GuideMi User Manual

Overview

GuideMi is a guide management plugin designed for Photoshop. The name combines "Guide" (the Photoshop feature) with "Mi", similar to the naming convention of WesternBo. The plugin provides a comprehensive set of tools for creating, managing, and organizing guides. Whether you need simple border guides or complex grid layouts, GuideMi helps you set up guides quickly and precisely.

The plugin supports multiple units (pixels, percent, centimeters, millimeters, inches, points, picas), intelligently positions guides based on selections, layers, or document boundaries, and offers real-time preview functionality for more intuitive layout design. GuideMi also features a comprehensive multilingual interface supporting 17 languages, making it accessible to users worldwide.

Main Features

Quick Actions: Quick access to common functions including single-edge guides, grid presets, golden ratio, aspect ratio guides, and more
Margin-Go-Round: Margin guide tool for creating guides with margins around target areas
Grid-and-Go: Grid guide tool for creating custom row/column grids with gutters
Some Guides Like You: Layout snapshot tool for capturing, saving, importing, and reapplying guide layouts across documents
Geek-Set-Go: Advanced unequal grid tool for creating guides with custom ratios or absolute values
Flyout Menu: Access help, version info, citation, update checking, and language settings via the panel's hamburger menu (☰)

Smart Boundary Detection

All guide functions in GuideMi support smart boundary detection, determining the guide positioning area in the following priority order:

Selection First: If a selection exists, guides will be created based on the selection bounds
Layer Bounds: If there's no selection but a layer is selected, guides will be based on the selected layer's bounds
Document Bounds: If there's neither a selection nor a selected layer, guides will be based on the entire document bounds

Quick Actions

The Quick Actions area is located at the top of the plugin, providing the most commonly used guide functions arranged in an 8-column, 4-row layout.

Row 1: Single-Edge Guides and Basic Layouts

Button	Function	Detailed Description
Top	Top Guide	Add a horizontal guide at the top edge of the target area. Right-click to set layer mode (Combined/Individual), which applies to all buttons in this row
Bottom	Bottom Guide	Add a horizontal guide at the bottom edge of the target area. Shares the layer mode setting from the Top button
Left	Left Guide	Add a vertical guide at the left edge of the target area. Shares the layer mode setting from the Top button
Right	Right Guide	Add a vertical guide at the right edge of the target area. Shares the layer mode setting from the Top button
H-Center	Horizontal Center	Add a horizontal guide at the vertical center of the target area. Shares the layer mode setting from the Top button
V-Center	Vertical Center	Add a vertical guide at the horizontal center of the target area. Shares the layer mode setting from the Top button
Border	Border Guides	Add border guides around all four edges of the target area. Shares the layer mode setting from the Top button
Midlines	Center Cross	Add both horizontal and vertical center guides simultaneously. Shares the layer mode setting from the Top button

Multi-Layer Behavior (Right-Click Menu)

Right-click the Top button to set how guides are created when multiple layers are selected. This setting is global — it applies to all buttons in the first row and all guide creation functions throughout the plugin:

Combined Bounds: Creates guides based on the combined bounding box of all selected layers (default)
Individual Layers: Creates separate guides for each selected layer individually

Row 2: Grid Presets and Composition Guides

Button	Function	Detailed Description
2×2	2×2 Grid	Quickly create a 2-row, 2-column evenly divided grid
3×3	3×3 Grid	Quickly create a 3-row, 3-column evenly divided grid (rule of thirds)
4×4	4×4 Grid	Quickly create a 4-row, 4-column evenly divided grid
5×5	5×5 Grid	Quickly create a 5-row, 5-column evenly divided grid
6×6	6×6 Grid	Quickly create a 6-row, 6-column evenly divided grid. Right-click to select 7×7, 8×8, 9×9, or 10×10 grids
φ Golden Ratio	Golden Ratio	Add golden ratio guides (two lines each in horizontal and vertical directions, positioned at 38.2% and 61.8%). Right-click to select different variants
4:3	4:3 Aspect Ratio	Create a 4:3 aspect ratio guide frame based on the target area. Right-click to set custom aspect ratio
16:9	16:9 Aspect Ratio	Create a 16:9 aspect ratio guide frame based on the target area. Right-click to set custom aspect ratio

