Photoshop 2015 artboards in scripting

As a general tip, Install the Script Listener plugin (optional down-loadable plugin) to discover ExtendScript for any recordable action.

I'm including a sample script to do a bunch of things with Artboards. This shows how to create Artboards via a script in a few ways, and also how read existing artboard attributes.   This should help with the doc-wide "artboards" property (list of all artboard indeces, auto-expand enabled) as well as the layer-specific "artboards" property that holds the rectangle for the layer's artboard.

Caveat emptor, etc. I've only briefly tested this, so it's up to you to shake out any bugs in your own coding situations.

// =======================================================

// Copyright 2015.  Adobe Systems, Incorporated.  All rights reserved.

// Demonstrates basic scripting of artboards

// =======================================================

var classProperty = charIDToTypeID('Prpr');

var typeOrdinal = charIDToTypeID('Ordn');

var enumTarget = charIDToTypeID('Trgt');

var classDocument = charIDToTypeID('Dcmn');

var classLayer = charIDToTypeID('Lyr ');

var idnull = stringIDToTypeID( "null" );

// =======================================================

function DoAction(inActionName, inDescriptor) {

  return executeAction( stringIDToTypeID(inActionName), inDescriptor, DialogModes.NO );

  }

// =======================================================

function MakeDocTargetRef() {

  var ref12 = new ActionReference();

  ref12.putEnumerated( classDocument, typeOrdinal, enumTarget );

  return ref12;

  }

// =======================================================

function TargetLayers() {

  var ref12 = new ActionReference();

  ref12.putEnumerated( classLayer, typeOrdinal, enumTarget );

  return ref12;

  }

// =======================================================

function IndexedLayer(inIndex) {

  var ref12 = new ActionReference();

  ref12.putIndex( classLayer, inIndex );

  return ref12;

  }

// =======================================================

var idprevious= stringIDToTypeID( "previous" );

function PreviousLayer() {

  var ref12 = new ActionReference();

  ref12.putEnumerated( classLayer, idnull, idprevious );

  return ref12;

  }

// =======================================================

function Layer() {

  var ref12 = new ActionReference();

  ref12.putClass( classLayer );

  return ref12;

  }

// =======================================================

function IndexedLayers(inIndeces) {

  var ref12 = new ActionReference();

  for (var ll = 0; ll < inIndeces.length; ll++)

  {

  ref12.putIndex( classLayer, inIndeces[ll] );

  }

  return ref12;

  }

// =======================================================

function NamedLayer(inName) {

  var ref16 = new ActionReference();

  ref16.putName( classLayer,inName );

  return ref16;

  }

// =======================================================

function TargetLayerRef(inProp) {

  var theRef = new ActionReference();

  theRef.putProperty(classProperty, inProp);

  theRef.putEnumerated(classLayer, typeOrdinal, enumTarget);

  return theRef;

  }

// =======================================================

function IndexedLayerRef(inIndex,inProp) {

  var theRef = new ActionReference();

  theRef.putProperty(classProperty, inProp);

  theRef.putIndex(classLayer, inIndex+1); //putIndex uses 1-based index

  return theRef;

  }

// =======================================================

var idartboards = stringIDToTypeID( "artboards" );

var idorigin = stringIDToTypeID( "origin" );

var idlist = stringIDToTypeID( "list" );

var idtop = stringIDToTypeID( "top" );

var idbottom = stringIDToTypeID( "bottom" );

var idcanvasColor = stringIDToTypeID( "canvasColor" );

var idcanvasColorMode = stringIDToTypeID( "canvasColorMode" );

var idautoNestEnabled = stringIDToTypeID( "autoNestEnabled" );

var idautoExpandEnabled = stringIDToTypeID( "autoExpandEnabled" );

var idred = charIDToTypeID( 'Rd  ' );

var idgreen = charIDToTypeID( 'Grn ' );

var idblue = charIDToTypeID( 'Bl  ' );

var propArtboards = stringIDToTypeID("artboards");

var actionGet = charIDToTypeID( "getd" );

function TargetArtboardInfo() {

  var theRef = new ActionReference();

