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using sendkeys

I'm having problems getting sendkeys to work in photoshop. I could get it to work in notepad. I think with Photoshop is that when it first starts up, there is a splash screen that comes up and stays there for a while. During that time, I'm using sendkeys to photoshop and they're not getting through. Below is the code.

Private Sub cmdNotePad_Click()
Dim RetVal
RetVal = Shell("Notepad.exe", 1)
SendKeys "ab", True
SendKeys "%fa", True
End Sub

Private Sub cmdPhotoshop_Click()
Dim RetVal
RetVal = Shell("D:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop 5.0\Photoshp.exe", 1)
SendKeys "%fn", True
End Sub

My question is how do I wait for that splash screen to go away and then send the sendkeys command?

furley

Asked: 1998-12-31

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Visual Basic Classic

1 Solution

LVL 2

VBDesignsCommented: 1998-12-31

Doesn't Photoshop have an ActiveX/OLE interface you can use to communicate with it? (I know it doesn't answer your sendkeys, but that would be the way to use it)

furleyAuthor Commented: 1998-12-31

yes it does. It's called OLE Automation. Even if I use it, I would still need to use sendkeys. Unfortunately, Photoshop's support for OLE doesn't seem to be very reliable. I've tried the above code on Word, which has a splash screen come up and everything worked fine, so it may not be a splash screen problem.

LVL 2

kswinneyCommented: 1998-12-31

Change your code to look like this:

Private Declare Sub Sleep Lib "kernel32" Alias "Sleep" (ByVal dwMilliseconds As Long)

Private Sub cmdPhotoshop_Click()
Dim RetVal
RetVal = Shell("D:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop 5.0\Photoshp.exe", 1)
'The 3000 makes it sleep for 3 seconds. Add for longer sleep
Sleep 3000
SendKeys "%fn", True
End Sub

furleyAuthor Commented: 1998-12-31

That didn't work. I don't think the splash screen is the problem and I don't think there's anything wrong with the code. I think there's something wrong with Photoshop.

LVL 3

grooneCommented: 1998-12-31

Try the keyb_event, I think this should work in photoshop

' in a bas module past
Declare Sub keybd_event Lib "user32" (ByVal bVk As Byte, ByVal bScan As Byte, ByVal dwFlags As Long, ByVal dwExtraInfo As Long)

' your code
Private Sub cmdNotePad_Click()
Dim RetVal
RetVal = Shell("Notepad.exe", 1)
keybd_event 65, 0, 0, 0 'A press Down
keybd_event 65, 0, 2, 0 'A released
keybd_event 66, 0, 0, 0 'B press Down
keybd_event 66, 0, 2, 0 'B released

keybd_event 18, 0, 0, 0 'Alt press Down
keybd_event 70, 0, 0, 0 'f press Down
keybd_event 65, 0, 0, 0 'A press Down
keybd_event 70, 0, 2, 0 'f released
keybd_event 65, 0, 2, 0 'A released
keybd_event 18, 0, 2, 0 'Alt released
End Sub

Private Sub cmdPhotoshop_Click()
Dim RetVal
RetVal = Shell("D:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop 5.0\Photoshp.exe", 1)
SendKeys "%fn", True
End Sub

LVL 2

hobsterCommented: 1998-12-31

where did you get those numbers for each keybd_event?

LVL 3

grooneCommented: 1998-12-31

in vb help, do a search for "Key Codes" then select the "key codes constants" its a great list.

eduncCommented: 1999-01-10

make a new timer and make sure enabled = false
then use this code:
Private Sub cmdPhotoshop_Click()
Dim RetVal
RetVal = Shell("D:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop 5.0 Photoshp.exe", 1)
timer1.interval = 100 * 'how ever many seconds the splash screen usually takes
timer1.enabled = true
End Sub

private sub timer1_timer
SendKeys "%fn", True
end sub

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