Use "Run AppleScript" inside Automator to continue image manipulation - image-processing

Question

I'm using Automator for the first time, trying to manipulate (resize and pad) many images at once. I've created a workflow that consists of several actions and an AppleScript at the end to perform some basic If/Then logic (since my images are in different orientations, and need to be padded accordingly).
Here is my workflow (screencap):
And, my crappy AppleScript:
on run {input, parameters}
set this_image to input
set target_H to 600
try
tell application "Image Events"
-- start the Image Events application
launch
-- extract the properties record
set the props_rec to the properties of this_image
-- get dimensions of the image
copy (dimensions of props_rec) to {W, H}
-- determine the shortest side and then
-- calculate the new length for the longer side
if W is greater than H then
set pad_dimensions to {W, 600}
set the scale_dimension to target_H
end if
-- perform action
pad this_image to dimensions pad_dimensions with pad color {255, 255, 255}
-- save the changes
save this_image with icon
-- perform action
scale this_image to size scale_dimension
-- save the changes
save this_image with icon
-- purge the open image data
close this_image
end tell
on error error_message
display dialog error_message
end try
return input
end run
I just want to continue making changes to the same image I started with in the automator workflow, but can't seem to keep going when I switch to AppleScript. Thanks in advance for your time/help!

Answer 1

I only looked at the first 2 lines of your code and spotted a common error. Notice your first action "Ask for Finder items". Notice "items", it's plural. Even though you select only 1 image file you will get back a list which can hold many image files. So your list will hold only one item but it's in a list. That list is passed to "Copy Finder Items" which is plural too so you're good. The stuff from the first action will be handled properly by the second action... and so on until it hits your applescript.
Now in your applescript a list of items is passed as "input". So your second line of code doesn't get an image, it gets a list. If you want the image from the list you have to get item 1 from the list...
set this_image to item 1 of input
Now you have the image and Image Events can do its thing. I didn't look at your Image Events code but I think you'll have to open this_image first and get properties and resize the opened image. So you probably have to do something like this...
tell application "Image Events"
-- start the Image Events application
launch
-- open the image
set openedImage to open this_image
-- extract the properties record
set the props_rec to the properties of openedImage
And so on. You'll be manipulating openedImage, not this_image, which means you'll need code to save openedImage when you're through.
Good luck.