Photoshop Actions - Duplicate to Other Document

Hi faile486 are you still out there?

#target photoshop

// Set the source doc
var sourceDoc = app.activeDocument;

// Dupe active layer with dialog
dupeLayer();

// Close source doc
sourceDoc.close(SaveOptions.PROMPTTOSAVECHANGES);
/*
sourceDoc.close(SaveOptions.SAVECHANGES);
sourceDoc.close(SaveOptions.DONOTSAVECHANGES);
*/

// Function created with xtools!
function dupeLayer() {
    function step1(enabled, withDialog) {
    if (enabled !== undefined && !enabled)
      return;
    var dialogMode = (withDialog ? DialogModes.ALL : DialogModes.NO);
    var desc1 = new ActionDescriptor();
    var ref1 = new ActionReference();
    ref1.putEnumerated(cTID('Lyr '), cTID('Ordn'), cTID('Trgt'));
    desc1.putReference(cTID('null'), ref1);
    executeAction(cTID('Dplc'), desc1, dialogMode);
  }
  step1(true, true);
}

https://prepression.blogspot.com/2017/11/downloading-and-installing-adobe-scripts.html?m=1

Hi,

If I understand your workfllow correctly, then may be following script will help you to duplicate the document and close the source document. The following snippet will duplicate the seleted layer to the new document if the documentName mention in the script(Here "TestDocument" is the name of teh document you can name anything) is not opened in the photoshop. I am not sure how much you are aware of the Javascript scripting, but if you know then you can modify it as per your requirements. 

function duplicateLayer(docName) {
    try {
        var idduplicate = stringIDToTypeID("duplicate");
        var desc59 = new ActionDescriptor();
        var idnull = stringIDToTypeID("null");
        var ref26 = new ActionReference();
        var idlayer = stringIDToTypeID("layer");
        var idordinal = stringIDToTypeID("ordinal");
        var idtargetEnum = stringIDToTypeID("targetEnum");
        ref26.putEnumerated(idlayer, idordinal, idtargetEnum);
        desc59.putReference(idnull, ref26);
        var idto = stringIDToTypeID("to");
        var ref27 = new ActionReference();
        var iddocument = stringIDToTypeID("document");
        ref27.putName(iddocument, docName);
        desc59.putReference(idto, ref27);
        var idversion = stringIDToTypeID("version");
        desc59.putInteger(idversion, 5);
        var idID = stringIDToTypeID("ID");
        var list5 = new ActionList();
        list5.putInteger(2);
        desc59.putList(idID, list5);
        executeAction(idduplicate, desc59, DialogModes.NO);
    } catch (e) {
        var idmake = stringIDToTypeID("make");
        var desc31 = new ActionDescriptor();
        var idnull = stringIDToTypeID("null");
        var ref15 = new ActionReference();
        var iddocument = stringIDToTypeID("document");
        ref15.putClass(iddocument);
        desc31.putReference(idnull, ref15);
        var idusing = stringIDToTypeID("using");
        var ref16 = new ActionReference();
        var idlayer = stringIDToTypeID("layer");
        var idordinal = stringIDToTypeID("ordinal");
        var idtargetEnum = stringIDToTypeID("targetEnum");
        ref16.putEnumerated(idlayer, idordinal, idtargetEnum);
        desc31.putReference(idusing, ref16);
        var idversion = stringIDToTypeID("version");
        desc31.putInteger(idversion, 5);
        executeAction(idmake, desc31, DialogModes.NO);
    }
}

function closeDocument(doc) {
    doc.close(SaveOptions.DONOTSAVECHANGES);
}

function main() {
    var doc = app.activeDocument;
    // Make sure a document with name "TestDocument" is open, otherwise it will create a new document automatically
    var destinationDocName = 'TestDocument';
    duplicateLayer(destinationDocName);
    closeDocument(doc);
}

main();

Let us know if this helps you.

Don't record the step, use the action panel menu to "insert menu command".

That being said, depending on your workflow, a script may be better.