Golden Ratio Variants (Right-Click Menu)

Horizontal Lines: Only the two horizontal golden ratio lines
Vertical Lines: Only the two vertical golden ratio lines
Upper-Left Cross: Upper-left intersection point (upper horizontal + left vertical)
Upper-Right Cross: Upper-right intersection point (upper horizontal + right vertical)
Lower-Left Cross: Lower-left intersection point (lower horizontal + left vertical)
Lower-Right Cross: Lower-right intersection point (lower horizontal + right vertical)
Phi Grid (1:φ:1): Creates a grid based on the 1:φ:1 ratio, with lines positioned at approximately 27.64% and 72.36% — similar to the rule of thirds but based on the golden ratio

Custom Aspect Ratio (Right-Click Menu)

Right-clicking on the 4:3 or 16:9 button opens a custom aspect ratio panel where you can:

Enter custom width (W) and height (H) values
Click Apply to create guides with your custom ratio

Row 3: Units, Tools, and Display Controls

Button	Function	Detailed Description
Unit	Unit Toggle	Click to cycle through units: px → % → cm → mm → in → pt → pica. Scroll wheel for bidirectional switching, long-press to reset to pixels, right-click to show full unit list. On first launch, the unit automatically syncs with Photoshop's current ruler unit setting
Crosshair	Crosshair Placement	Click to enter crosshair placement mode, then click anywhere on the canvas to place crosshair guides. The mode automatically cancels after 30 seconds of inactivity. Right-click to select placement method
Spotlight	Spotlight Mode	Automatically create guides at the current layer's boundaries, updating automatically when switching layers. Click to cycle: Off → Edge Mode → Midline Mode → Off. Right-click to directly select a mode
Lock	Lock Guides	Toggle the lock state of guides; when locked, guides cannot be moved
Toggle Guides	Show/Hide	Toggle the visibility of guides
Layer Edges	Layer Edges	Toggle Photoshop's layer edges display feature
Guide Color	Guide Color	Click to cycle through preset colors, scroll wheel for bidirectional switching, long-press to reset to default light blue, right-click to open RGB custom color panel
Guide Style	Guide Style	Toggle guide style: Solid / Dashed. Right-click to select from menu

Spotlight Mode

Spotlight is a dynamic guide feature particularly useful for the following scenarios:

Layer Positioning: Quickly view the exact position of the current layer on the canvas
Alignment Reference: Display real-time boundary guides to assist alignment when moving or adjusting layers
Multi-Layer Switching: Guides automatically follow and update when switching between layers, no need to manually recreate them

When Spotlight is enabled, guides will continuously track the currently selected layer until manually turned off.

Right-Click Menu: Right-click the Spotlight button to directly choose a mode (Off / Edge Guides / Midlines) without cycling through states.

Crosshair Placement Methods (Right-Click Menu)

Color Sampler (Default): Uses Photoshop's Color Sampler tool. Click on the canvas to place a sampler point, and crosshair guides are automatically created at that position. The sampler is then removed.
1×1 Marquee (Manual): Uses a 1×1 pixel selection. After creating a tiny selection on the canvas, the plugin detects it and creates crosshair guides at the selection position. This method requires manual selection creation.

The selected method is saved and persists between sessions.

Auto-Cancel: Crosshair placement mode automatically cancels after 30 seconds of inactivity to prevent the polling from running indefinitely.

Preset Color List

Light Blue (default) → Light Red → Green → Medium Blue → Yellow → Magenta → Cyan → Light Gray → Black

Row 4: Clear Guides and Global Controls

Button	Function	Detailed Description
Clear	Clear All	Clear all guides in the document. Shortcut: Delete
Clear H-Guides	Clear Horizontal	Clear only horizontal guides
Clear V-Guides	Clear Vertical	Clear only vertical guides
Clear Outside	Clear Outside Canvas	Clear guides located outside the canvas boundaries
Clear on Canvas	Clear on Canvas	Clear guides located within the canvas boundaries
Clear on Selection	Clear on Selection	Clear guides that overlap with the current selection or selected layer. Right-click to access additional options
Keep/Clear Toggle	Keep/Clear Toggle	Toggle Quick Actions behavior: ✓ (green) keeps existing guides, ✗ (red) clears before creating
Collapse All	Collapse/Expand	Collapse or expand all function panels

