need script to export all layer names into an excel sheet or text file.

[maninthebox390]

are there any scripts to export layer names into an excel sheet or a text file?

[natrev]

Hi maninthebox390,

Try this Code..... and Big Thanks to c.pfaffenbichler.

-yajiv

#target photoshop

var theLayers = collectLayers(app.activeDocument, []);

////// function collect all layers //////

function collectLayers (theParent, allLayers) {

      if (!allLayers) {var allLayers = new Array}

      else {};

        var theNumber = theParent.layers.length - 1;

      for (var m = theNumber; m >= 0;m--) {

          var theLayer = theParent.layers;

        // apply the function to layersets;

          if (theLayer.typename == "ArtLayer") {

          OutFoldCSV("~/Desktop",theLayer.name);

          }

          else {

          allLayers = (collectLayers(theLayer, allLayers))

        // this line includes the layer groups;

          OutFoldCSV("~/Desktop/Layer_Data",theLayer.name);

          }

      };

      //return allLayers

  };

     function OutFoldCSV(App_Path,Layer_name){

        var outfolder = new Folder(App_Path)

            if (outfolder.exists == false){

                outfolder.create();

                var myLogFile = new File(outfolder + "/LayerRef.xls");

                myLogFile.open("a", undefined, undefined)

                myLogFile.write(Layer_name);

                myLogFile.write("\n");

            }

            else{

                var myLogFile = new File(outfolder + "/LayerRef.xls");

                myLogFile.open("a", undefined, undefined)

                myLogFile.write(Layer_name);                

                myLogFile.write("\n");

            }

    }

[ojodegato]

This is a useful working script. I would like to customize the script by adding the file name to the list of layers in the xml file. Can someone provide guidance to achieve this result.

[JJMack]

Photoshop is not a file editor and new documents have no associated files till you save one.  Do you want the full file path and name and extension?

[ojodegato]

Just the file name and extension in the xml document if possible.

[JJMack]

Adding the before the first if may work.  Id the document is nor saved it will just add the document mane without any extension

OutFoldCSV("~/Desktop",app.activeDocument.name);

[ojodegato]

OutFoldCSV("~/Desktop",app.activeDocument.name);  replaces the layers names in the xls with the document name.

When placed before the first if statement it prints the document name before each layer name in the xls.

[JJMack]

Before the first if...

#target photoshop

var theLayers = collectLayers(app.activeDocument, []);

////// function collect all layers //////

function collectLayers (theParent, allLayers) {

      OutFoldCSV("~/Desktop",app.activeDocument.name); //<---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      if (!allLayers) {var allLayers = new Array}

      else {};

        var theNumber = theParent.layers.length - 1;

      for (var m = theNumber; m >= 0;m--) {

          var theLayer = theParent.layers;

        // apply the function to layersets;

          if (theLayer.typename == "ArtLayer") {

          OutFoldCSV("~/Desktop",theLayer.name);

          }

          else {

          allLayers = (collectLayers(theLayer, allLayers))

        // this line includes the layer groups;

          OutFoldCSV("~/Desktop/Layer_Data",theLayer.name);

          }

      };

      //return allLayers

  };

     function OutFoldCSV(App_Path,Layer_name){

        var outfolder = new Folder(App_Path)

            if (outfolder.exists == false){

                outfolder.create();

                var myLogFile = new File(outfolder + "/LayerRef.xls");

                myLogFile.open("a", undefined, undefined)

                myLogFile.write(Layer_name);

                myLogFile.write("\n");

            }

            else{

                var myLogFile = new File(outfolder + "/LayerRef.xls");

                myLogFile.open("a", undefined, undefined)

                myLogFile.write(Layer_name);               

                myLogFile.write("\n");

            }

    }

[ojodegato]

Placing the function call  OutFoldCSV("~/Desktop",app.activeDocument.name); before the first if statement prints the document name in the xls. However if the document has layer groups it prints the document name  folder name. Is there a way to by pass the layer groups?

[JJMack]

I did not see that the function collectLayers was being used recursively. The statement I added needs to be outside that function.

#target photoshop

OutFoldCSV("~/Desktop",app.activeDocument.name);

var theLayers = collectLayers(app.activeDocument, []);

////// function collect all layers //////

function collectLayers (theParent, allLayers) {

      if (!allLayers) {var allLayers = new Array}

      else {};

        var theNumber = theParent.layers.length - 1;

      for (var m = theNumber; m >= 0;m--) {

          var theLayer = theParent.layers;

        // apply the function to layersets;

          if (theLayer.typename == "ArtLayer") {

          OutFoldCSV("~/Desktop",theLayer.name);

          }

          else {

          allLayers = (collectLayers(theLayer, allLayers))

        // this line includes the layer groups;

          OutFoldCSV("~/Desktop/Layer_Data",theLayer.name);

          }

      };

      //return allLayers

  };

     function OutFoldCSV(App_Path,Layer_name){

        var outfolder = new Folder(App_Path)

            if (outfolder.exists == false){

                outfolder.create();

                var myLogFile = new File(outfolder + "/LayerRef.xls");

                myLogFile.open("a", undefined, undefined)

                myLogFile.write(Layer_name);

                myLogFile.write("\n");

            }

            else{

                var myLogFile = new File(outfolder + "/LayerRef.xls");

                myLogFile.open("a", undefined, undefined)

                myLogFile.write(Layer_name);               

                myLogFile.write("\n");

            }

    }

[ojodegato]

Yes, this works great. I modified the docPath to save the Layer_Data directory and LayerRef.xls file in the same directory as the source files which the script process.

The final issue to consider is adding the file name to the Layer_Data/LayeRef.xls which lists the layer groups from the source file.

Below is the script with the docPath modifications.

Thanks for your help!

