Programmatically convert shape layer to masked color fill layer

Question

I'm looking for a scripting or actions wizard—

I have an illustration workflow that involves making a drawing in Illustrator and then pasting into Photoshop as many different shape layers. Then I convert these shape layers into masked color fill layers. The whole point of this workflow is being able to use Photoshop filters on the masks to rough up the edges of the shape. This workflow works great for me.

BUT the process of manually converting each shape layer into a masked color fill layer is a little tedious. What's tricky is that the color fill layer needs to retain the color of the shape layer.

I can use shortcuts and actions to speed this up a little, but it quickly gets unwieldy if I have more than a few dozen layers.

Surely there's some way to automate this?

Here's a screencapture of me doing it manually:

c.pfaffenbichler · Accepted Answer

Not elegant, but I wonder whether existing Layer Masks may merit consideration.

Edited: updated to the code to exclude Shape Layers with Strokes

// change shape layer vector masks to layer masks;
// 2024, use it at your own risk;
if (app.documents.length > 0) {
var theLayers = collectShapeLayers();
var originalRulerUnits = app.preferences.rulerUnits;
app.preferences.rulerUnits = Units.PIXELS;
// process layers;
for (var m = 0; m < theLayers.length; m++) {
// if layer has no stroke;
if (theLayers[m][3] == false) {
selectLayerByID(theLayers[m][1], false);
// load as selection, apply as mask and delete vector mask;
var idchannel = stringIDToTypeID( "channel" );
var idpath = stringIDToTypeID( "path" );
var idnull = stringIDToTypeID( "null" );
var idvectorMask = stringIDToTypeID( "vectorMask" );
// =======================================================
    var desc5 = new ActionDescriptor();
        var ref1 = new ActionReference();
        ref1.putProperty( idchannel, stringIDToTypeID( "selection" ) );
    desc5.putReference( idnull, ref1 );
        var ref2 = new ActionReference();
        ref2.putEnumerated( idpath, idpath, idvectorMask );
        ref2.putEnumerated( stringIDToTypeID( "layer" ), stringIDToTypeID( "ordinal" ), stringIDToTypeID( "targetEnum" ) );
    desc5.putReference( stringIDToTypeID( "to" ), ref2 );
    desc5.putInteger( stringIDToTypeID( "version" ), 1 );
    desc5.putBoolean( stringIDToTypeID( "vectorMaskParams" ), true );
executeAction( stringIDToTypeID( "set" ), desc5, DialogModes.NO );
if (theLayers[m][2] == false) {
    var desc7 = new ActionDescriptor();
    desc7.putClass( stringIDToTypeID( "new" ), idchannel );
        var ref3 = new ActionReference();
        var idmask = stringIDToTypeID( "mask" );
        ref3.putEnumerated( idchannel, idchannel, idmask );
    desc7.putReference( stringIDToTypeID( "at" ), ref3 );
    desc7.putEnumerated( stringIDToTypeID( "using" ), stringIDToTypeID( "userMaskEnabled" ), stringIDToTypeID( "revealSelection" ) );
executeAction( stringIDToTypeID( "make" ), desc7, DialogModes.NO );
} else {
    var desc10 = new ActionDescriptor();
        var ref6 = new ActionReference();
        ref6.putEnumerated( idchannel, idchannel, stringIDToTypeID( "mask" ) );
    desc10.putReference( stringIDToTypeID( "null" ), ref6 );
    var idmakeVisible = stringIDToTypeID( "makeVisible" );
    desc10.putBoolean( idmakeVisible, false );
executeAction( stringIDToTypeID( "select" ), desc10, DialogModes.NO );
// =======================================================
executeAction( stringIDToTypeID( "inverse" ), undefined, DialogModes.NO );
// =======================================================
    var desc18 = new ActionDescriptor();
        var ref8 = new ActionReference();
        ref8.putProperty( stringIDToTypeID( "color" ), stringIDToTypeID( "colors" ) );
    desc18.putReference( stringIDToTypeID( "null" ), ref8 );
executeAction( stringIDToTypeID( "reset" ), desc18, DialogModes.NO );
// =======================================================
    var desc5 = new ActionDescriptor();
        var ref2 = new ActionReference();
        ref2.putProperty( stringIDToTypeID( "color" ), stringIDToTypeID( "colors" ) );
    desc5.putReference( stringIDToTypeID( "null" ), ref2 );
executeAction( stringIDToTypeID( "exchange" ), desc5, DialogModes.NO );
// =======================================================
    var desc13 = new ActionDescriptor();
    desc13.putEnumerated( stringIDToTypeID( "using" ), stringIDToTypeID( "fillContents" ), stringIDToTypeID( "foregroundColor" ) );
    desc13.putUnitDouble( stringIDToTypeID( "opacity" ),stringIDToTypeID( "percentUnit" ), 100.000000 );
    desc13.putEnumerated( stringIDToTypeID( "mode" ), stringIDToTypeID( "blendMode" ), stringIDToTypeID( "normal" ) );
executeAction( stringIDToTypeID( "fill" ), desc13, DialogModes.NO );
};
// =======================================================
    var desc9 = new ActionDescriptor();
        var ref4 = new ActionReference();
        ref4.putEnumerated( idpath, idpath, idvectorMask );
        ref4.putEnumerated( stringIDToTypeID( "layer" ), stringIDToTypeID( "ordinal" ), stringIDToTypeID( "targetEnum" ) );
    desc9.putReference( idnull, ref4 );
executeAction( stringIDToTypeID( "delete" ), desc9, DialogModes.NO );
};
};
// reset;
app.preferences.rulerUnits = originalRulerUnits;
};
////////////////////////////////////
////// collect shape layers //////
function collectShapeLayers () {
// get number of layers;
var ref = new ActionReference();
ref.putEnumerated( charIDToTypeID("Dcmn"), charIDToTypeID("Ordn"), charIDToTypeID("Trgt") ); 
var applicationDesc = executeActionGet(ref);
var theNumber = applicationDesc.getInteger(stringIDToTypeID("numberOfLayers"));
// process the layers;
var theLayers = new Array;
for (var m = 0; m <= theNumber; m++) {
try {
var ref = new ActionReference();
ref.putIndex( charIDToTypeID( "Lyr " ), m);
var layerDesc = executeActionGet(ref);
var layerSet = typeIDToStringID(layerDesc.getEnumerationValue(stringIDToTypeID("layerSection")));
var isBackground = layerDesc.getBoolean(stringIDToTypeID("background"));
// if not layer group collect values;
if (layerSet != "layerSectionEnd" && layerSet != "layerSectionStart" && isBackground != true) {
var theName = layerDesc.getString(stringIDToTypeID('name'));
var theID = layerDesc.getInteger(stringIDToTypeID('layerID'));
var theIndex = layerDesc.getInteger(stringIDToTypeID('itemIndex'));
var theKind = layerDesc.getInteger(stringIDToTypeID('layerKind'));
var hasLayerMask = layerDesc.hasKey(charIDToTypeID("Usrs"));
var hasStroke = layerDesc.hasKey(stringIDToTypeID("AGMStrokeStyleInfo"));
if (hasStroke == true) {hasStroke = layerDesc.getObjectValue(stringIDToTypeID("AGMStrokeStyleInfo")).getBoolean(stringIDToTypeID("strokeEnabled"))};
if (theKind == 4) {
theLayers.push([theName, theID, hasLayerMask, hasStroke])
}
};
}
catch (e) {};
};
return theLayers;
};
////// based on code by mike hale, via paul riggott //////
function selectLayerByID(id,add){ 
add = undefined ? add = false:add 
var ref = new ActionReference();
ref.putIdentifier(charIDToTypeID("Lyr "), id);
var desc = new ActionDescriptor();
desc.putReference(charIDToTypeID("null"), ref );
if(add) desc.putEnumerated( stringIDToTypeID( "selectionModifier" ), stringIDToTypeID( "selectionModifierType" ), stringIDToTypeID( "addToSelection" ) ); 
desc.putBoolean( charIDToTypeID( "MkVs" ), false ); 
try{
executeAction(charIDToTypeID("slct"), desc, DialogModes.NO );
}catch(e){
alert(e.message); 
}
};