Clear on Selection Options (Right-Click Menu)

Clear Outside (Canvas): Clear guides outside the selection/layer bounds but within the canvas area
Clear Outside (All): Clear all guides outside the selection/layer bounds, including those outside the canvas

Clear Button Status Indicators

Clear buttons dynamically display status based on whether corresponding guide types exist:

When guides that can be cleared exist, the button interior shows a guide pattern
When no corresponding guide types exist, the button appears empty

Margin-Go-Round

Margin-Go-Round takes its name from "Merry-Go-Round" (Carousel), suggesting guides that surround the target area. This tool creates guides with margins around target areas, perfect for quickly setting up safe margins or padding layouts.

Workflow

Define Target Area: Create a selection, select a layer, or use the entire document
Set Margin Values: Enter margin values for top, bottom, left, and right
Execute: Click the ▶ button to create margin guides

Control Descriptions

Margin Inputs

Control	Function
Left Icon	Left margin label, supports drag-to-adjust value
Left Input	Left margin value
Right Icon	Right margin label, supports drag-to-adjust value
Right Input	Right margin value
Top Icon	Top margin label, supports drag-to-adjust value
Top Input	Top margin value
Bottom Icon	Bottom margin label, supports drag-to-adjust value
Bottom Input	Bottom margin value

Action Buttons

Icon	Button	Function
	▶	Create margin guides
	Link	Link/unlink all four margin values. When linked (chain icon connected), changing any margin value updates all four margins to the same value
	Preview	Enter/exit preview mode for real-time guide preview. Red = inactive, green = previewing. Press Esc to exit
	Keep/Clear	Toggle whether to keep existing guides when creating new ones
	Reset	Reset all margin values to 0

Link Margins

The Link button (chain icon) controls whether margin values are synchronized:

Linked (chain connected): All four margin values move together. Changing one value automatically updates the other three to match.
Unlinked (chain broken): Each margin can be set independently.

This is useful when you need equal margins on all sides — simply link them and adjust any one value.

Margin Value Explanation

Positive values: Inward offset (indent)
Negative values: Outward offset (extend beyond boundary)
Border Guides: When creating margin guides, GuideMi always adds border guides (four edges of the target area) in addition to the margin guides. This ensures you have a complete reference frame.

Value Adjustment Methods

Direct Input: Enter values directly in the input field
Drag Adjustment: Hold left mouse button on the icon and drag left/right; right increases, left decreases
Scroll Adjustment: Hover over the input field and use scroll wheel to adjust values
Shift Acceleration: Hold Shift key to increase step value by 10x when dragging or scrolling

Grid-and-Go

Grid-and-Go takes its name from "Grab-and-Go," suggesting quick grid layout creation. This tool creates custom grid guides with support for row/column counts and gutters, and can create corresponding rectangular frames or shapes.

Workflow

Define Target Area: Create a selection, select a layer, or use the entire document
Set Grid Parameters: Enter column count, row count, column gutter, and row gutter
Execute: Click the ▶ button to create grid guides

Control Descriptions

Grid Parameters

Control	Function
Rows Icon	Row count label. Click to increment by 1, Alt+click to decrement by 1, long-press to reset to default. Also supports drag-to-adjust value
Rows Input	Number of rows (1-50)
Col. Icon	Column count label. Click to increment by 1, Alt+click to decrement by 1, long-press to reset to default. Also supports drag-to-adjust value
Columns Input	Number of columns (1-50)
Row Gutter Icon	Row gutter label, supports drag-to-adjust value
Row Gutter Input	Spacing between rows
Col. Gutter Icon	Column gutter label, supports drag-to-adjust value
Column Gutter Input	Spacing between columns

Action Buttons

Icon	Button	Function
	Frames	Create rectangular path frames in each grid cell. Click to execute current mode, right-click to switch modes
	Consider Margin	Toggle whether to apply Margin-Go-Round margins when creating the grid. When enabled, the grid is created within the margin area
	Save Preset	Save current settings as a preset
	Import Preset	Import presets from JSON file
	Load Preset	Load a saved preset. Click ★ to set a default preset that loads on startup and when Reset is clicked
	Preview	Enter/exit preview mode for real-time guide preview. Red = inactive, green = previewing. Press Esc to exit
	Keep/Clear	Toggle whether to keep existing guides when creating new ones
	Reset	Reset all grid parameters to default values
	▶	Create grid guides

