scripting a rectangle

[Guest]

Hello.

   Bascially I want to create a new layer in a document similar to what I would have when I create / add a rectangle manually.  Does anyone have a simple example they can share with this functionality ?  I can get close by making a selction on the background layer -- then adding a layer and filling it with color but its not exaclty the same as when I add a shape manually in PS

Cheers

Eric

[Michael_L_Hale]

If you are talking about creating a shape layer or solid-fill layer here is an example.

// create a document reference to work with
var doc = app.activeDocument;
//define the path
var lineArray = new Array();
lineArray[0] = new PathPointInfo;
lineArray[0].kind = PointKind.CORNERPOINT;
lineArray[0].anchor = Array(100, 100);//top left
lineArray[0].leftDirection = lineArray[0].anchor;
lineArray[0].rightDirection = lineArray[0].anchor;
lineArray[1] = new PathPointInfo;
lineArray[1].kind = PointKind.CORNERPOINT;
lineArray[1].anchor = Array(200, 100);//top right
lineArray[1].leftDirection = lineArray[1].anchor;
lineArray[1].rightDirection = lineArray[1].anchor;
lineArray[2] = new PathPointInfo;
lineArray[2].kind = PointKind.CORNERPOINT;
lineArray[2].anchor = Array(200, 900);//bottom right
lineArray[2].leftDirection = lineArray[2].anchor;
lineArray[2].rightDirection = lineArray[2].anchor;
lineArray[3] = new PathPointInfo;
lineArray[3].kind = PointKind.CORNERPOINT;
lineArray[3].anchor = Array(100, 900);//bottom left
lineArray[3].leftDirection = lineArray[3].anchor;
lineArray[3].rightDirection = lineArray[3].anchor;
var lineSubPathArray = new Array();
lineSubPathArray[0] = new SubPathInfo();
lineSubPathArray[0].operation = ShapeOperation.SHAPEADD;
lineSubPathArray[0].closed = true;
lineSubPathArray[0].entireSubPath = lineArray;
// now make the path
var myPathItem = doc.pathItems.add("myPath", lineSubPathArray);
// make the layer using scriptlistner
//because is seems the guide is wrong you can only set 
//the layerkind to text or normal
//if the path is active as it is now, photoshop uses it as a mask
    var desc88 = new ActionDescriptor();
        var ref60 = new ActionReference();
        ref60.putClass( stringIDToTypeID( "contentLayer" ) );
    desc88.putReference( charIDToTypeID( "null" ), ref60 );
        var desc89 = new ActionDescriptor();
            var desc90 = new ActionDescriptor();
                var desc91 = new ActionDescriptor();
                desc91.putDouble( charIDToTypeID( "Rd  " ), 239.000000 );//change these to change color
                desc91.putDouble( charIDToTypeID( "Grn " ), 12.000000 );
                desc91.putDouble( charIDToTypeID( "Bl  " ), 12.000000 );
            var id481 = charIDToTypeID( "RGBC" );
            desc90.putObject( charIDToTypeID( "Clr " ), id481, desc91 );
        desc89.putObject( charIDToTypeID( "Type" ), stringIDToTypeID( "solidColorLayer" ), desc90 );
    desc88.putObject( charIDToTypeID( "Usng" ), stringIDToTypeID( "contentLayer" ), desc89 );
executeAction( charIDToTypeID( "Mk  " ), desc88, DialogModes.NO );
//remove the path
myPathItem.remove();

[Guest]

michael,

     Thanks -- surprised that you need to resort to the scriptlistener.  I guesss this challenges a fundamental  assumption of mine -- which is that you can (or should) be able to recreate all work in PS via the scripting interface

Cheers

Eric

[Michael_L_Hale]

It would be nice if scriptlistner wasn't needed, but as the comments in my example state you need scriptlistner to create most layer types except normal and text