r-bin · Answer

Logically, you want to convert the vector mask to a regular one. Try this script for the active shape layer.

try {

// vector masrk to selection (antialias, feather 0)

var d = new ActionDescriptor();  
var r = new ActionReference();  
r.putProperty(stringIDToTypeID("channel"), stringIDToTypeID("selection"));  
d.putReference(stringIDToTypeID("null"), r);  
var r1 = new ActionReference();  
r1.putEnumerated(stringIDToTypeID("path"), stringIDToTypeID("path"), stringIDToTypeID("vectorMask"));
r1.putEnumerated(stringIDToTypeID("layer"), stringIDToTypeID("ordinal"), stringIDToTypeID("targetEnum"));
d.putReference(stringIDToTypeID("to"), r1);  
d.putBoolean(stringIDToTypeID("antiAlias"), true);  
d.putUnitDouble(stringIDToTypeID("feather"), stringIDToTypeID("pixelsUnit"), 0);  
executeAction(stringIDToTypeID("set"), d, DialogModes.NO);  


// create pixel mask from selection 

var d = new ActionDescriptor();
d.putClass(stringIDToTypeID("new"), stringIDToTypeID("channel"));
var r = new ActionReference();
r.putEnumerated(stringIDToTypeID("channel"), stringIDToTypeID("channel"), stringIDToTypeID("mask"));
d.putReference(stringIDToTypeID("at"), r);
d.putEnumerated(stringIDToTypeID("using"), stringIDToTypeID("userMaskOptions"), stringIDToTypeID("revealSelection"));
executeAction(stringIDToTypeID("make"), d, DialogModes.NO);


// delete current vector mask

var d = new ActionDescriptor();
var r = new ActionReference();
r.putEnumerated(stringIDToTypeID("path"), stringIDToTypeID("path"), stringIDToTypeID("vectorMask"));
r.putEnumerated(stringIDToTypeID("layer"), stringIDToTypeID("ordinal"), stringIDToTypeID("targetEnum"));
d.putReference(stringIDToTypeID("null"), r);
executeAction(stringIDToTypeID("delete"), d, DialogModes.NO);


} catch (e) { alert(e.line+ "\n\n" +e); }

" +e); }

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