  theRef.putProperty(classProperty, propArtboards);

  theRef.putEnumerated(classDocument, typeOrdinal, enumTarget);

  var getDescriptor = new ActionDescriptor();

  getDescriptor.putReference(idnull,theRef);

  var abDesc = executeAction( actionGet, getDescriptor, DialogModes.NO ).getObjectValue(idartboards);

  var abOrigin = abDesc.getObjectValue(idorigin);

  var abCanvasColor = abDesc.getObjectValue(idcanvasColor);

  var abList = [];

  var abDescList = abDesc.getList( stringIDToTypeID( 'list' ));

  var abCount = abDescList.count;

  for(var cc=0;cc<abCount;++cc) {

  var abObj = abDescList.getObjectValue( cc );

  var abTopIndex = abObj.getInteger(idtop);

  var abBottomIndex = abObj.getInteger(idbottom);

  abList.push( {top:abTopIndex, bottom:abBottomIndex, rect:IndexedArtboardRect(abTopIndex), name:IndexedArtboardName(abTopIndex)});

  }

  return {origin:{x:abOrigin.getInteger(idhorizontal), y:abOrigin.getInteger(idvertical)},

  list:abList,

  autoExpandEnabled:abDesc.getBoolean(idautoExpandEnabled),

  autoNestEnabled:abDesc.getBoolean(idautoNestEnabled),

  canvasColorMode:typeIDToStringID(abDesc.getEnumerationValue(idcanvasColorMode)),

  canvasCustomColor:{red:abCanvasColor.getInteger(idred), green:abCanvasColor.getInteger(idgreen), blue:abCanvasColor.getInteger(idblue)}

  };

  }

// =======================================================

var idartboard = stringIDToTypeID( "artboard" );

var idartboardRect = stringIDToTypeID( "artboardRect" );

function RefArtboardRect(theRef) {

  var getDescriptor = new ActionDescriptor();

  getDescriptor.putReference(idnull,theRef);

  var artboardRect = executeAction( actionGet, getDescriptor, DialogModes.NO )

  .getObjectValue(idartboard).getObjectValue(idartboardRect);

  return {top: artboardRect.getInteger(idtop),

  left: artboardRect.getInteger(idleft),

  bottom: artboardRect.getInteger(idbottom),

  right: artboardRect.getInteger(idright)};

  }

// =======================================================

var propArtboardEnabled = stringIDToTypeID( "artboardEnabled" );

function TargetIsArtboard() {

  var getDescriptor = new ActionDescriptor();

  getDescriptor.putReference(idnull,TargetLayerRef(propArtboardEnabled));

  return executeAction( actionGet, getDescriptor, DialogModes.NO ).getBoolean(propArtboardEnabled);

}

// =======================================================

var propArtboard = stringIDToTypeID("artboard");

function TargetArtboardRect() {

  return RefArtboardRect(TargetLayerRef(propArtboard));

  }

// =======================================================

function IndexedArtboardRect(inIndex) {

  return RefArtboardRect(IndexedLayerRef(inIndex,propArtboard));

  }

// =======================================================

var propName = stringIDToTypeID( "name" );

function IndexedArtboardName(inIndex) {

  var getDescriptor = new ActionDescriptor();

  getDescriptor.putReference(idnull,IndexedLayerRef(inIndex,propName));

  return executeAction( actionGet, getDescriptor, DialogModes.NO ).getString(propName);

  }

// =======================================================

var propRulerOriginH = stringIDToTypeID( "rulerOriginH" );

var propRulerOriginV = stringIDToTypeID( "rulerOriginV" );

function TargetRulerOrigin() {

  var theRef = new ActionReference();

  theRef.putProperty(classProperty, propRulerOriginH);

  theRef.putProperty(classProperty, propRulerOriginV);

  theRef.putEnumerated(classDocument, typeOrdinal, enumTarget);

  var getDescriptor = new ActionDescriptor();

  getDescriptor.putReference(idnull,theRef);

  var rulerOrigin = executeAction( actionGet, getDescriptor, DialogModes.NO );

  return {x:rulerOrigin.getInteger(propRulerOriginH) / 65536,

  y:rulerOrigin.getInteger(propRulerOriginH) / 65536};