Frames and Shapes

The Frames button creates rectangular path frames or shapes in each grid cell. Right-click on this button to switch between modes:

Frames: Creates hollow rectangular paths (default mode)
Shapes: Creates filled rectangular shapes in each grid cell (checkerboard style)

These two features are primarily used for quickly creating image layout templates, particularly suitable for scenarios requiring batch image processing (such as microscope photos or experimental results in scientific papers):

Frames: Creates hollow rectangular paths; images can be dragged directly into frames and will automatically fit the frame size without manual cropping
Shapes: Creates solid rectangular shape layers; use the "Replace Contents" feature to quickly replace shapes with images for rapid batch image layout

Typical workflow: Set grid parameters → Click Frames/Shapes button (or right-click to switch mode) to create template → Batch place or replace images → Layout complete

Consider Margin Toggle

Enabled (icon shows margin lines): The grid is created within the area defined by the margins
Disabled (icon shows plain rectangle): The grid fills the entire target area, ignoring margins

Load Preset Button

Click the Load Preset button to show the preset menu:

Saved Presets: User-saved presets (newest displayed first)
Recent Presets: Recently used configurations (auto-saved, maximum 10 entries)

In the preset menu:

Single-click a preset name to load and automatically create guides
Double-click a preset name to rename
Click ★ to set as default preset (loads on startup and when Reset is clicked; click again to unset)
Click × to delete a preset

Preview Mode

Click the Preview button to enter preview mode (button turns green, eye icon opens)
Adjust any parameter to see guides update in real-time
Click the ▶ button to confirm creation, or click Preview again to cancel
Press Esc to quickly exit preview mode

Some Guides Like You

Some Guides Like You takes its name from the Adele song "Someone Like You," playfully reimagined for guides. This tool captures the current guide layout as a snapshot, allowing you to save, export, import, and reapply guide arrangements across documents — perfect for maintaining consistent layouts across multiple files or sharing guide templates with your team.

Workflow

Set up guides in your document (manually or using other GuideMi tools)
Set the Scope (Canvas Only / All Guides) and Direction Filter (H+V / Horizontal / Vertical) to control which guides are captured. These settings are saved with the preset
Click Save Layout to capture and store the current guide arrangement as a named preset
Later, use Load Layout to reapply a saved or recent layout, or Import Layout to load from a file

Control Buttons

Button	Function	Description
Apply to All	Batch apply	Captures guides from the current document (filtered by scope and direction) and applies them to all other open documents. Keep/Clear toggle controls whether existing guides in each target document are preserved or cleared. Requires at least two open documents
Scope	Toggle scope	Switch between Canvas Only (ignore guides outside canvas bounds) and All Guides (include off-canvas guides). Applies to save and apply-to-all operations; when loading or importing, the preset's stored scope is used instead and this button is updated automatically. The button icon dynamically reflects the current guide color and line style (solid/dashed): in Canvas Only mode, only the inner crosshair lines match the guide appearance; in All Guides mode, the entire icon (border and crosshair) matches
Direction Filter	Toggle direction	Cycle through H + V (all guides), Horizontal Only, and Vertical Only. Click to cycle, long-press to reset to H + V, right-click for direct selection. Applies to save and apply-to-all operations; when loading or importing, the preset's stored direction filter is used instead and this button is updated automatically
Save Layout	Capture & save	Captures guides from the current document (filtered by scope and direction) and saves as a named preset. The current Scope and Direction Filter settings are stored with the preset. Optionally exports to a JSON file for sharing
Import Layout	Import from file	Opens a JSON file, saves it as a preset, and immediately applies the layout. Uses the scope and direction filter stored in the file
Load Layout	Load preset	Opens the preset list to select and apply a saved or recent layout. Click ★ to set a default preset that loads on startup and when Reset is clicked. The Scope and Direction Filter buttons are automatically updated to match the preset's stored settings
Keep/Clear	Toggle mode	Green (✓): Keep existing guides when applying. Red (✗): Clear all guides before applying
Reset	Reset settings	Resets all SGLY settings to defaults: Scope → Canvas Only, Direction Filter → H + V, Keep/Clear → Keep

