Working out the similarities and differences between Photoshop Actions and Paintshop Pro Scripts, with the assistance of a written-out guide to step-by-step Actions. Some are almost identical, and others are very different.

Levels, for instance, seem to work exactly backward between the two programs (as I have heard they also do between Photoshop and Gimp), so in most cases they aren't much use.

Paintshop doesn't have a Solid Color Adjustment Layer function, so you have to use New Raster Layer (do the adjustments here) and Flood Fill with recommended color (leave Flood Fill on Normal, set Opacity to 100% - it defaults to 50%).
Whenever the Levels don't work, you will have to lean harder on the Hue/Saturation/Lightness adjustments (and adjust Lightness, not Saturation, in almost all cases).

Sample Script for Flash Powder (Blue-black):
1. New Raster Layer, Soft Light, 90%
1a. Flood Fill, Normal, Opacity 100%, #000000 (regular black)
2. Hue/Saturation/Lightness adjustment layer, Normal, 100%; Hue +7, Lightness -83
3. New Raster Layer, Multiply, 100%
3a. Flood Fill, Normal, Opacity 100%, #c2dfff (pale blue) - you change the color selection by clicking in the upper box of the Materials palette to bring up the Color Picker, and look for the bottom right selection box.
4. Color Balance adjustment layer, Normal, 100%; Midtones (the default) Cyan-Red: -3 / Magenta-Green: +2 / Yellow-Blue: 0 (or I use +5 to get the tone a little bluer, YMMV)
When done, do Layers, Merge All (Flatten) to get a single layer.
Differences from the Photoshop method involved omitting the Levels adjustment and reversing the second and third (now first) step.

Dynamite was even easier:
1. New Raster Layer, Soft Light, 90%
1a. Flood Fill, Normal, Opacity 100%, #000000 (regular black)
2. Hue/Saturation/Lightness adjustment layer, Normal, 100%; Hue +7, Lightness -83
Done!

On the other hand, Safety Fuse required serious revision:
1. New Raster Layer, Soft Light, 100%
1a. Flood Fill, Normal, Opacity 100%, #573d28 (custom color)
2. Hue/Saturation/Lightness adjustment layer, Color, 100%, Master Hue +2, Lightness -15
3. Duplicate background layer, drag to top, set Soft Light, 50%
4. New Raster Layer, Soft Light, 60%
4a. Flood Fill, Normal, Opacity 100%, #573d28
5. Hue/Saturation/Lightness adjustment layer, Normal, 100%, Master Hue +5, Lightness -15
I think it came out somewhat lighter and brighter, which is just as well by me, as I consider it (and bin it as) a dark blond rather than a light brown.

Example of "leaning on" the Lightness adjustment
Shrapnel (dark brown, and I bin it as Brown)
1. New Raster Layer, Soft Light, 84%
1a Flood Fill, Normal, Opacity 100%, #000000 (black)
2. Hue/Saturation/Lightness adjustment layer, Normal, 100%, Master Hue +5, Lightness -63 (40% more than Pooklet's figure)

Incendiary and the reds are the only cases where the Levels adjustment is at all useful.

Incendiary (golden blond)
1. New Raster Layer, Soft Light, 50%
1a. Flood Fill, Normal, 100%, #98824c (custom yellow tone)
2. Levels adjustment layer, Normal, 100%, RGB 12 / let midpoint drift / 255 (Paintshop does not have an RGB Output setting, so ignore that.)
I generally tweak it a bit yellower and darker after flattening, YMMV.

Pyrotechnic (light red)
1. New Raster Layer, Multiply, 100%
1a. Flood Fill, Normal, 100%, #a16b2c (custom red)
2. Duplicate background layer, drag to top, set Soft Light, 100%
3. New Raster Layer, Soft Light, 30%
3a. Flood Fill, Normal, 100%, #a16b2c
4. Levels adjustment layer, Luminance, 100%, RGB 16 / 128 / 229

If there's enough interest, I'll write up the whole thing.

It all begins with Volatile, which according to Pooklet is the base color over which all others are worked. The process for obtaining this color is actually quite similar to the Photoshop procedure, with Paintshop quirks as noted.

It is best worked over a lightish medium grey, but any light color will do if it is close enough in lightness and contrast. (It helps to have a sample to compare, see Pooklet swatches and/or base textures.)

