As this is more about a smooth workflow, I can't think of anything built-in that would not be more pain than it was worth...
So it is probably best to just record a single step action with a F-Key shortcut to load the active layer's transparency as a selection. That way you can just press the shortcut key after selecting the layer.
If the F-Key combo is a little painful, this could be scripted and scripts can have "normal" keyboard shortcuts applied (not F-key based):
// Load selection from active layer transparency
#target photoshop
loadLayerTrans();
function loadLayerTrans() {
var s2t = function (s) {
return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
};
var descriptor = new ActionDescriptor();
var reference = new ActionReference();
var reference2 = new ActionReference();
reference.putProperty(s2t("channel"), s2t("selection"));
descriptor.putReference(s2t("null"), reference);
reference2.putEnumerated(s2t("channel"), s2t("channel"), s2t("transparencyEnum"));
descriptor.putReference(s2t("to"), reference2);
executeAction(s2t("set"), descriptor, DialogModes.NO);
}
https://prepression.blogspot.com/2017/11/downloading-and-installing-adobe-scripts.html
We can improve this scenario a bit by listening to the layer select event. To make the logic of selecting the transparency of a layer from the menu look like a selection on the palette, you also need to hold down cmd (or ctrl) when the menu item is activated:
#target photoshop
var s2t = stringIDToTypeID,
t2s = typeIDToStringID;
try {
var target = t2s(arguments[0].getReference(s2t('null')).getDesiredClass());
if (target == 'layer' && (ScriptUI.environment.keyboardState.ctrlKey || ScriptUI.environment.keyboardState.metaKey)) {
(r = new ActionReference()).putProperty(s2t('channel'), s2t('selection'));
(d = new ActionDescriptor()).putReference(s2t('null'), r);
(r1 = new ActionReference()).putEnumerated(s2t('channel'), s2t('channel'), s2t('transparencyEnum'));
d.putReference(s2t('to'), r1);
executeAction(s2t('set'), d, DialogModes.NO);
}
} catch (e) { }
if (!target) {
app.notifiersEnabled = true
var f = File($.fileName),
deleted;
for (var i = 0; i < app.notifiers.length; i++) {
var ntf = app.notifiers[i]
if (ntf.eventFile.name == f.name) { ntf.remove(); i--; deleted = true }
}
if (deleted) {
alert('event listening disabled!')
} else {
app.notifiers.add('slct', f, 'Lyr ')
alert('event listening enabled!')
}
}
* I can't test it on macOS at the moment, but it should work.
** tested on Big Sur 11.6.4 - it works.
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