  }

// =======================================================

var idhorizontal = stringIDToTypeID( "horizontal" );

var idvertical = stringIDToTypeID( "vertical" );

var iddistanceUnit = stringIDToTypeID( "distanceUnit" );

function MakePoint(inX, inY) {

    var point = new ActionDescriptor();

    point.putUnitDouble( idhorizontal, idpixelsUnit, inX );

    point.putUnitDouble( idvertical, idpixelsUnit, inY );

    return point;

  }

// =======================================================

var idred = stringIDToTypeID( "red" );

var idgreen = stringIDToTypeID( "green" );

var idblue = stringIDToTypeID( "blue" );

function MakeRGBColor(inR, inG, inB) {

  var color = new ActionDescriptor();

  color.putDouble( idred, inR );

  color.putDouble( idgreen, inG );

  color.putDouble( idblue, inB );

  return color;

  }

// =======================================================

var idfill = stringIDToTypeID( "fill" );

var idtransparency = stringIDToTypeID( "transparency" );

var idname = stringIDToTypeID( "name" );

var idwidth = stringIDToTypeID( "width" );

var idheight = stringIDToTypeID( "height" );

var idRGBColorMode = stringIDToTypeID( "RGBColorMode" );

var idmode = stringIDToTypeID( "mode" );

var idresolution = stringIDToTypeID( "resolution" );

var iddepth = stringIDToTypeID( "depth" );

var idnew = stringIDToTypeID( "new" );

var iddocument = stringIDToTypeID( "document" );

function MakeDocument(inName, inWidth, inHeight) {

  var desc3 = new ActionDescriptor();

  var desc4 = new ActionDescriptor();

  desc4.putString( idname, inName );

  desc4.putEnumerated( idfill, idnull, idtransparency );

    desc4.putUnitDouble( idwidth, idpixelsUnit, inWidth );

    desc4.putUnitDouble( idheight, idpixelsUnit, inHeight );

    desc4.putUnitDouble( idresolution, idpixelsUnit, 72.0 );

    desc4.putInteger( iddepth, 8 );

    desc4.putClass( idmode, idRGBColorMode );

  desc3.putObject( idnew, iddocument, desc4 );

  DoAction( "make", desc3 );

  }

// =======================================================

var idcontentLayer = stringIDToTypeID( "contentLayer" );

var idRGBColor = stringIDToTypeID( "RGBColor" );

var idsolidColorLayer = stringIDToTypeID( "solidColorLayer" );

var idshape = stringIDToTypeID( "shape" );

var idtop = stringIDToTypeID( "top" );

var idleft = stringIDToTypeID( "left" );

var idright = stringIDToTypeID( "right" );

var idbottom = stringIDToTypeID( "bottom" );

var idrectangle = stringIDToTypeID( "rectangle" );

var idunitValueQuadVersion = stringIDToTypeID( "unitValueQuadVersion" );

var idpixelsUnit = stringIDToTypeID( "pixelsUnit" );

var idcolor = stringIDToTypeID( "color" );

var idtype = stringIDToTypeID( "type" );

var idusing = stringIDToTypeID( "using" );

function MakeRectangleShape(inTop,inLeft,inBottom,inRight) {

    var rect = new ActionDescriptor();

    rect.putInteger(idunitValueQuadVersion, 1)

    rect.putUnitDouble( idtop, idpixelsUnit, inTop );

    rect.putUnitDouble( idleft, idpixelsUnit, inLeft );

    rect.putUnitDouble( idbottom, idpixelsUnit, inBottom );

    rect.putUnitDouble( idright, idpixelsUnit, inRight );

    return rect;