#target photoshop

var thedoc = app.activeDocument;

var docPath = thedoc.path;

OutFoldCSV(docPath,app.activeDocument.name);

var theLayers = collectLayers(app.activeDocument, []);

////// function collect all layers //////

function collectLayers (theParent, allLayers) {

      if (!allLayers) {var allLayers = new Array}

      else {};

        var theNumber = theParent.layers.length - 1;

      for (var m = theNumber; m >= 0;m--) {

          var theLayer = theParent.layers;

          // apply the function to layersets;

          if (theLayer.typename == "ArtLayer") {

          OutFoldCSV(docPath,theLayer.name);

          }

          else {

          allLayers = (collectLayers(theLayer, allLayers))

          // this line includes the layer groups;

          OutFoldCSV (docPath+"/Layer_Data",theLayer.name)

          }

      };

      //return allLayers

  };

function OutFoldCSV(App_Path,Layer_name){

  var outfolder = new Folder(App_Path)

      if (outfolder.exists == false){

          outfolder.create();

          var myLogFile = new File(outfolder + "/LayerRef.xls");

          myLogFile.open("a", undefined, undefined)

          myLogFile.write(Layer_name);

          myLogFile.write("\n");

      }

      else{

          var myLogFile = new File(outfolder + "/LayerRef.xls");

          myLogFile.open("a", undefined, undefined)

          myLogFile.write(Layer_name);               

          myLogFile.write("\n");

      }

  };

// source: https://forums.adobe.com/message/8100899#8100899

[darrellpones]

Hi Guys, should this still work? I am getting an error message

Error 1302: No such element

Line :13

-> var thenumber = the Parent.layers.length - 1;

Do I take this from the web and save as a 'js' file and run through photoshop?

[darrellpones]

getting the same error

[Sangsiv]

Hi, does this work for Illustrator too? thanks

[Gary Vey]

I just tried this in illustrator and it works ... kind of ...

For some reason, the script only outputs the first (top) layer and second (nested) layer. I'm not too good at javascript so I don't really know how to get it to output all layers and sub layers.

[Scott_EncoreMedia]

I have a project I am working on that has almost 1400 layers and I need help with a script that will export the layer names to a text file (preferably) or an .xls file.

I tried the code in this link but it doesn't work... may just need some mods. (It was something I found on the web from 2015).  

Can anyone help me with this?

need script to export all layer names into an excel sheet or text file.

Thanks in advance!

Scott

[Kukurykus]

It's better to ask same question in that topic instead of 'duplicating' existing one.

[Scott_EncoreMedia]

Thanks for the reprimand but still doesn't help.  Total novice at this, just trying to get friendly help!

Sorry if I duplicated a question...

[Kukurykus]

Unfortunately it's my ACP role to say it when there's need 😉

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

Hard for me to script... Easy for me to write a single line of code for ExifTool:

exiftool -csv -ext .psd -LayerNames 'Mac OS Path to PSD/Input Folder' > 'Mac OS Path to/output file.csv'

(Note: Win OS uses straight double quotes around file paths that contain spaces) 

[Scott_EncoreMedia]

Thanks!  Will give this a try and assuming it works on PC versionas well.  Much appreciated!

Worked great!  Thanks again for the help!

Best-

S

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

Great, thanks for the thanks! Depending on end-use, further text/string manipulation may be required.

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

Since this post, I have managed to write a script to both copy to the clipboard and also to save a csv of top-level layers names.

// Layer Names to CSV and Clipboard CR List.jsx
// Stephen Marsh, 2021
// Useful for creating a layer visibility data set for Data Driven Graphics / Variables

// Loop over top level layers and layer sets
var lyrCount = app.activeDocument.layers.length;
var lyrArray = [];
for (var i = 0; i < lyrCount; i++) {
    lyrArray[i] = app.activeDocument.layers[i].name;
}

// Layers to list and CSV
var list = lyrArray.toString().replace(/,/g, '\r');
var csv = lyrArray;

// Copy layer list to clipboard
var d = new ActionDescriptor();
d.putString(stringIDToTypeID('textData'), list);
executeAction(stringIDToTypeID('textToClipboard'), d, DialogModes.NO);

// Create a text file of the layer list
var textFile = new File('~/Desktop' + '/' + 'layerList.csv');
// r for read mode - w for write mode - a for append - e for edit
textFile.open('w');
textFile.encoding = 'UTF-8';
textFile.write(csv);
textFile.close();

// End of script notifications
app.beep();
alert('Top level layer list copied to clipboard and saved to .csv on desktop');

[Lumigraphics]

Here is an alternate way to get data to the Clipboard in Photoshop (this demo copies the filename)

#target photoshop

copyFilename();

function copyFilename(){
    try{
        if(documents.length > 0){
            var originalDialogMode = app.displayDialogs;
            app.displayDialogs = DialogModes.ERROR;
            var docRef = activeDocument;
            app.displayDialogs = originalDialogMode;
            }
        var cmd;
        var isWindows;
        isWindows = $.os.indexOf('Windows') != -1;
        if(isWindows){
            cmd = 'cmd.exe /c cmd.exe /c "echo ' + docRef.name + '| clip"';
            }
        else{
            cmd = 'echo ' + docRef.name + ' | pbcopy';
            }
        app.system(cmd);
        }
    catch(e){
        alert(e + e.line);
        }
    }

[Jakub25857702e4sw]

This one is perfect, but how to get all layers in a row like in first script? Now everything is in one column? 😄
I see you are a magician in scripting!
So maybe you know if it is possible in technical way to create script which create variables from visible layers names? Right now I must select each and type with finger variable for each layer.
I try to create easy system > export layer names to csv > translate via sheets > import via variables > done
But PS is very limited this matter