Scope and Direction Filter

The Scope and Direction Filter buttons control which guides are included in each operation:

When saving: Only guides matching the current scope and direction filter are captured into the snapshot. The current Scope and Direction Filter settings are stored with the preset
When loading or importing: The preset's stored Scope and Direction Filter settings are used, and the UI buttons are updated to reflect them
When applying to all: The current Scope and Direction Filter settings are used (since this is a live capture-and-apply operation)

This means each saved layout remembers its own scope and direction filter. For example, a layout saved with "Horizontal Only" will always apply only horizontal guides when loaded, regardless of the current button state.

Preset Management

The preset dropdown (accessed via Load Layout) contains two sections:

Saved Layouts: Manually saved presets (via Save Layout or Import Layout)
Recent Layouts: Automatically recorded layouts from recent Apply to All or Load Layout operations (up to 10 entries, with timestamp names). Identical consecutive layouts are not duplicated

Both sections support:

Single-click a preset name to load and apply it
Double-click a preset name to rename it
Click ★ to set as default preset (loads on startup and when Reset is clicked; click again to unset)
× button to delete a preset

Pixel-Perfect Mode

When the target document has the same dimensions as the source document (where guides were captured), guides are applied at their exact pixel positions. When dimensions differ, guides are repositioned proportionally based on percentage.

Geek-Set-Go

Geek-Set-Go takes its name from "Ready, Set, Go," designed for power users who need advanced unequal grid layouts. This tool allows you to create guides with custom ratios or absolute values, offering maximum flexibility for complex layout requirements.

Workflow

Define Target Area: Create a selection, select a layer, or use the entire document
Enter Values: Input ratio or absolute values in the text field
Configure Options: Set mode, direction, and other options
Execute: Click the ▶ button to create guides

Input Syntax

Ratio Mode (Default)

In Ratio Mode, values represent proportional divisions of the target area:

Input	Result
`3`	Divides into 3 equal parts (like 1;1;1)
`1;2;1`	Divides in 1:2:1 ratio (25%, 50%, 25%)
`1;1;2`	Divides in 1:1:2 ratio (25%, 25%, 50%)
`1;2;3`	Divides in 1:2:3 ratio

Absolute Mode

In Absolute Mode, values represent actual distances in the current unit:

Input	Result
`50`	Creates a guide every 50 units, repeating until space runs out
`50;100`	Alternates between 50 and 100 unit segments
`50;*;50`	50 units from start, remaining space in middle (*), 50 units at end
`100;;100;;100`	Three 100-unit segments with flexible space between
`50;;;50`	50 units at start, remaining space divided equally into 2 parts, 50 units at end
`100;;;*;100`	100 units at each end, remaining space divided equally into 3 parts

The * (asterisk) acts as a wildcard for "remaining space" and is only available in Absolute Mode. Multiple asterisks divide the remaining space equally among them.

Control Buttons

Icon	Button	Function
	Mode	Toggle between Ratio Mode (pizza icon) and Absolute Mode (grid icon)
	Margin	Toggle whether to consider Margin-Go-Round margins when calculating guide positions
	Direction	Set guide direction. Click to cycle, scroll wheel for quick switching, long-press to reset to LTR, right-click for full menu
	Save Preset	Save current configuration as a named preset
	Import Preset	Import preset from JSON file
	Load Preset	Load a saved preset. Click ★ to set a default preset that loads on startup and when Reset is clicked
	Keep/Clear	Toggle whether to keep or clear existing guides before creating new ones
	Reset	Reset all settings to defaults
	▶	Apply the guides

Direction Options

Single-axis directions:

Left to Right (LTR): Creates vertical guides from left edge
Top to Bottom (TTB): Creates horizontal guides from top edge
Right to Left (RTL): Creates vertical guides from right edge
Bottom to Top (BTT): Creates horizontal guides from bottom edge

Combined directions (for 2D layouts):

LTR + TTB: Vertical guides from left, horizontal from top
LTR + BTT: Vertical guides from left, horizontal from bottom
RTL + TTB: Vertical guides from right, horizontal from top
RTL + BTT: Vertical guides from right, horizontal from bottom

Preset Management

Geek-Set-Go has its own preset system, separate from Grid-and-Go:

