Transformations are revisited in batch script execution

[Bob Walker]

I am looking again at some behavior I do not understand when running a script in batch mode with several input files. It is a once-through script (no side branches), starting with a File Open and ending with a File Export. After the File Export completes, some of the intermediate transforms are revisited before the next input file is opened.

It is a 7-step script: (1) File Open, (2) Crop, (3) Levels and Color, (4) Brightness Curve, (5) Multipass Sharpen, (6) Color Balance, (7) Export. The script has breakpoints set on all steps (2) - (6), and pauses also at (7) to ask me for a filename for saving. Here is a record of the processing of a 16-image input list. The first number is the image number, followed by a list of the places where the script executed or paused, awaiting my input, either because a breakpoint is toggled on or the final file export is asking for a file name. If I fiddle with the transform dialog in any way (other than to just click "OK"), then I put an asterisk on the step number. So, here we go, for example:

1613: 1, 2*, 3*, 4, 5, 6*, 7*, 5, 2,
1603: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5*, 6*, 7*, 2, 3, 4,
1600: 1, 2, 3*, 4, 5, 6, 7*, 2,
1597: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7*,
1587: 1, 2*, 3*, 4*, 5, 6, 7*, 2,
1583: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7*,
1578: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7*,
1572: 1, 2*, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7*,
1568: 1, 2*, 3, 4*, 5, 6, 7*, 2, 3,
1566: 1, 2*, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7*,
1562: 1, 2*, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7*,
1560: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7*,
1555: 1, 2, 3*, 4*, 5, 6, 7*, 2,
1554: 1, 2, 3*, 4, 5, 6, 7*, 2,
1542: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6*, 7*, 2, 3, 4, 5,
1538: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7*

So for the first image #1613, the script starts off opening the image (1), I change the crop parameters 2*, change the midtone slider in 3*, let transforms 4 and 5 go through without doing anything more than clicking OK, mess with color balance in 6*, and set the filename in 7*. After the processed image is written to disk, the script then revisits the multipass sharpen transform 5 and then the the crop transform 2 before opening the second image #1603 and pausing at the crop transform 2.

Any time there are steps paused after 7*, the script is revisiting an earlier transform on the same image, even after the final processed image has been written to disk. Some of the time (1583, 1578, 1572) the script runs like I expect, once through for each transform and proceeding to the next input image after writing the current one.

It seems that transforms get revisited after I fiddle with input parameters on a dialog in the previous image, but not always. I will attach the script, but this behavior is general to every script I have written of a similar nature (once through, breakpoints everywhere, revisitation after fiddling with parameters on some transform in a pervious pass). Files in the input list are 16 bit TIFs that come from DxO development of Canon raw files. But the same thing happens with 8-bit jpeg input files.

Any ideas?

Bob W

PS -- I tried to include the script as an attachment, but the ".script" file extension is not allowed (??) Let me know how to send the script if you're interested.

[jsachs]

Setting multiple breakpoints in this way is a scenario I did not anticipate. Here is what I think is happening -- Normally, when you click OK on a transformation it triggers the recalculation of all the downstream images. If you hit a breakpoint during this process and then click OK again, it starts a new recalculation, but when it is done it still tries to finish the first one. So it looks like I need to add some code to suppress propagating changes on OK (or Apply) if a breakpoint is in progress.

Should be fixed for next release.