ArchViz Post Production Layer Mask Script

Question

Long time photoshop user, first time poster.

I'm an architectural visualiser and part of my job involves using jpeg geometry black and white masks generated in my renders as group layer masks.

Currently this involves:

1. Creating a group the main photoshop file.

2. Naming the group to match the corresponding .jpeg generated by the render eg. 'Brickwork'

3. Open the separate Brickwork.jpeg mask

4. Copy all

5. Paste into main photoshop file as the mask of my 'Brickwork' group from (2)

This leaves me with a group correctly named, and with the right mask which allows me to adjust levels, saturation, colour etc of all the brickwork in my render. I would love to be able to automate this process to avoid having to manually do the same 5 step process to the 20+ layer masks in each of my renders. I hope that the below image helps which shows an example with only 7 groups:

Any help would be much appreciated. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Dan

c.pfaffenbichler · Accepted Answer

Thank you, I did come to that conclusion, however I couldn't get the recursive code to correctly add the layer sets into the effects set. Perhaps the temp layer was active when it shouldn't be, I ran out of steam...

Does this work?

(function () {

    try {
        var inputFolder = Folder.selectDialog("Select the input folder:");
        if (inputFolder === null) {
            // alert('Script cancelled!');
            return;
        }

        var fileList = inputFolder.getFiles(/\.(tif|tiff)$/i);
        fileList.sort().reverse();
        
        var validateEmptyList = (fileList.length > 0);
        if (validateEmptyList === false) {
            alert("Script cancelled as the input folder is empty!");
            return;
        }
        
        var baseDoc = app.activeDocument.name;
        var savedDisplayDialogs = app.displayDialogs;
        app.displayDialogs = DialogModes.NO;
        app.activeDocument.activeLayer = app.activeDocument.layers[0];

        var effectsGroup = app.activeDocument.layerSets.add();
        effectsGroup.name = "EFFECTS";


        for (var i = 0; i < fileList.length; i++) {
            open(fileList[i]);
            dupeLayer("_temp", 5);
            var maskName = app.activeDocument.name.replace(/\.[^\.]+$/, '').replace(/^.{5}/, '').replace(/\d{4}$/, '');
            app.activeDocument.close(SaveOptions.DONOTSAVECHANGES);

            var tempGroup = effectsGroup.layerSets.add();
            tempGroup.name = maskName;

            blankMask();
            applyMask(true);
            removeTempLayer();
        }

        app.activeDocument.activeLayer = app.activeDocument.layers[0];

        app.displayDialogs = savedDisplayDialogs;
        app.beep();

    } catch (err) {
        alert("An unexpected error has occurred!");
    }

    ////// FUNCTIONS /////

    function removeTempLayer() {
        var s2t = function (s) {
            return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
        };
        var descriptor = new ActionDescriptor();
        var list = new ActionList();
        var reference = new ActionReference();
        reference.putName(s2t("layer"), "_temp");
        descriptor.putReference(s2t("null"), reference);
        list.putInteger(373);
        descriptor.putList(s2t("layerID"), list);
        executeAction(s2t("delete"), descriptor, DialogModes.NO);
    }

    function applyMask(preserveTransparency) {
        var s2t = function (s) {
            return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
        };
        var descriptor = new ActionDescriptor();
        var descriptor2 = new ActionDescriptor();
        var reference = new ActionReference();
        reference.putEnumerated(s2t("channel"), s2t("channel"), s2t("RGB"));
        reference.putName(s2t("layer"), "_temp");
        descriptor2.putReference(s2t("to"), reference);
        descriptor2.putBoolean(s2t("preserveTransparency"), preserveTransparency);
        descriptor.putObject(s2t("with"), s2t("calculation"), descriptor2);
        executeAction(s2t("applyImageEvent"), descriptor, DialogModes.NO);
    }

    function blankMask() {
        var s2t = function (s) {
            return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
        };
        var descriptor = new ActionDescriptor();
        var reference = new ActionReference();
        descriptor.putClass(s2t("new"), s2t("channel"));
        reference.putEnumerated(s2t("channel"), s2t("channel"), s2t("mask"));
        descriptor.putReference(s2t("at"), reference);
        descriptor.putEnumerated(s2t("using"), s2t("userMaskEnabled"), s2t("revealAll"));
        executeAction(s2t("make"), descriptor, DialogModes.NO);
    }

    function dupeLayer(name2, version) {
        var s2t = function (s) {
            return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
        };
        var descriptor = new ActionDescriptor();
        var reference = new ActionReference();
        var reference2 = new ActionReference();
        reference.putEnumerated(s2t("layer"), s2t("ordinal"), s2t("targetEnum"));
        descriptor.putReference(s2t("null"), reference);
        reference2.putName(s2t("document"), baseDoc);
        descriptor.putReference(s2t("to"), reference2);
        descriptor.putString(s2t("name"), name2);
        descriptor.putInteger(s2t("version"), version);
        executeAction(s2t("duplicate"), descriptor, DialogModes.NO);
    }

}());

Stephen Marsh · Answer

Here is my version, I had fun putting it together, hit many brick walls and had find workarounds etc.

I really wanted to create the layer set masks inside the EFFECTS group, however I just couldn't get there and spent way too much time going down false trails. In the end I just moved the layers, however, as I had to hard code their names, if you used this on different renders with different names the mask sets would not be moved unless they were added to the list. I'd like to do more, but for now I'm mentally exhausted!