1. New Raster Layer, Color, 100%
1a. Flood Fill, Normal, 100%, #cfb599 (pale blondish tone)
2. Hue/Saturation/Lightness adjustment layer, Color, 100%; MASTER Lightness: -63
3. Flatten image (Layers, Merge All (Flatten)
4. New Raster Layer, Multiply, 100%
4a. Flood Fill, Normal, 100%, #c2a68c (note this is not quite the same color as step 1a)
5. Duplicate background layer, drag to top, set Screen, 40%
6. Duplicate background layer, drag to top, set Soft Light, 60%
7. New Raster Layer, Soft Light, 100%
7a. Flood Fill , Normal, 100%, #bc9d91 (and yet another color)
8. Duplicate background layer, drag to top, set Luminance 100%.

Note: Occasionally you may find that steps 1-3 are sufficient - if so, consider yourself lucky.

White it is necessary to produce the Volatile tone first, you don't have to use it in-game if you think it's too pale or too pink(ish). If you do modify it to taste, remember to give it a different name so you don't try to work over the wrong base.


Land Mine (brownish black)
1. New Raster Layer, Soft Light, 84%
1a. Flood Fill, Normal, Opacity 100%, #000000 (regular black)
2. Hue/Saturation/Lightness adjustment layer, Normal, 100%; Hue +7, Lightness -75

Brisance (Chestnut brown - I really like this color)
1. New Raster Layer, Soft Light, 90%
1a. Flood Fill, Normal, Opacity 100%, ##3e1413 (custom reddish brown)
2. Color Balance adjustment layer, Normal, 100%; Midtones: C-R: 0 / M-G: 0 / Y-B: -10 ; Preserve Luminance: Yes
3. Hue/Saturation/Lightness adjustment layer, Normal, 100%, Lightness -38.

Depth Charge (Medium Brown, close to Maxis Brown)
1. New Raster Layer, Soft Light, 100%
1a. Flood Fill, Normal, Opacity 100%, #000000 (regular black)
2. Hue/Saturation/Lightness adjustment layer, Normal, 100%, Master Hue +5, Lightness -35.

Explosive (Auburn)
1. New Raster Layer, Multiply, 100%
1a. Flood Fill, Normal, Opacity 100%, #a16b2c (custom darkish red)
2. Duplicate background layer, drag to top, set Soft Light, 100%
3. New Raster Layer, Soft Light, 30%
3a. Flood Fill, Normal, 100%, #a16b2c
4. Levels adjustment layer, Luminance, 100%, RGB 16 / 128 / 229
5. New Raster Layer, Soft Light, 100%
5a. Flood Fill, Normal, Opacity 100%, #000000 (to darken the tone)

Molotov (bright red)
1. New Raster Layer, Multiply, 100%
1a. Flood Fill, Normal, Opacity 100%, #a1592c
2. Duplicate background layer, drag to top, set Soft Light, 100%
3. New Raster Layer, Soft Light, 30%
3a. Flood Fill, Normal, 100%, #a1592c
4. New Raster Layer, Soft Light, 50%
4a. Flood Fill, Normal, 100%, #6a2d0f
5. Levels adjustment layer, Luminance, 100%, RGB 5 / 128 / 240

Comburent (optional color, you may want to use this for a reddish blond if you aren't that fond of Volatile)
1. New Raster Layer, Multiply, 100%
1a. Flood Fill, Normal, Opacity 100%, #a16b2c
2. Duplicate background layer, drag to top, set Screen 70%
3. New Raster Layer, Soft Light, 100%
3a. Flood Fill, Normal, 100%, #a16b2c
4. Duplicate background layer, drag to top, set Luminance 100%
5. New Raster Layer, Multiply, 40%
5a. Flood Fill, Normal, 100%, #b77a3a
6. Levels adjustment layer, Normal, 100%, RGB 10 / 128 / 249
7. Hue/Saturation/Lightness adjustment layer, Normal, 100%, Master Hue +3, Lightness -4

I do not use Primer (too pale), Grenade (too grey), or Fission (ditto), but persons interested in having these colors can probably work out the procedures from the information already given.

No instructions are given for Time Bomb, but its RGB levels are 225,220,216 and it is described as “just off white”. (Desaturate, lighten to taste, tweak RGB)

Mail Bomb (medium grey)
1. Hue/Saturation/Lightness adjustment layer, Color, 100%; Master Hue: +19, Master Saturation: -92 (yes, Saturation this time. Tweak Lightness also if desired.)
2. Levels adjustment layer, Luminance, 100%; RGB 0 / 112 / 255

Pipe Bomb (charcoal grey)
1. Hue/Saturation/Lightness adjustment layer, Color, 100%; Master Hue: +19, Master Saturation: -92 (tweak Lightness also if desired.)
2. Levels adjustment layer, Luminance, 100%; RGB 0 / [let midpoint drift] / 193

That's everything, for now.