOpacity" (type: slider)

  • Min Flow: "minimumFlow" (type: slider)

  • Mix: "mix" (type: slider)

  • Noise: "noise" (type: checkbox)

  • Opacity Control: "opacityController" (type: radio); module values:

    • "Off"

    • "Fade"

    • "Pressure"

    • "Tilt"

    • "Stylus Wheel"

    • "Dial"

  • Opacity: "opacity" (type: slider)

  • Roundness: "roundness" (type: slider)

  • Scatter Both Axis: "scatterbothAxes" (type: checkbox)

  • Smooth: "smooth" (type: slider)

  • Scatter Jitter: "scatterScatterJitter" (type: slider)

  • Strength: "pressure" (type: slider)

  • Scatter Count Control: "scatterCountController" (type: radio); module values:

    • "Off"

    • "Fade"

    • "Pressure"

    • "Tilt"

    • "Stylus Wheel"

    • "Initial Direction"

    • "Direction"

    • "Rotation"

    • "Dial"

  • Spacing: "spacing" (type: slider)

  • Show Transform Controls: "showcontrols" (type: checkbox)

  • Sample Size: "eyeDropperSample" (type: radio); module values:

    • "Point Sample"

    • "3x3 Average"

    • "5x5 Average"

    • "11x11 Average"

    • "31x31 Average"

    • "51x51 Average"

    • "101x101 Average"

  • Sample All: "sampleAllLayers" (type: checkbox)

  • Scatter Count: "scatterCount" (type: slider)

  • Selection Type: "marqueController" (type: radio); module values:

    • "Rectangle"

    • "Ellipse"

    • "Single Row"

    • "Single Column"

  • Scatter Control: "scatterScatterController" (type: radio); module values:

    • "Off"

    • "Fade"

    • "Pressure"

    • "Tilt"

    • "Stylus Wheel"

    • "Initial Direction"

    • "Direction"

    • "Rotation"

    • "Dial"

  • Scatter Count Jitter: "scatterCountJitter" (type: slider)

  • Texture Depth: "textureDepth" (type: slider)

  • Tolerance: "tolerance" (type: slider)

  • Tool Mode: "geometryToolMode" (type: radio); module values:

    • "Shape"

    • "Path"

    • "Pixels"

  • Texture Scale: "textureScale" (type: slider)

  • Wet Edges: "wetEdges" (type: checkbox)

  • Wetness: "wetness" (type: slider)

Script Template

Here’s the full template for the MD Communication script:

var message = {
  module: "opacity",
  action: "set",
  value: 50
};

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// do not modify the horrors below //////////////////////////////////////////////////
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

eval("@JSXBIN@ES@2.0@MyBbyBnABMAbyBnABMWbyBnACMhDbyBn0ABOhFZhFnACzBhLBCBnVzDjTjUjSCfAeBhCnnneBhCACzChdhdDizGjUjZjQjFjPjGEVCfAnneGjTjUjSjJjOjHZhGnAVCf0ABC40BhAB0AzFjJjTiTjUjSFAhHMhJbyBn0ADJhLnASzFjDjPjVjOjUGAndAftLyhMJhMnATGABtAVzEjQjSjPjQHfBVzDjPjCjKIfCyBzAJfZhNnAVGf0ADH4B0AiAG40BiAI40BhABCAzMjHjFjUiPjCjKiMjFjOjHjUjIKAhOGJYnASzDjBjSjSLAARBFeBjbfnftJZnASzDjMjFjOMBEjKfRBVIfEffnftJganASGCndAftLgbbgdn0ACJgdnATGCBtJgenAEXzEjQjVjTjINfVLfARBCBCBCBCBnVHfDeBhCnnneDhChahAEjFfRBQJfVIfEVHfDffnndCDVGfCVMfBnnFeAFeChMhAnnffAVHfDVIfEyBJfJhAnAEXNfVLfARBFeBjdffZhBnAEXzEjKjPjJjOOfVLfARBFeAffAFL40BiAH4D0AiAG4C0AiAI40BhAM4B0AiABEAzJjUjPiKiTiPiOiTjUjSPAhQCgDbyBn0ABJFnASzEjYiMjJjCQAEjzOiFjYjUjFjSjOjBjMiPjCjKjFjDjURfRBFegajMjJjChaiQjMjVjHiQjMjVjHiFjYjUjFjSjOjBjMiPjCjKjFjDjUftnftABnzBjFSnbyBn0ACJJnAEjzFjBjMjFjSjUTfRBFeiIiQjMjVjHiQjMjVjHhAjOjPjUhAjGjPjVjOjEhMhAjUjIjJjThAjXjPjOhHjUhAjXjPjSjLhAjJjOhAiQjIjPjUjPjTjIjPjQhAiDiDhShQhRhThAjPjShAjPjOhAjUjIjFhAiNhNiNjBjDjTffZKnAnONbPn0AEJPnASzIjFjWjFjOjUiPjCjKUBEjzJiDiTiYiTiFjWjFjOjUVfntnftJQnABXzEjUjZjQjFWfVUfBnePjNjEifjTjDjSjJjQjUifjFjWjFjOjUfJRnABXzEjEjBjUjBXfVUfBEjPfRBjzHjNjFjTjTjBjHjFYfffnfJTnAEXzIjEjJjTjQjBjUjDjIZfVUfBnfAVQfAnACQ40BiAU4B0AiAACAzEjNjBjJjOgaAhSBJhTnAEjgafnf0DJByB");