Is there any way to copy and move multiple active layers at a time? (JavaScript)

[Eggsandbakey]

Standart function (copy(relativeObject,insertionLocation)) don't work with several objetcts, and can copy only first layer.

[Patrick Deen]

If you can't do it all at once you can loop the action to get the desired result. For this to work you need to know and store a reference to the layers that are selected. Getting the selected layers is one of the common questions here on the forum. All solutions use action manager code. Once wrapped in a function they're pretty easy to use. A solution to your question could be something like this using three functions: getSelectedLayers, selectByIndex, copySelectedAfter.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

// Function: getSelectedLayers

// Usage: creates and array of the currently selected layers

// Input: <none> Must have an open document

// Return: Array containing the Idx of the selectedLayers

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

function getSelectedLayersIdx(){

      var selectedLayers = new Array;

      var ref = new ActionReference();

      ref.putEnumerated( charIDToTypeID("Dcmn"), charIDToTypeID("Ordn"), charIDToTypeID("Trgt") );

      var desc = executeActionGet(ref);

      if( desc.hasKey( stringIDToTypeID( 'targetLayers' ) ) ){

          desc = desc.getList( stringIDToTypeID( 'targetLayers' ));

          var c = desc.count

          var selectedLayers = new Array();

          for(var i=0;i<c;i++){

            try{

              activeDocument.backgroundLayer;

              selectedLayers.push(  desc.getReference( i ).getIndex() );

            }catch(e){

              selectedLayers.push(  desc.getReference( i ).getIndex()+1 );

            }

          }

      }else{

          var ref = new ActionReference();

          ref.putProperty( charIDToTypeID("Prpr") , charIDToTypeID( "ItmI" ));

          ref.putEnumerated( charIDToTypeID("Lyr "), charIDToTypeID("Ordn"), charIDToTypeID("Trgt") );

        try{

            activeDocument.backgroundLayer;

            selectedLayers.push( executeActionGet(ref).getInteger(charIDToTypeID( "ItmI" ))-1);

        }catch(e){

            selectedLayers.push( executeActionGet(ref).getInteger(charIDToTypeID( "ItmI" )));

        }

        var vis = app.activeDocument.activeLayer.visible;

        if(vis == true) app.activeDocument.activeLayer.visible = false;

        var desc9 = new ActionDescriptor();

        var list9 = new ActionList();

        var ref9 = new ActionReference();

        ref9.putEnumerated( charIDToTypeID('Lyr '), charIDToTypeID('Ordn'), charIDToTypeID('Trgt') );

        list9.putReference( ref9 );

        desc9.putList( charIDToTypeID('null'), list9 );

        executeAction( charIDToTypeID('Shw '), desc9, DialogModes.NO );

    if(app.activeDocument.activeLayer.visible == false) selectedLayers.shift();

        app.activeDocument.activeLayer.visible = vis;

      }

      return selectedLayers;

}

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

// Function: selectByIndex

// Description: Sets the activeLayer by AM itemIndex and returns DOM active layer

// Usage: var idx = makeActiveByIndex( 7 );

// Input: Number (single idx)

// Return: activeLayer

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

function selectByIndex( idx) {

        // avoid error when background layer idx is passed

        if ( idx == 0 ) return;

        // if an array is passed use only the first element

        if (idx.length != undefined){

            idx = idx[0];

            }

        // execute selection

        var desc = new ActionDescriptor();

        var ref = new ActionReference();

        ref.putIndex( charIDToTypeID( 'Lyr ' ), idx );

        desc.putReference( charIDToTypeID('null'), ref );

        executeAction( charIDToTypeID( 'slct' ), desc, DialogModes.NO );

        return app.activeDocument.activeLayer;

}

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

// Function: copySelectedAfter

// Description: duplicate selected layers to the position after the passed reference layer (_layerReff)

// Usage: copySelectedAfter(app.activeDocument.layers[0]);

// Input: reference layer

// Return: nothing/error

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

function copySelectedAfter(_layerReff){

    var selectedIDX = getSelectedLayersIdx();

    var numOfLayers = selectedIDX.length;

    var templayer;

    for(var i = 0; i < numOfLayers; i++){

        tempLayer = selectByIndex(selectedIDX);

        tempLayer.duplicate(_layerReff, ElementPlacement.PLACEAFTER);

        }

    }

// This would copy the selected layers below the top layer of the stack

//copySelectedAfter(app.activeDocument.layers[0]);

[Eggsandbakey]

You see, I have 100 - 400 layers in one doc, and I need to copy them several times in a specific order.
The reason I asked the question in the first place, is that copying all layers one by one in loop is taking hell lot of time.
But thanks for answer anyway, I appreciate your help.
P.S. I'll save your example though, might be useful in a future

[Patrick Deen]

You could temporarily wrap them in a layerset/group. I think these can be moved and duplicated like a single layer and then ungrouped in the new location.

[I have gone]

Have you tried Duplicate() ?

It will copy all selected layers in one go.

activeDocument.activeLayer.duplicate ( activeDocument.activeLayer, ElementPlacement.PLACEBEFORE);

[nvkzNemo]

Here's the code from AM

function copyAndMove(_x, _y) {
  var desc1 = new ActionDescriptor();
  var ref1 = new ActionReference();
  ref1.putEnumerated(charIDToTypeID('Lyr '), charIDToTypeID('Ordn'), charIDToTypeID('Trgt'));
  desc1.putReference(charIDToTypeID('null'), ref1);
  var desc2 = new ActionDescriptor();
  desc2.putUnitDouble(charIDToTypeID('Hrzn'), charIDToTypeID('#Pxl'), _x);
  desc2.putUnitDouble(charIDToTypeID('Vrtc'), charIDToTypeID('#Pxl'), _y);
  desc1.putObject(charIDToTypeID('T   '), charIDToTypeID('Ofst'), desc2);
  executeAction(charIDToTypeID('copy'), desc1, DialogModes.NO);
}

copyAndMove(200, 200);