Getting to know List mode in Photoshop

When you’re working in List mode, the Actions palette has these three columns:
-->The leftmost column contains check boxes that you can select or deselect to control what actions are available in Button mode. You can use this column to ensure that your most commonly used actions are available for use in Button mode and those that you don’t use very often are hidden.

-->The second column toggles on or off the display of dialog boxes in actions. Some actions include options you can select while running the macro. For example, the Vignette (Selection) action, which creates a faded frame around a selection, includes a dialog box that lets you specify the width of the fading. This dialog box is shown only when you select the dialog box column; if you deselect that option, the action uses a default value of 5 pixels as the width for the feathered effect.

-->The third and widest column shows the name of the action. Click the right-pointing arrow to the left of the action’s name to reveal the individual steps of the action. Many (but not necessarily all) steps have their own arrows, which can expand or collapse to show or hide the options used to carry out that step. In case you’re curious, the good folks at Adobe call these twisty-turny arrows disclosure triangles.

At the bottom of the Actions palette in List mode, you find six icons, not all of which are available at all times. The following list describes the icons from left to right:

-->Stop Playing/Recording: This icon is active when you’re recording a macro. Click it to stop recording (or to stop playing back an action).

-->Begin Recording: Click this icon to begin recording a macro.

-->Play Selection: Click this icon to begin playing a selected action. Playback begins at the step selected; you can choose the action’s name to start the macro at the beginning, or expand the macro and select any step to begin playback at that point.

-->Create New Set: Click this icon to create a new action set.

-->Create New Action: Click this icon to begin a new action.

-->Delete: Click this icon to remove a selection action or step.

You can also find all these commands on the Actions palette pop-up menu.