Installing PSE6 Styles

[Duckie]

I have followed the instructions for installing styles and have succeeded with doing one for a trial. However, I have many more styles to install. I renaming the Mediadata Base file to OLD. Do I rename this file each time I install a new style?

Thanks,
Duckie

[graficalicus]

you shouldn't have to mess with the database at all.

In fact, DON'T mess with the database at all, unless it gives you troubles!

Restarting PSE will automatically regenerate it and add the new things. Only mess with it if after two or three restarts your new items don't show up. Allow it plenty of time to rebuild itself after each restart, too.

[Wendy]

Hi Duckie ..

.. and welcome to the forum :)

The only time you need to delete (or rename) the Mediadatabase is when you have a problem, as Graffi said, or when you are installing an xml file to go with the layer style.

If you install an xml file to make the style show up in its own category then renaming the Mediadatabase.db3 to MediadatabaseOLD will force Elements to rebuild the database.

Once it has rebuilt then you can discard the OLD one :)

Wendy

[troush]

In my experience (and experiments), I have found after adding the first new layer style with a .xml, I had to delete the mediadatabase file in order for it to show up in the menu properly. It took about 10 minutes on the next Editor startup for it to completely rebuild. After that, I didn't have to for a while, and then I did again. So, I wouldn't delete it unless you don't see your styles in the menu.

-Trish

[Duckie]

Ok I guess I have done everything ok. I was creating xml files and they are showing up. My mistake at first was not making sure that all of my changes to the xml files were exactly the same. I had made some typos and the new categories were not showing up. Why did Adobe choose to make this process more difficult? It seems things should get easier as they create new updates to PSE.

Thank you all for your help.

[graficalicus]

I very seldom need to recreate the db. I use Add-O-Matic (which creates .xml files for actions & styles) and rarely have had to redo it - and I've pushed it as hard as I can push it. Just my personal experience.

It's only when I remove styles & effects & their coresponding .xml files that I have to recreate the db - it'll see new stuff, but won't see stuff that's gone. Of course, an easier way to remove things is to just right-click them and choose "delete" directly from the palette.

The main thing is to be patient when restarting Elements after adding something. If your cursor "blinks" about once/second, it's building itself & checking out all the new stuff you fed it. Allow it time to finish, restart again just to get everything situated, and it'll usually give you no problems.

[GaryK]

Graffi

Good as place as any to ask.

I never bothered with the add-o-matic for previous versions so I have no experiance with it. I am finding the xml files to be just too much bother.
Will the add-o-matic work on any style or only the ones you have?:)

[graficalicus]

any PSE-compatible style.

[TonyW]

Gary: I was like you and found xml files were too much of a pain to bother with after having done a few. I picked up Add-O-Matic and it sure makes life a lot easier for adding anything to PSE6. I can highly recommend it :)

Tony

[GaryK]

Thanks Tony

I'll scoot over in the next few days and snag it.:)

[Duckie]

The Add-O-Matic is a life saver.

Duckie