Collapse single group of layers

Question

Is it possible to collapse only currently selected group of layers in PS using javascript?
I have the problem that after completing my script, selected group stay expanded, even it is collapsed when i run script.
I found some solutions where all groups are collapsed, but is possible to do it for a single group?

Thanks in advance

r-bin · Accepted Answer

Is there a way not to change the group to open or close state, but to know is the group is open or closed?

var id = activeDocument.activeLayer.id;

var r = new ActionReference();    
r.putProperty(stringIDToTypeID("property"), stringIDToTypeID("layerSectionExpanded"));
r.putIdentifier(stringIDToTypeID("layer"), id);

var rez = executeActionGet(r).getBoolean(stringIDToTypeID("layerSectionExpanded"));

alert(rez?"Expanded":"Collapsed");

Stephen Marsh · Answer

@milevic & @Zesty_wanderlust15A7

Please try the following script, I have extended it with some of the ideas from this thread. Thank you @Zesty_wanderlust15A7 for the discussion and bouncing ideas back and forth!

I believe that it is a better option than my script linked in the other topic.

This is still a hack to overcome missing features of Photoshop, which only allows one to:

Collapse All Groups...

But why not collapse the active group? Why not expand all groups? Why not expand the active group? ...However, I digress!

Note: Script updated 17th August 2022

/*
Collapse Active Group.jsx
Modified by Stephen Marsh, 17th August 2022
https://gist.github.com/MarshySwamp/a39e3e1efee41174b3b92ee68c40fcd8
https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/collapse-single-group-of-layers/m-p/13132297

Based on:
https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem/expand-collapse-a-group-via-javascript/m-p/7286298
By Vova_p, 16th February 2016

*** KNOWN LIMITATIONS & GOTCHAS ***
This script is a hack to overcome a shortcoming of the original implementation of layer groups/sets:
+ Layers clipped to the group will lose their clipping group property
+ Default layer names such as "Layer 6" may be auto-renamed by Photoshop to "Layer 10" etc.
*/

#target photoshop

if (app.documents.length > 0) {

    function main() {

        if (activeDocument.activeLayer.typename === "LayerSet") {

            // Set the original document
            var origDoc = app.activeDocument;

            // Doc name variable
            var origDocName = activeDocument.name;

            // Store the name of the group
            var groupname = activeDocument.activeLayer.name;

            // Copy the active layer properties to a layer style (opacity, fill, blend mode, blend-if etc)
            var idcopyEffects = stringIDToTypeID("copyEffects");
            executeAction(idcopyEffects, undefined, DialogModes.NO);

            // Toggle the active layer visibility
            toggleLayerVisibility(true);

            // Create the temp doc from active layer group
            newDocFromLayer("_tempDoc");

            // Set the "destination" group variable
            var destinationGroup = activeDocument.activeLayer.name;

            // Dupe the set into a temp group
            activeDocument.activeLayer.duplicate();

            // Set the duped "source" group variable
            var sourceGroup = activeDocument.layers[0].name;

            // Ungroup the group to select all the child elements
            unGroup();

            // Group the selected layers to collapse the group
            groupSelectedLayers();

            // Recall the original group name
            activeDocument.activeLayer.name = groupname;

            // Copy the layer mask with all properties from the temp group
            copyLayerMask();

            // Restore the layer style to the new collapsed group
            pasteEffects(true);

            // Select and remove the temp group
            activeDocument.activeLayer = activeDocument.layers[0];
            activeDocument.activeLayer.remove();

            // Dupe the group back to the original doc
            dupeLayer();

            // Close the temp doc
            activeDocument.close(SaveOptions.DONOTSAVECHANGES);

            // Return to the original document
            app.activeDocument = origDoc;

            // Select the visible backward layer
            selectForwardORBackwardLayer(false, "backwardEnum");

            // Delete the original expanded group
            removeGroup();

            // Select the visible forward layer
            selectForwardORBackwardLayer(false, "forwardEnum");

            // Toggle the original active layer visibility
            toggleLayerVisibility(true);