Save Preset: Saves input values, mode, direction, and all toggle states
Recent Presets: Auto-saves last 10 configurations with timestamps
Import/Export: Share presets via JSON files

Examples

Example 1: Magazine Layout (Ratio)

Mode: Ratio
Input: 1;2;1
Direction: LTR
Result: Three-column layout with wide center column

Example 2: Fixed Margins (Absolute)

Mode: Absolute
Input: 50;*;50
Direction: LTR + TTB
Result: 50px margins on all sides with flexible center

Example 3: Equal Divisions (Ratio)

Mode: Ratio
Input: 5
Direction: TTB
Result: Five equal horizontal bands

Example 4: Multiple Flexible Spaces (Absolute)

Mode: Absolute
Input: 100;*;*;*;100
Direction: LTR
Result: 100px fixed areas at left and right edges, with the remaining space divided into 3 equal parts

Click the hamburger menu icon (☰) in the top-right corner of the plugin panel to access the Flyout Menu.

Menu Items

Item	Function
Help	Opens the user manual in the system default browser (automatically selects Chinese or English version based on the current interface language)
About GuideMi	Shows version information, author credits, and copyright notice
Cite This Plugin	Copies a ready-to-use citation sentence to the clipboard for your legends and Materials & Methods sections
Check for Updates	Connects to the SciSuite server to check whether a newer version is available. If a new version is found, the release notes are displayed and the download page opens automatically in your browser
Join Us	Learn how to contribute to this project; the contact email is automatically copied to clipboard
Deactivate License	Unbind the license from this device so it can be activated on another computer. Requires an internet connection. After deactivation, the nag screen will reappear
Language	Select interface language from 17 available options

Available Languages

简体中文
繁體中文（中國台灣）
繁體中文（中國香港）
日本語
한국어
العربية
Deutsch
English
Español
Español (Latinoamérica)
Français
Indonesia
Italiano
Português (Brasil)
Português (Portugal)
Русский
Türkçe

Language selection is saved and persists between sessions.

License & Activation

GuideMi is a shareware plugin. You can use the fully functional unregistered version with a 30-day trial period. After the trial, please purchase a license to continue using GuideMi.

Nag Screen

Each time Photoshop starts, unregistered users will see a nag screen. To dismiss it:

Read and accept the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy by checking the checkbox
Click the correct button as instructed (e.g., "Please click P greater than 0.05")

The nag screen will not appear once a valid license is activated.

Purchasing a License

Click one of the Registration buttons on the nag screen to open the purchase page in your default browser. Three pricing plans are available:

Ph.D.: For researchers with a doctoral degree
Future Ph.D.: For students and trainees
Enterprise: For institutional or commercial use

After completing the purchase, you will receive a license key via email.

Activating a License

Click the Activate button on the nag screen
Enter the email address used for purchase
Enter the license key received via email
Click Activate to verify and bind the license to this device

Once activated, the nag screen will no longer appear, and your license is bound to this device's hardware (MAC address).

Deactivating a License

To transfer your license to another computer:

Open the Flyout Menu (☰) in the top-right corner
Click Deactivate License
The license will be unbound from this device
You can then activate the same license key on a different computer

Note: Deactivation requires an internet connection.

General Operation Guide

Button Interaction Modes

Many buttons in this plugin support multiple interaction methods:

Single Click: Execute main function or switch to next option
Alt+Click: Switch to previous option or decrement value (e.g., Rows and Columns icons in Grid-and-Go)
Long Press (500ms): Reset to default value
Right Click: Show all options menu or custom panel
Scroll Wheel: Cycle through options

Drag-to-Adjust Values

Icon buttons for grid and margin parameters support drag adjustment:

Hold left mouse button on the icon and drag left/right to quickly adjust values
Drag right to increase, drag left to decrease
Hold Shift key for accelerated adjustment (10x step value)

Scroll Wheel Value Adjustment

When hovering over numeric input fields, use scroll wheel to adjust values:

Scroll up to increase, scroll down to decrease
Hold Shift key for accelerated adjustment

Unit System

GuideMi supports the following units; all margin and gutter values are converted based on the current unit:

Unit	Name	Step Value
px	Pixels	1
%	Percent	1
cm	Centimeters	0.1
mm	Millimeters	1
in	Inches	0.125
pt	Points	1
pica	Picas	0.5

Percentage units are calculated based on the current target area (selection/layer/document) dimensions.