  }

// =======================================================

function MakeRectangleLayerAt(inTop, inLeft, inBottom, inRight, inRGBColor) {

  var desc6 = new ActionDescriptor();

  var ref2 = new ActionReference();

  ref2.putClass( idcontentLayer );

  desc6.putReference( idnull, ref2 );

  var desc7 = new ActionDescriptor();

     var desc8 = new ActionDescriptor();

     desc8.putObject( idcolor, idRGBColor, inRGBColor  );

  desc7.putObject( idtype, idsolidColorLayer, desc8 );

  desc7.putObject( idshape, idrectangle, MakeRectangleShape(inTop,inLeft,inBottom,inRight) );

  desc6.putObject( idusing, idcontentLayer, desc7 );

  DoAction( "make", desc6 );

  }

// =======================================================

var idto = stringIDToTypeID( "to" );

var idoffset = stringIDToTypeID( "offset" );

function DuplicateLayerTo(inLayerRef, inOffset) {

  var desc63 = new ActionDescriptor();

  desc63.putReference( idnull, inLayerRef );

  desc63.putObject( idto, idoffset, inOffset );

  DoAction( "copyEvent", desc63 );

  }

// =======================================================

var idselectionModifier = stringIDToTypeID( "selectionModifier" );

var idselectionModifierType = stringIDToTypeID( "selectionModifierType" );

var idaddToSelectionContinuous = stringIDToTypeID( "addToSelectionContinuous" );

function AddToSelection(inLayerRef) {

  var desc74 = new ActionDescriptor();

  desc74.putReference( idnull, inLayerRef );

  desc74.putEnumerated( idselectionModifier, idselectionModifierType, idaddToSelectionContinuous );

  DoAction( "select", desc74 );

  }

// =======================================================

var classArtboardSection = stringIDToTypeID( "artboardSection" );

var idfrom = stringIDToTypeID( "from" );

function MakeArtboardFromSelection(inLayerRef) {

  var desc = new ActionDescriptor();

  var ref = new ActionReference();

  ref.putClass( classArtboardSection );

  desc.putReference( idnull, ref );

  desc.putReference( idfrom, inLayerRef );

  //desc.putString( idname, inName );

  DoAction( "make", desc  );

  }

// =======================================================

var classLayerSection = stringIDToTypeID( "layerSection" );

function MakeLayerGroup() {

    var desc = new ActionDescriptor();

    var ref = new ActionReference();

    ref.putClass( classLayerSection );

    desc.putReference( idnull, ref );

  DoAction( "make", desc  );

  }

// =======================================================

function RectToDesc(inRect) {

  var rect = new ActionDescriptor();

  rect.putDouble( idtop, inRect.top );

  rect.putDouble( idleft, inRect.left );

  rect.putDouble( idright, inRect.right );

  rect.putDouble( idbottom, inRect.bottom );

  return rect;

}

// =======================================================

var classFloatRect = stringIDToTypeID( "classFloatRect" );

function MakeArtboardFromLayerGroup(inLayerRef, inRect) {

  var desc = new ActionDescriptor();

  desc.putReference( idnull, inLayerRef );

  var abDesc = new ActionDescriptor();

  abDesc.putObject( idartboardRect, classFloatRect, RectToDesc(inRect) );

  desc.putObject( idartboard, idartboard, abDesc );

  DoAction( "artboardFromLayerGroupEvent", desc  );

  }

// =======================================================

function MakeArtboard(inLayerRef, inRect) {

  var ref = new ActionReference();

  ref.putClass( classArtboardSection );

    var desc = new ActionDescriptor();

    desc.putReference( idnull, ref );

    desc.putObject( idartboardRect, classFloatRect, RectToDesc(inRect) );

  DoAction( "make", desc  );

}

// =======================================================

function EditArtboard(inLayerRef, inRect) {

  var desc = new ActionDescriptor();

  desc.putReference( idnull, inLayerRef );

  var abDesc = new ActionDescriptor();

  abDesc.putObject( idartboardRect, classFloatRect, RectToDesc(inRect) );

  desc.putObject( idartboard, idartboard, abDesc );

  DoAction( "editArtboardEvent", desc  );

}

// =======================================================

function RectToString(inRect) {

  return "" + inRect.top + ","  + inRect.left + ","  + inRect.bottom + "," + inRect.right;

  }

// =======================================================

function PointToString(inPt) {

  return "" + inPt.x + ","  + inPt.y;

