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P: Keyboard shortcuts for navigating layers DO NOT work with hidden layers

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
June 18, 2018
42 replies
3038 views

On Windows, we have the keyboard shortcuts ALT-[ and ALT-] which are used to move between layers in the layer panel. The problem is that those shortcuts only work on VISIBLE layers and not on HIDDEN layers. They need to work on ALL layers. I mean, I can select any layer, visible or hidden, just fine with the mouse, so why am I restricted to visible layers only with the keyboard shortcut? My job often involves processing images with lots of layers, and the stuff I do involves lots of keyboard shortcuts. Literally EVERYTHING I need to do can be accomplished with keyboard shortcuts EXCEPT for moving from a visible layer to a hidden layer. There is even a keyboard shortcut to toggle visibility for a layer (CTRL-,), but it's useless for turning a layer visible, because you cannot navigate to the hidden layer with the keyboard!

I waited 2 hours and 20 minutes in chat support queue, only to be told "That is the expected behavior. You'll have to talk to an engineer to find out more." How am I supposed to talk to an Adobe Engineer? Did anyone's CC subscription happen to come with a list of all the engineers and their contact info?

If this IS the expected behavior, I want to know why it was decided that nobody would ever need to change from a visible layer to a hidden layer with a keyboard shortcut. If not, when can we get it fixed?

S_Lenses

Participant

I figured out that at least I'm able to unhide layers using Keyboard shortcut CTRL+ALT+,

After that ALT+[ or ] to select that layer, it helps.

Stephen Marsh

Community Expert

It's possible but not intuitive, actions help.

Even better than using actions is a script with custom code keyboard shortcut.

AlphaHink

Participant

now 2023, I still need it

Stephen Marsh

Community Expert

I should add that selecting invisible layers is possible without a script, just not intuitive!

O

okapia

Participating Frequently

I found this thread because not having this feature is also causing problems for me. I'm trying to record an action that needs to move to a hidden layer and toggle it on. I have to use the keyboard shortcuts instead of clicking because the layer name will be different in different files. It seems that it can't be done.

The best workaround I could find was making a layer comp to control the visibity and recording that in my action, but using a keyboard shortcut would be a less clunky solution.

PECourtejoie

Community Expert

*vlad_voiculescu Could you post this as a separate feature request?

F

FeedbackCommunityMember

Inspiring

Not a great work around but may work for some people in specific situations. I have an action that builds my layers with specific names. Then I have an action that will select those layers by name and I assign a function key to them. For example, ctrl-F12 will select my layer called "seamlines" and then I use ctrl- comma to toggle it off and on. On a side note, the command from the pull down menu Show/Hide layers is not a toggle (even though the ctrl-comma is) which means an action to show a layer and and action to hide a layer are separate commands. So yeah, that's kind of dumb too.

Stephen Marsh

Community Expert

Florian, that was shorthand for "custom keyboard shortcut" or Edit menu > Keyboard shortcuts

Stephen Marsh

Community Expert

Hi Jeffrey,

I am just the messenger, I can't claim credit for the script, which is from the talented Joonas Paakko, who makes other fantastic things, such as this:

https://scriptui.joonas.me/
https://github.com/joonaspaakko/ScriptUI-Dialog-Builder-Joonas

F

FeedbackCommunityMember

Inspiring

Hello, what do you mean by "custom keycut"?

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