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Question

I'm wildife biology student and I'm using Adobe Photoshop to quantify color of wild animals. I'm looking for someone who can help me to adjust a java script.
The script automatizes random point selection in an image and gives an average color of the points.
I need the script to do two more things for me:
1. Save the RGB values from the random points into a spreadsheet so I can calculate stadard error OR provide the error along with the average RGB.
2. Randomly select points in a highlighted area of the photo (now it randomly selects points in the whole image, but I need it to select just from the animal (not the background).
If you know how to add either of these to the script, please let me know.
Thank you,
Marketa Zimova

Answer 1

Here is another version. It puts a stroke around the selection so it is easier to see. You might want to edit the color.
And yes you can include my name in the acknowledgement section if you wish.
// script expect  an open single layer document in RGB mode with a selection of the area to sample.
// the csv file is written to the desktop and the script will overwrite an existing samples.csv
main();
function main(){
     if( app.documents == 0 ) {
          alert("No image to process");
          return;
     var doc = app.activeDocument;
     if( doc.mode != DocumentMode.RGB ){
          alert("Image must be in RGB mode to sample");
          return;
     if( !hasSelection( doc ) ){
          alert("Please make a selection of target animal\rbefore running script");
          return;
     var numberOfSamples = Number(prompt("How many selections should be made?",10));
     if(  numberOfSamples == NaN )  numberOfSamples = 1;
     var sampleSize = Number(prompt("What size should each selection be?(NxN px)", 3));
     if( sampleSize == NaN ) sampleSize = 3;
     var originalLayer = doc.activeLayer;// make reference to current layer
     executeAction( charIDToTypeID( "CpTL" ), undefined, DialogModes.NO );// dupe selection to new layer
     var sampleLayer = doc.activeLayer;// make reference to that new layer
     originalLayer.visible = false;// turn off original layer
     var samples = [];// make array to hold samples
     var bounds = sampleLayer.bounds;
     var layerX = bounds[0].as('px');
     var layerY = bounds[0].as('px');
     var layerWidth = bounds[2].as('px') - bounds[0].as('px');
     var layerHeight = bounds[3].as('px') - bounds[1].as('px');
     // make requested number of samples
     var s = 0;
     while(  s < numberOfSamples ){
          var sX = randomRange( layerX, layerX + layerWidth );
          var sY = randomRange( layerY, layerY + layerHeight );
          var cs = doc.colorSamplers.add( [ new UnitValue( sX, 'px' ), new UnitValue( sY, 'px' ) ] );
          var sample = getSelectionColor( 0, sampleSize );
          if( undefined != sample ){
               samples.push( sample );
               s++;
          cs.remove();
     var sampleFile = new File('~/Desktop/samples.csv');
     sampleFile.open('w');
     sampleFile.writeln('red,green,blue');
     for( var s = 0; s< samples.length;s++ ){
          sampleFile.writeln( samples[s].rgb.red+','+samples[s].rgb.green+','+samples[s].rgb.blue );
     sampleFile.close();
     function randomRange( minVal, maxVal ){
          return minVal+Math.floor(Math.random()*( maxVal-minVal ));
     // Function: hasSelection
     // Description: Detremines if there is a selection
     // Usage: alert(hasSelection())
     // Input:
     // Return:  true or false
     // Dependencies:
      function hasSelection(doc) {
          var res = false;
          var as = doc.activeHistoryState;
          doc.selection.deselect();
          if (as != doc.activeHistoryState) {
               res = true;
               doc.activeHistoryState = as;
          return res;
     // adapted from scirpt by jugenjury at adobefourms
     function getSelectionColor( s, A ){
          var origRulerUnits = app.preferences.rulerUnits;
          app.preferences.rulerUnits = Units.PIXELS;
          try{
               if ( undefined == s ) { s=0; }
               if ( undefined == A ) { A=1; }
               var CP = app.activeDocument.colorSamplers;
               var sampleSize = A;
               var r=((A-1)/2);
               var x=Math.round(CP[s].position[0]-r);
               var y=Math.round(CP[s].position[1]-r);
               activeDocument.selection.select([[x, y], [x+sampleSize, y], [x+sampleSize, y+sampleSize], [x, y+sampleSize]], SelectionType.REPLACE, 0, false);
               activeDocument.activeLayer.applyAverage();
