Script to merge top layer to each layer below

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
April 5, 2023
5 replies
3444 views

The Task is to have a codesnippet that i can inject in other scripts for Photoshop doing the following:

Merge the first Layer (also possible to have a fixed name e.g. "WATERMARK")

on each layer below (picture 1 to picture 100).
The names of the layers should still be the same as they where before merging.

can anyone help me with this?

i know that i can do an action for this and batchprocess this task, but i have a script running that only misses that one step before saving all the files with their correct name + adding width_x_height_px.

thanks in advance

This topic has been closed for replies.

c.pfaffenbichler

Community Expert

// merge copies of layer named "watermark" to all other layers;
// 2023, use it at your own risk;
if (app.documents.length > 0) {
// revert for testing;
    executeAction( stringIDToTypeID( "revert" ), undefined, DialogModes.NO );
    var theLayers = collectLayersAndLayerOfName("watermark");
    var theseLayers = theLayers[1];
// process layers;
    if (theLayers[0].length == 1) {
        for (var m = theseLayers.length - 1; m >= 0; m--) {
            if (isSmartObject(theseLayers[m][2]) == true) {
                rasterizeSmartObject(theseLayers[m][2]);
            };
            duplicateMoveLayerTo (theLayers[0][0][2], theseLayers[m][2]);
// merge;
            var desc2 = new ActionDescriptor();
            executeAction( stringIDToTypeID( "mergeLayersNew" ), desc2, DialogModes.NO );
        }
    } else {alert ("please do it properly")}
};
////////////////////////////////////
////// collect layers and layer with certain name //////
function collectLayersAndLayerOfName (waterMark) {
// get number of layers;
    var ref = new ActionReference();
    ref.putProperty(stringIDToTypeID('property'), stringIDToTypeID('numberOfLayers'));
    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;
    var theWaterMarks = 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 (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 isSmartObject = layerDesc.hasKey(stringIDToTypeID("smartObject"));
// check name;
    if (theName == waterMark) {theWaterMarks.push([theName, theIndex, theID, isSmartObject])}
    else {theLayers.push([theName, theIndex, theID, isSmartObject])};
    };
    }
    catch (e) {};
    }
    return [theWaterMarks, theLayers]
    };
////// based on code by mike hale and paul riggott //////
function selectLayerByID(theID,add){ 
    add = undefined ? add = false:add 
    var ref = new ActionReference();
        ref.putIdentifier(charIDToTypeID("Lyr "), theID);
        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); 
    }
    };
////// move active layer in front of other layer in layer stack //////
function duplicateMoveLayerTo (thisLayerId, targetId) {
       selectLayerByID(thisLayerId, false);
    var idlayer = stringIDToTypeID( "layer" );
        var desc58 = new ActionDescriptor();
            var ref19 = new ActionReference();
            ref19.putEnumerated( idlayer, stringIDToTypeID( "ordinal" ), stringIDToTypeID( "targetEnum" ) );
        desc58.putReference( stringIDToTypeID( "null" ), ref19 );
            var ref20 = new ActionReference();
            ref20.putIndex( idlayer, getLayerIndex(targetId)+1 );
        desc58.putReference( stringIDToTypeID( "to" ), ref20 );
        desc58.putBoolean( stringIDToTypeID( "adjustment" ), false );
        desc58.putInteger( stringIDToTypeID( "version" ), 5 );
            var list11 = new ActionList();
            list11.putInteger(thisLayerId);
        desc58.putList( stringIDToTypeID( "layerID" ), list11 );
        desc58.putBoolean( stringIDToTypeID( "duplicate" ), true );
    executeAction( stringIDToTypeID( "move" ), desc58, DialogModes.NO );
    };
////// by mike hale, via paul riggott //////
function getLayerIndex(theId){
    var ref = new ActionReference(); 
    ref.putProperty(stringIDToTypeID('property'), stringIDToTypeID('itemIndex'));
    ref.putIdentifier(charIDToTypeID("Lyr "), theId); 
    d = executeActionGet(ref);
    return (d.getInteger(stringIDToTypeID('itemIndex'))-1); 
    }; 
////// is smart object //////
function isSmartObject (theId) {
    var ref = new ActionReference();
    ref.putProperty (stringIDToTypeID ("property"), stringIDToTypeID ("smartObject"));
    ref.putIdentifier( charIDToTypeID("Lyr "), theId );
    var layerDesc = executeActionGet(ref);
    var isSmartObject = layerDesc.hasKey(stringIDToTypeID("smartObject"));
    return isSmartObject
};
////// rasterize the so //////
function rasterizeSmartObject (aLayer) {
selectLayerByID(aLayer, false);
// rasterize the so;
try {
var desc125 = new ActionDescriptor(); 
var ref83 = new ActionReference(); 
ref83.putEnumerated( charIDToTypeID( "Mn  " ), charIDToTypeID( "MnIt" ), stringIDToTypeID( "rasterizePlaced" ) );
desc125.putReference( charIDToTypeID( "null" ), ref83 ); 
executeAction( charIDToTypeID( "slct" ), desc125, DialogModes.NO );
return app.activeDocument.activeLayer
} catch (e) {alert (e)}
};

D

defaultzgaeia0p3indAuthor

Participating Frequently

your script does the action 1 time - deletes all the other layers - and then tells me to do it properly 🙂 ,
i have a layer called watermark (all smallcaps) - what am i missing? do the layers need to have a specific name? or do they need to be in a "Group1" Folder? Thanks for your time btw..i really aprecciate it!.