/*
Create mask groups from renders.jsx
https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/archviz-post-production-layer-mask-script/m-p/12726579#M620671
Stephen Marsh, v1.0 - 5th February 2022
*/

//#target photoshop

(function () {

    try {
        var inputFolder = Folder.selectDialog("Select the input folder:");
        if (inputFolder === null) {
            // alert('Script cancelled!');
            return;
        }

        var fileList = inputFolder.getFiles(/\.(tif|tiff)$/i);
        fileList.sort().reverse();
        
        var validateEmptyList = (fileList.length > 0);
        if (validateEmptyList === false) {
            alert("Script cancelled as the input folder is empty!");
            return;
        }
        
        var baseDoc = app.activeDocument.name;
        var savedDisplayDialogs = app.displayDialogs;
        app.displayDialogs = DialogModes.NO;
        app.activeDocument.activeLayer = app.activeDocument.layers[0];

        for (var i = 0; i < fileList.length; i++) {
            open(fileList[i]);
            dupeLayer("_temp", 5);
            var maskName = app.activeDocument.name.replace(/\.[^\.]+$/, '').replace(/^.{5}/, '').replace(/\d{4}$/, '');
            app.activeDocument.close(SaveOptions.DONOTSAVECHANGES);

            tempGroup();
            blankMask();
            applyMask(true);
            removeTempLayer();
            app.runMenuItem(stringIDToTypeID('selectNoLayers'));
            app.activeDocument.activeLayer.name = maskName;
        }

        try {
            app.activeDocument.activeLayer = app.activeDocument.layers["WindowFrames"];
            app.activeDocument.activeLayer.name = "Window Frames";
        } catch (error) {}
        
        app.activeDocument.activeLayer = app.activeDocument.layers[0];
        var effectsGroup = app.activeDocument.layerSets.add();
        effectsGroup.name = "EFFECTS";
        try {
            move("Window Frames");
            move("Stone");
            move("Roof");
            move("Interior");
            move("Glass");
            move("Context");
            move("Brick");
        } catch (error) { }
        app.activeDocument.activeLayer = app.activeDocument.layers[0];

        app.displayDialogs = savedDisplayDialogs;
        app.beep();

    } catch (err) {
        alert("An unexpected error has occurred!");
    }

    ////// FUNCTIONS /////

    function move(layerName) {
	var s2t = function (s) {
		return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
	};
	var descriptor = new ActionDescriptor();
	var list = new ActionList();
	var reference = new ActionReference();
	var reference2 = new ActionReference();
	reference.putName( s2t( "layer" ), layerName );
	descriptor.putReference( s2t( "null" ), reference );
	reference2.putIndex( s2t( "layer" ), 20 );
	descriptor.putReference( s2t( "to" ), reference2 );
	descriptor.putBoolean( s2t( "adjustment" ), false );
	descriptor.putInteger( s2t( "version" ), 5 );
	list.putInteger( 509 );
	descriptor.putList( s2t( "layerID" ), list );
	executeAction(s2t( "move" ), descriptor, DialogModes.NO);
}

    function removeTempLayer() {
        var s2t = function (s) {
            return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
        };
        var descriptor = new ActionDescriptor();
        var list = new ActionList();
        var reference = new ActionReference();
        reference.putName(s2t("layer"), "_temp");
        descriptor.putReference(s2t("null"), reference);
        list.putInteger(373);
        descriptor.putList(s2t("layerID"), list);
        executeAction(s2t("delete"), descriptor, DialogModes.NO);
    }

    function applyMask(preserveTransparency) {
        var s2t = function (s) {
            return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
        };
        var descriptor = new ActionDescriptor();
        var descriptor2 = new ActionDescriptor();
        var reference = new ActionReference();
        reference.putEnumerated(s2t("channel"), s2t("channel"), s2t("RGB"));
        reference.putName(s2t("layer"), "_temp");
        descriptor2.putReference(s2t("to"), reference);
        descriptor2.putBoolean(s2t("preserveTransparency"), preserveTransparency);
        descriptor.putObject(s2t("with"), s2t("calculation"), descriptor2);
        executeAction(s2t("applyImageEvent"), descriptor, DialogModes.NO);
    }

    function blankMask() {
        var s2t = function (s) {
            return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
        };
        var descriptor = new ActionDescriptor();
        var reference = new ActionReference();
        descriptor.putClass(s2t("new"), s2t("channel"));
        reference.putEnumerated(s2t("channel"), s2t("channel"), s2t("mask"));
        descriptor.putReference(s2t("at"), reference);
        descriptor.putEnumerated(s2t("using"), s2t("userMaskEnabled"), s2t("revealAll"));
        executeAction(s2t("make"), descriptor, DialogModes.NO);
    }

    function tempGroup() {
        var tempGroup = app.activeDocument.layerSets.add();
        tempGroup.name = "_tempGroup";
    }

    function dupeLayer(name2, version) {
        var s2t = function (s) {
            return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
        };
        var descriptor = new ActionDescriptor();
        var reference = new ActionReference();
        var reference2 = new ActionReference();
        reference.putEnumerated(s2t("layer"), s2t("ordinal"), s2t("targetEnum"));
        descriptor.putReference(s2t("null"), reference);
        reference2.putName(s2t("document"), baseDoc);
        descriptor.putReference(s2t("to"), reference2);
        descriptor.putString(s2t("name"), name2);
        descriptor.putInteger(s2t("version"), version);
        executeAction(s2t("duplicate"), descriptor, DialogModes.NO);
    }

}());

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