  }

// =======================================================

function RGBToString(inRGB) {

  return "" + inRGB.red + ","  + inRGB.green + ","  + inRGB.blue;

  }

// =======================================================

function ABListToString(inList) {

  var str = "";

  for (var aa = 0; aa < inList.length; ++aa) {

  str += "   top:" + inList[aa].top +

  ", bottom:" + inList[aa].bottom +

  ", rect:" + RectToString(inList[aa].rect) +

  ", name:" + inList[aa].name + "\n";

  }

  return str;

  }

// =======================================================

// Display artboard rectangle of selected artboard.

function DisplayTargetArtboard() {

  if (TargetIsArtboard()) {

  var artboardRect = TargetArtboardRect();

  alert("Artboard: " + RectToString(artboardRect) );

  }

}

// =======================================================

// Display info about all artboard/artboard properties of active document.

function DisplayTargetArtboards() {

  var abInfo = TargetArtboardInfo();

  var rulerOrigin = TargetRulerOrigin();

  alert("Artboards\n" +

   "Artboards:\n" + ABListToString(abInfo.list)  + "\n" +

   "Artboard Origin: " + PointToString(abInfo.origin) + "\n" +

   "Auto Expand Enabled: " + abInfo.autoExpandEnabled + "\n" +

   "Auto Nest Enabled: " + abInfo.autoNestEnabled + "\n" +

   "Canvas Mode: " + abInfo.canvasColorMode + "\n" +

   (abInfo.canvasColorMode == 'custom' ? ("Canvas Custom Color: " + RGBToString(abInfo.canvasCustomColor) + "\n") : "") +

   "Ruler Origin: " + PointToString(rulerOrigin)

  );

}

// =======================================================

var abSpaceX = 1000;

var abSpaceY = 1000;

var abRows = 1;

var abCols = 3;

var rectX = 500;

var rectY = 500;

var rectWidth = 500;

var rectHeight = 500;

var abWidth = 512;

var abHeight = 512;

var placedX = 750; //center pos

var placedY = 750; //center pos

var dupOffsetX = 50;

var dupOffsetY = 50;

var abOriginX = 0;

var abOriginY = 0;

var createArtboardDoc = true;

if (createArtboardDoc) {

  // new document.

  MakeDocument("Artboard Sample", 2048, 2048);

  // create some artboards

  for (var rr = 0; rr < abRows; rr++) {

  for (var cc = 0; cc < abCols; cc++) {

  var posX = cc*abSpaceX;

  var posY = rr*abSpaceY;

  var rectPosX =  rectX + posX;

  var rectPosY = rectY + posY;

  var centerX =   (activeDocument.width/2);

  var centerY = (activeDocument.height/2);

  var placedPosX =   (placedX + posX) - activeDocument.width/2;

  var placedPosY = (placedY + posY) - activeDocument.height/2;

  var rectColor = MakeRGBColor((rr*cc*255)/(abRows*abCols),(rr*255)/abRows,(cc*255)/abCols);

  //create two rectangle shape layers, and put them into a new artboard.

  MakeRectangleLayerAt(rectPosY, rectPosX, rectPosY + rectHeight, rectPosX + rectWidth, rectColor);

  DuplicateLayerTo(TargetLayers(), MakePoint(dupOffsetX, dupOffsetY));

  AddToSelection( PreviousLayer() );

  MakeArtboardFromSelection(TargetLayers());

  DisplayTargetArtboard();

  }

  }

  //create a normal layer group, then convert it into an artboard with specified rectangle

  MakeLayerGroup();

  MakeArtboardFromLayerGroup(TargetLayers(), {top:2048,left:2048,bottom:2148,right:2148});

  DisplayTargetArtboard();

  //create new artboard with specified rectangle

  MakeArtboard(TargetLayers(), {top:2048,left:2248,bottom:2148,right:2348});

  DisplayTargetArtboard();

  //change artboard rect of selection

  EditArtboard(TargetLayers(), {top:2048,left:2348,bottom:2148,right:2448});

  DisplayTargetArtboard();

}

//show doc-wide artboard info

DisplayTargetArtboards();