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FeedbackCommunityMember
Inspiring
April 5, 2011
Released

P: Support Copy and Paste Layers

  • April 5, 2011
  • 25 replies
  • 1049 views

I am a user interface designer and have PSDs with over 300 layers, inside different folders.
Sometimes I need to copy a layer, say a button, from one folder onto another. But between those there are 100 layers/folders. The only way I can do it now is to alt-drag the layer past hundreds of layers and try to find the folder I need to drop it into. It's very inconvenient.
All I would like to have is the ability to copy and paste layers. So I would select layer, CMD+C, then select the folder I want to paste that into and hit CMD+V.

Is this doable with AppleScript? If so, can anyone write one applescript for copy and another one for paste? I can then use Keyboard Maestro to trigger it.

Thanks

    25 replies

    Show previous replies
    Repael
    Repael
    Participant
    September 15, 2011
    There is a solution but only for copy\paste layers from one document to another.
    This is not intuitive at all! but as far as it goes, I guess photoshop stuff didn't pulled this through yet.

    The solution :

    A. Select the layers you want to copy
    B. Right Click and choose : "Duplicate layers"
    C. At the pop up window - Under "Destination" select the document you want to duplicate to and hit "OK"

    The layers will be pasted at the top of the layer panel in the desired document.

    Hope it helped you guys..
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMemberAuthor
    Inspiring
    April 5, 2011
    Sometimes I need to copy/move a layer from the top of the layer panel to the very bottom or somewhere in between. But I work with files with hundreds of layers so it's really difficult to drag layers around and find your way. It would be better if I was able to copy a layer, then go to the location I want to paste it and paste it.

    Y
    Yelnats1
    Known Participant
    April 5, 2011
    Here are some quick copy and paste scripts. Just select the layers you want to copy, run the first script, select the layer you want to paste above, and run the second script.

    It won't work if you copy, adjust layer order, then paste. Also, it currently doesn't allow you to do more than one paste if you paste below the layers that were copied (edit: you can just run the first script again immediately after the first)

    I got most of the code from ps-scripts.com.
    Copy Layers
    Paste Layers
    Y
    Yelnats1
    Known Participant
    April 5, 2011
    This can easily be scripted. You couldn't use CMD-C or CMD-V, though.
    I'll see what I can put together.
    marcbjango
    marcbjango
    Known Participant
    April 5, 2011
    I have the exact same issue.

    I don't think this is easily solvable with scripting, but I could be wrong. I find using groups (folders) can help shorten the distance you have to move layers, but only in some cases.

    So your suggestion is: if nothing is selected on the canvas, use command-x, c, v to cut, copy and paste layers? I like it.

    Sort of related: I use command-J to dupe single layers, but it doesn't work for groups or when more than one layer is selected. If we had cut, copy and paste for layers, it'd be great if it worked on single layers, multiple layers and groups.

    Command-J to dupe anything:
    http://feedback.photoshop.com/photosh...
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