        } else {
            alert("Only layer groups can be collapsed!");
        }

        /***** Functions *****/

        function dupeLayer() {
            function s2t(s) {
                return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
            }
            var descriptor = new ActionDescriptor();
            var list = new ActionList();
            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"), origDocName);
            descriptor.putReference(s2t("to"), reference2);
            descriptor.putInteger(s2t("version"), 5);
            list.putInteger(0);
            descriptor.putList(s2t("ID"), list);
            executeAction(s2t("duplicate"), descriptor, DialogModes.NO);
        }

        function toggleLayerVisibility(toggleOptionsPalette) {
            function s2t(s) {
                return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
            }
            var descriptor = new ActionDescriptor();
            var list = new ActionList();
            var reference = new ActionReference();
            reference.putEnumerated(s2t("layer"), s2t("ordinal"), s2t("targetEnum"));
            list.putReference(reference);
            descriptor.putList(s2t("null"), list);
            descriptor.putBoolean(s2t("toggleOptionsPalette"), toggleOptionsPalette);
            executeAction(s2t("show"), descriptor, DialogModes.NO);
        }

        function newDocFromLayer(docName) {
            function s2t(s) {
                return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
            }
            var descriptor = new ActionDescriptor();
            var reference = new ActionReference();
            var reference2 = new ActionReference();
            reference.putClass(s2t("document"));
            descriptor.putReference(s2t("null"), reference);
            descriptor.putString(s2t("name"), docName);
            reference2.putEnumerated(s2t("layer"), s2t("ordinal"), s2t("targetEnum"));
            descriptor.putReference(s2t("using"), reference2);
            descriptor.putInteger(s2t("version"), 0);
            executeAction(s2t("make"), descriptor, DialogModes.NO);
        }

        function unGroup() {
            function c2t(s) {
                return app.charIDToTypeID(s);
            }
            var s2t = function (s) {
                return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
            };
            var descriptor = new ActionDescriptor();
            var reference = new ActionReference();
            reference.putEnumerated(s2t("layer"), s2t("ordinal"), s2t("targetEnum"));
            descriptor.putReference(c2t("null"), reference);
            executeAction(s2t("ungroupLayersEvent"), descriptor, DialogModes.NO);
        }

        function groupSelectedLayers() {
            function c2t(s) {
                return app.charIDToTypeID(s);
            }
            var s2t = function (s) {
                return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
            };
            var descriptor = new ActionDescriptor();
            var reference = new ActionReference();
            var reference2 = new ActionReference();
            reference.putClass(s2t("layerSection"));
            descriptor.putReference(c2t("null"), reference);
            reference2.putEnumerated(s2t("layer"), s2t("ordinal"), s2t("targetEnum"));
            descriptor.putReference(s2t("from"), reference2);
            executeAction(s2t("make"), descriptor, DialogModes.NO);
        }

        function copyLayerMask() {
            // Copy layer mask - preserving feather, density
            function s2t(s) {
                return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
            }
            var descriptor = new ActionDescriptor();
            var reference = new ActionReference();
            var reference2 = new ActionReference();
            descriptor.putClass(s2t("new"), s2t("channel"));
            reference.putEnumerated(s2t("channel"), s2t("channel"), s2t("mask"));
            reference.putName(s2t("layer"), destinationGroup); // Destination group name
            descriptor.putReference(s2t("at"), reference);
            reference2.putEnumerated(s2t("channel"), s2t("channel"), s2t("mask"));
            reference2.putName(s2t("layer"), sourceGroup); // Source group name
            descriptor.putReference(s2t("using"), reference2);
            executeAction(s2t("make"), descriptor, DialogModes.NO);
        }

        function selectForwardORBackwardLayer(makeVisible, forwardORbackward) {
            function s2t(s) {
                return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
            }
            var descriptor = new ActionDescriptor();
            var list = new ActionList();
            var reference = new ActionReference();
            // "forwardEnum" or "backwardEnum"
            reference.putEnumerated(s2t("layer"), s2t("ordinal"), s2t(forwardORbackward));
            descriptor.putReference(s2t("null"), reference);
            // true or false
            descriptor.putBoolean(s2t("makeVisible"), makeVisible);
            list.putInteger(15);
            descriptor.putList(s2t("layerID"), list);
            executeAction(s2t("select"), descriptor, DialogModes.NO);
        }

        function removeGroup() {
            function s2t(s) {
                return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
            }
            var descriptor = new ActionDescriptor();
            var reference = new ActionReference();
            reference.putEnumerated(s2t("layer"), s2t("ordinal"), s2t("targetEnum"));
            descriptor.putReference(s2t("null"), reference);
            executeAction(s2t("delete"), descriptor, DialogModes.NO);
        }

        function pasteEffects(allowPasteFXOnLayerSet) {
            function s2t(s) {
                return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
            }
            var descriptor = new ActionDescriptor();
            descriptor.putBoolean(s2t("allowPasteFXOnLayerSet"), allowPasteFXOnLayerSet);
            executeAction(s2t("pasteEffects"), descriptor, DialogModes.NO);
        }
    }
    app.activeDocument.suspendHistory("Collapse Active Group.jsx", "main()");

} else {
    alert('You must have a document open!');
}

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