On first launch (when no unit preference has been saved), GuideMi automatically reads Photoshop's current ruler unit and uses it as the default. After that, the plugin remembers your last selected unit independently.

Preset Management

Grid-and-Go and Geek-Set-Go both support preset management:

Save Preset: Click the save button, enter a preset name to save all current parameters (including unit, margins, grid settings)
Import Preset: Click the import button to import presets from JSON files
Load Preset: Click the Load Preset button to show preset list — single-click to load, double-click to rename, click ★ to set/unset default, click × to delete

When exporting presets, you can choose to export to a file for team sharing.

Section Collapse State

Click a Section header to collapse/expand that area; collapse state is automatically saved and restored when the plugin is reopened.

Progress Bar Feedback

When executing time-consuming operations (such as creating grid guides, Frames, or Shapes), the Section header displays an animated indeterminate progress bar at the bottom, providing visual feedback that the operation is in progress.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Function
Delete	Clear all guides
Escape	Exit preview mode
Tab	Cycle focus through buttons and input fields

FAQs

Q: Why aren't guides created at the expected position?

A: GuideMi determines guide positions in the priority order: Selection > Layer > Document. Please check:

Whether an unexpected selection exists (press Ctrl+D to deselect)
Whether the currently selected layer is correct
If the selected layer is empty, it will fall back to document bounds

Q: How do I create guides at a specific position precisely?

A: Use the Crosshair placement feature:

Click the Crosshair button to enter placement mode
Click the target position on the canvas
Crosshair guides will be automatically created at the clicked position
Right-click the Crosshair button to switch between Color Sampler (default) and 1×1 Marquee methods

Q: Parameters don't respond in preview mode?

A: Please ensure:

The Preview button is in active state (green background)
A document is open in Photoshop
Parameter values are within valid ranges

Q: How do grid guides and margin guides work together?

A: Margin-Go-Round and Grid-and-Go can work together:

First set margins in Margin-Go-Round
Then set grid parameters in Grid-and-Go
Enable the "Consider Margin" toggle in Grid-and-Go
When creating the grid, margins are automatically applied; the grid will be created within the margin area

Q: What's the difference between Grid-and-Go and Geek-Set-Go?

Grid-and-Go creates equal-sized cells with specified rows, columns, and gutters — ideal for uniform grids
Geek-Set-Go creates unequal divisions based on ratios or absolute values — ideal for asymmetric layouts like magazine designs or custom proportions
Some Guides Like You captures and reapplies entire guide layouts — ideal for reusing or sharing guide arrangements across documents

Q: How do I quickly restore default settings?

Unit button: Long-press to restore to pixels (px)
Color button: Long-press to restore to default light blue
Direction button (Geek-Set-Go): Long-press to restore to Left to Right
Reset buttons in each area: Reset all parameters in that area

Q: Where are presets saved?

A: Presets are saved in Photoshop's internal storage and are retained with Photoshop configuration. Use the export feature to save presets as JSON files for backup or team sharing.

Q: How do I change the interface language?

A: Click the hamburger menu (☰) in the top-right corner of the plugin panel, then select your preferred language from the Language section. The setting is saved automatically.

Q: When importing a preset, are existing guides cleared or kept?

A: The behavior depends on the current Keep/Clear toggle state:

If Keep mode is active (✓ green), existing guides are preserved and new guides are added
If Clear mode is active (✗ red), existing guides are cleared before creating new guides from the preset

This applies to Grid-and-Go, Geek-Set-Go, and Some Guides Like You preset imports. Check the Keep/Clear toggle before importing if you need specific behavior.

Q: How do I create guides for multiple layers at once?

A: Select multiple layers, then use any guide function. Right-click on the Top button to choose:

Combined Bounds: Creates guides around all selected layers as a group
Individual Layers: Creates separate guides for each layer

This setting is global and persists until changed.

Version Information

Plugin Name: GuideMi
Version: 1.0.0
Compatible Software: Adobe Photoshop CC 2022+
Architecture: CEP (Common Extensibility Platform)
Authors: Bo Lv, Xi Cheng