               var re = RegExp( '[123456789]' );
               var sColor = new SolidColor();
               if ( activeDocument.mode == DocumentMode.GRAYSCALE ) {
                    var gv = re.exec(activeDocument.channels[0].histogram.toString() ).index/2;
                    sColor.gray.gray = 100 * (gv/255);
               if ( activeDocument.mode == DocumentMode.RGB ) {
                    sColor.rgb.red = re.exec(activeDocument.channels[0].histogram.toString() ).index/2;
                    sColor.rgb.green = re.exec( activeDocument.channels[1].histogram.toString() ).index/2;
                    sColor.rgb.blue = re.exec( activeDocument.channels[2].histogram.toString() ).index/2;
               if ( activeDocument.mode == DocumentMode.LAB ) {
                    var lv = re.exec(activeDocument.channels[0].histogram.toString() ).index/2;
                    sColor.lab.l = 100 * ( lv/255 );
                    sColor.lab.a = ( re.exec( activeDocument.channels[1].histogram.toString() ).index/2 ) - 128;
                    sColor.lab.b = ( re.exec( activeDocument.channels[2].histogram.toString() ).index/2 ) -128;
               if ( activeDocument.mode == DocumentMode.CMYK ) {
                    var cv = re.exec(activeDocument.channels[0].histogram.toString() ).index/2;
                    sColor.cmyk.cyan = 100 * (1-(cv/255));
                    cv = re.exec(activeDocument.channels[1].histogram.toString() ).index/2;
                    sColor.cmyk.magenta = 100 * (1-(cv/255));
                    cv = re.exec(activeDocument.channels[2].histogram.toString() ).index/2;
                    sColor.cmyk.yellow = 100* (1-(cv/255));
                    cv = re.exec(activeDocument.channels[3].histogram.toString() ).index/2;
                    sColor.cmyk.black = 100 * (1-(cv/255));
               executeAction( charIDToTypeID('undo'), undefined, DialogModes.NO );
               executeAction( charIDToTypeID( "CpTL" ), undefined, DialogModes.NO );// dupe selection to new layer
               applyInsideStroke();
               app.refresh();
               var keep = confirm("Sample at px "+sX+','+sY+ ' is R:'+sColor.rgb.red+', G:'+sColor.rgb.green+', B:'+sColor.rgb.blue+'.\rKeep?',true);
               app.activeDocument.activeLayer.remove();
               activeDocument.selection.deselect();
               if( keep == true )return sColor;
               app.preferences.rulerUnits = origRulerUnits;
          }catch(e){
               app.preferences.rulerUnits = origRulerUnits;
     function applyInsideStroke( sColor ) {
          var sColor = new SolidColor;
          sColor.rgb.hexValue = '6dfe02';// edit stroke color here
          var desc = new ActionDescriptor();
               var ref = new ActionReference();
               ref.putProperty( charIDToTypeID('Prpr'), charIDToTypeID('Lefx') );
               ref.putEnumerated( charIDToTypeID('Lyr '), charIDToTypeID('Ordn'), charIDToTypeID('Trgt') );
          desc.putReference( charIDToTypeID('null'), ref );
               var effectDesc = new ActionDescriptor();
               effectDesc.putUnitDouble( charIDToTypeID('Scl '), charIDToTypeID('#Prc'), 100.000000 );
                    var strokeDesc = new ActionDescriptor();
                    strokeDesc.putBoolean( charIDToTypeID('enab'), true );
                    strokeDesc.putEnumerated( charIDToTypeID('Styl'), charIDToTypeID('FStl'), charIDToTypeID('InsF') );
                    strokeDesc.putEnumerated( charIDToTypeID('PntT'), charIDToTypeID('FrFl'), charIDToTypeID('SClr') );
                    strokeDesc.putEnumerated( charIDToTypeID('Md  '), charIDToTypeID('BlnM'), charIDToTypeID('Nrml') );
                    strokeDesc.putUnitDouble( charIDToTypeID('Opct'), charIDToTypeID('#Prc'), 100.000000 );
                    strokeDesc.putUnitDouble( charIDToTypeID('Sz  '), charIDToTypeID('#Pxl'), 2.000000 );
                         var colorDesc = new ActionDescriptor();
                         colorDesc.putDouble( charIDToTypeID('Rd  '), sColor.rgb.red );
                         colorDesc.putDouble( charIDToTypeID('Grn '), sColor.rgb.green );
                         colorDesc.putDouble( charIDToTypeID('Bl  '), sColor.rgb.blue );
                    strokeDesc.putObject( charIDToTypeID('Clr '), charIDToTypeID('RGBC'), colorDesc );
               effectDesc.putObject( charIDToTypeID('FrFX'), charIDToTypeID('FrFX'), strokeDesc );
          desc.putObject( charIDToTypeID('T   '), charIDToTypeID('Lefx'), effectDesc );
          executeAction( charIDToTypeID('setd'), desc, DialogModes.NO );