Stephen Marsh

Community Expert

@defaultzgaeia0p3ind

Try this script, it works with groups and smart objects (which are merged) and offers a single history step. The WATERMARK layer is removed, however, it can be easily retained if you prefer to keep it.

/*
Apply Watermark Layer to All Layers.jsx
v1.0 - 5th April 2023, Stephen Marsh
https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/script-to-merge-top-layer-to-each-layer-below/td-p/13704761
*/

#target photoshop

function main() {
    if (!documents.length) {
        alert('There are no documents open!');
    
    } else {
        //activeDocument.activeLayer = activeDocument.layers["WATERMARK"];
        selectWatermarkLayer("WATERMARK");
        activeDocument.selection.selectAll();
        activeDocument.selection.copy();
        activeDocument.selection.deselect();
        activeDocument.activeLayer.remove();
        processAllLayersAndSets(app.activeDocument);
    }

    function processAllLayersAndSets(obj) {
        // Process Layers 
        for (var i = obj.artLayers.length - 1; 0 <= i; i--) {
            app.activeDocument.activeLayer = obj.artLayers[i];
            applyWatermarkLayer();
        }
        // Process Layer Set Layers 
        for (var i = obj.layerSets.length - 1; 0 <= i; i--) {
            processAllLayersAndSets(obj.layerSets[i]);
        }
    }

    function applyWatermarkLayer() {
        activeDocument.paste();
        selectActAndPrevLayers();
        groupFromLayers();
        var theName = activeDocument.activeLayer.layers[activeDocument.activeLayer.layers.length - 1].name;
        activeDocument.activeLayer.name = theName;
        activeDocument.activeLayer.merge();
    }

    app.purge(PurgeTarget.CLIPBOARDCACHE);
}

activeDocument.suspendHistory('Apply Watermark Layer to All Layers...', 'main()');


///// FUNCTIONS /////

function selectActAndPrevLayers() {
	function s2t(s) {
        return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
    }
	var descriptor = new ActionDescriptor();
	var list = new ActionList();
	var reference = new ActionReference();
	reference.putEnumerated( s2t( "layer" ), s2t( "ordinal" ), s2t( "backwardEnum" ));
	descriptor.putReference( s2t( "null" ), reference );
	descriptor.putEnumerated( s2t( "selectionModifier" ), s2t( "selectionModifierType" ), s2t( "addToSelection" ));
	descriptor.putBoolean( s2t( "makeVisible" ), false );
	descriptor.putList( s2t( "layerID" ), list );
	executeAction( s2t( "select" ), descriptor, DialogModes.NO );
}

function groupFromLayers() {
	function s2t(s) {
		return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
	}
	var descriptor = new ActionDescriptor();
	var descriptor2 = new ActionDescriptor();
	var reference = new ActionReference();
	var reference2 = new ActionReference();
	reference.putClass( s2t( "layerSection" ));
	descriptor.putReference( s2t( "null" ), reference );
	reference2.putEnumerated( s2t( "layer" ), s2t( "ordinal" ), s2t( "targetEnum" ));
	descriptor.putReference( s2t( "from" ), reference2 );
	descriptor2.putString( s2t( "name" ), "Temp" );
	descriptor.putObject( s2t( "using" ), s2t( "layerSection" ), descriptor2 );
	descriptor.putString( s2t( "name" ), "Temp" );
	executeAction( s2t( "make" ), descriptor, DialogModes.NO );
}

function selectWatermarkLayer(theLayerName) {
    // Works even if no layers are currently selected!
	function s2t(s) {
		return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
	}
	var descriptor = new ActionDescriptor();
	var list = new ActionList();
	var reference = new ActionReference();
	reference.putName( s2t( "layer" ), theLayerName );
	descriptor.putReference( s2t( "null" ), reference );
	descriptor.putBoolean( s2t( "makeVisible" ), false );
	list.putInteger( 15 );
	descriptor.putList( s2t( "layerID" ), list );
	executeAction( s2t( "select" ), descriptor, DialogModes.NO );
}

Copy the code text to the clipboard
Open a new blank file in a plain-text editor (not in a word processor)
Paste the code in
Save as a plain text format file – .txt
Rename the saved file extension from .txt to .jsx
Install or browse to the .jsx file to run (see below)

https://prepression.blogspot.com/2017/11/downloading-and-installing-adobe-scripts.html#Photoshop

D

defaultzgaeia0p3indAuthor

Participating Frequently

Your Script works like a charm.. in the meantime i tried to get CHATGPT to do something similar.. but it produced errors .. yours works on the first try and does exactly what i wanted.. want to try @c.pfaffenbichler Version now. 🙂 thank so much for your time and effort

c.pfaffenbichler

Community Expert

in the meantime i tried to get CHATGPT to do something similar..

I consider this approach not sensible at current.

Stephen Marsh

Community Expert

@defaultzgaeia0p3ind - I'd suggest cropped screenshots of the layers panel, before and after... And or a sample PSD layered file to clearly illustrate your post.

Edit: are your layers inside one or more groups/artboards/frames?