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Steve Milne
Known Participant
March 31, 2017
Question

Placed PSD layers update to all the same layer

  • March 31, 2017
  • 5 replies
  • 1901 views

Have this happen a lot. Layout a PSD with selected layers showing different stages of work (i.e.: banner ad), but when the PSD is updated it updates every frame to the same layer. So we have to go back through and adjust every frame.

I've tired it with the two placement options from the pull down menu and each time it over writes everything. It's so frustrating!

Am I down anything wrong or missing something or is this a known issue?

Cheers.

This topic has been closed for replies.

5 replies

W
wazzzzo
Inspiring
July 15, 2019

2 years on from your original post and I have the same issue.

Here's the process:

Photoshop file with layer comps used to define 2 possible different states of the file.

Placed instance 1 with Layer Comp A in Illustrator with "Keep overrides" checked.

Placed instance 2 with Layer Comp B in Illustrator with "Keep overrides" checked.

All good so far.

Return to Photoshop file and amend something.

The result is that both instances in Illustrator default to the current state of the Photoshop document.

There is then no way of viewing the layer comp list from the placed PSD to subsequently change it to the desired layer comp.

The only way is to relink the placed object and select the correct layer comp.

Thanks for any help.

Andy

BobLevine
Community Expert
BobLevineCommunity Expert
Community Expert
July 15, 2019

A. This is the InDesign forum.

B. If that's just a typo, start a new discussion with full details including version of ID and operating system.

I'm locking this.

wrensauer
wrensauer
Inspiring
April 17, 2017

Hi Steve,

Were you able to find success with Wilhelm, Rob, or Vinny's suggestions? Let us know if you need further assistance.

Best,

Wren

Willi Adelberger
Community Expert
Willi AdelbergerCommunity Expert
Community Expert
March 31, 2017

Save your layers states in Photoshop in Photoshop’s Layer Compositions in the Layer Comp. Panel.

When you place the file in InDesign or Illustrator select the saved Layer Comp. so you are sure that it remains the same if the file content changes.

vinny38
vinny38
Legend
March 31, 2017

As a matter of fact, Controlling layer visibility is quite tricky...

Without any screenshot, especially a screenshot of your Photoshop layers panel, it's hard to advice, but here's information you might find useful:

First of all, after reading your request, it looks like you used "Use Photoshop’s/PDF’s Layer Visibility" instead of "Keep Layer Visibility Overrides". Change that...

Then, I guess that you used Groups in Photoshop layers, and that you select the whole group while placing in INDD.

Great!

But you should be aware that the position of the layers is crucial point.

INDD graphic update is based on the original position of the layers, and of course, if you add new layers, the whole thing will mess up...

So finding a satisfactory workflow is up to you, depending on how is your PSD file built.

Here's a live example:

L
Community Expert
LaubenderCommunity Expert
Community Expert
April 18, 2017

vinny38  wrote

… But you should be aware that the position of the layers is crucial point. …

Absolutely.

InDesign cannot remember the layer's visibility by its name. Indeed that would be fatal, I think.

The reason why "remember layer by name" would be not possible or a good choice by the developers of InDesign is that in PhotoShop every layer could have the same name. So identifying what's on/off by name is not possible. Unlike with InDesign where every layer has to get its own unique name.

It would be cool if InDesign could remember layer visibility of a placed PhotoShop by other means.

E.g. by something like a unique ID number assigned to a layer in PhotoShop. A ID number that would not change even if you renamed the layer or moved it around the stack of layers. But maybe there is not a thing like that?


Ok. I checked back the ExtendScript Document Object Model for PhotoShop with CS6 and CC 2015 and found, that indeed there is a property named id with a number as value with a given layer. Undocumented with CS6, documented with CC 2015.

Did not test much, but if the value of id would be unique and if it is not used again if you remove a layer and add another one, that ID indeed could be a possible hook to remember layer visibility with files from PhotoShop placed with InDesign. Something we could do as a feature request perhaps. I did not check back with older versions of PhotoShop so perhaps it would be no option with legacy PSD documents below PhotoShop CS6.

However, it could be a hook for a script that checks layer visibility of a placed PSD on base of ID numbers or a combination of layer id and layer name. But that would require to open a PSD in PhotoShop every time you place it or update a link.

FWIW:
Willi already pointed out a solution in post #3:

Work with Layer Compositions in the "Layer Comp. Panel" of PhotoShop.

Regards,
Uwe

rob day
Community Expert
rob dayCommunity Expert
Community Expert
March 31, 2017

Just to clarify, are you referring to the Object>Object Layer Options feature? Can you show us the problem with screen captures?

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