Show only layer inside Layer type mode

Report · Jul 14, 2025

Hey,

I have a project with multiple text layers.

So Photoshop allows to show only by Layer's type (text.. adjustment layer..) from the Layer panel.

But when I want to show only one layer of the selected type (ALT+ click on visible eye of the layer). It doesn't work anymore.

Is there a solution for this ?

Thanks in advance,

Report · Jul 14, 2025

I'm not in front the computer to test, however I'm thinking that if all else fails this could be fairly easy to script.

Do you use artboarrds and/or groups or nested groups?

should this be for all layers or only selected layers?

Report · Jul 14, 2025

OK, I can see that the Alt/Opt click visibility toggle doesn't work when in layer isolation mode.

You can click and hold down the mouse and move the cursor up or down over the other visibility icons to turn them off or on, then release the mouse button. Depending on the number of layers, this may or may not be onorus.

A script can toggle on/off the visibility of all layers, which ignores the isolation mode layer type setting.

Otherwise a script could turn off the visibility of all text layers or turn off the visibility of all layers which are not text layers, which would be used in conjunction with text layer isolation.

Report · Jul 14, 2025

I don't think the Kind - Text filter from the layer panel is the isolation mode.

But yeah that's the problem. When you have multiple layers when the filter Kind is ON, you can't use the ALT+ click eye visible anymore.

Report · Jul 14, 2025

Screenshots help to visually clarify what may be lost in text...

Yes, it's the layer filter, but in scripting terms for selected layers:

app.runMenuItem(stringIDToTypeID("isolateLayers"));

Additionally, I may have inadvertently been thinking of Illustrator too. :]

Now that the problem has been identified, how would you like to go?

I offered 2 suggestions from a scriptiong perspective:

1) A script can toggle on/off the visibility of all layers, which ignores the isolation mode layer type setting.

2) Otherwise a script could turn off the visibility of all text layers or turn off the visibility of all layers which are not text layers, which would be used in conjunction with text layer isolation.

3) Do you have an alternative idea?

Report · Jul 14, 2025

Hey,

I think that a script that can toggle on/off the visibility of all layers may be the solution for this prob.

Report · Jul 16, 2025

Hey,

I think that a script that can toggle on/off the visibility of all layers may be the solution for this prob.

By @H_Gu

I started work on this before @jazz-y posted his script, so it may not be necessary.

/*
Toggle Layer Visibility for All Top-Root level layers.jsx
v1.0 - 16th July 2025, Stephen Marsh
https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/show-only-layer-inside-layer-type-mode/td-p/15413523
*/

#target photoshop

var doc = app.activeDocument;
var desktopPath = Folder.desktop.fsName;
var stateFile = new File(desktopPath + "/layer_visibility_state_log.json");

if (stateFile.exists) {
    loadVisibilityStates(doc.layers);
} else {
    saveVisibilityStates(doc.layers);
}


///// Helper Functions /////

function saveVisibilityStates(layers) {
    var states = [];
    for (var i = 0; i < layers.length; i++) {
        states.push(layers[i].visible);
        layers[i].visible = false;
    }

    var json = "[" + states.join(",") + "]";
    stateFile.open("w");
    stateFile.write(json);
    stateFile.close();
}

function loadVisibilityStates(layers) {
    if (!stateFile.exists) {
        alert("No saved state found. Run the script once to save visibility.");
        return;
    }

    stateFile.open("r");
    var jsonString = stateFile.read();
    stateFile.close();

    var states;
    try {
        states = eval(jsonString);
    } catch (e) {
        alert("Failed to parse saved state.");
        return;
    }

    for (var i = 0; i < layers.length && i < states.length; i++) {
        try {
            layers[i].visible = states[i];
        } catch (e) {
            continue;
        }
    }

    stateFile.remove(); // Remove the log file after the second run
}

Once installed in the Presets/Scripts folder and Photoshop restarted, you can assign a custom keyboard shortcut to the script.

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

Report · Jul 15, 2025

I tried to simulate ALT + click on visiblity eye of the layer (but SHIFT + click on visiblity eye)

1. Run the script, activate the "Enable visiblity tracking" button, the script will start tracking changes in layer visibility

2. If the script receives a notification about a change in layer visibility with the SHIFT key pressed, it tries to simulate the behavior of the original layer switching option (regardless of the filtering parameters)

3. If necessary, run the script again and deactivate tracking

#target photoshop
var s2t = stringIDToTypeID,
    t2s = typeIDToStringID,
    UUID = '2e4fad67-d0ca-4794-928c-6095afecff97',
    cfg = new Config;
try {
    var evt = t2s(arguments[1]),
        doc = new AM('document'),
        lr = new AM('layer'),
        ref = arguments[0].getList(s2t('null')).getReference(0),
        currentLayer = ref.getForm() == ReferenceFormType.NAME ? ref.getName() : lr.getProperty('layerID');
    if (evt == 'hide' && ScriptUI.environment.keyboardState.shiftKey) {
        var d = cfg.getScriptSettings();
        if (d.count && d.hasKey(doc.getProperty('documentID')) && d.getList(doc.getProperty('documentID')).count) {
            var layers = d.getList(doc.getProperty('documentID')),
                filteredLayers = new ActionList();
            d.putList(doc.getProperty('documentID'), new ActionList());
            cfg.putScriptSettings(d);
            for (var i = 0; i < layers.count; i++) {
                var cur = layers.getInteger(i);
                if (lr.hasProperty('layerID', cur) != null) filteredLayers.putInteger(cur)
            }
            doc.setLayersVisiblity(filteredLayers, 'show')
            doc.setLayerVisiblity(currentLayer, 'show');
        } else {
            var layers = getLayersVisiblity();
            d.putList(doc.getProperty('documentID'), layers);
            cfg.putScriptSettings(d);
            doc.setLayersVisiblity(layers, 'hide');
            doc.setLayerVisiblity(currentLayer, 'show');
            if (lr.hasProperty('parentLayerID', currentLayer) && lr.getProperty('parentLayerID', currentLayer) != -1) doc.setLayerVisiblity(lr.getProperty('parentLayerID', currentLayer), 'show');
        }
    }
} catch (e) { }
if (!evt) {
    dialogWindow();
}
function dialogWindow() {
    var w = new Window("dialog {text: 'Visiblity tracking',alignChildren:['fill','top']}"),
        bnNotifier = w.add("button {text: 'Enable visiblity tracking'}"),
        g = w.add("group {alignChildren:['center', 'center']}"),
        bnOk = g.add("button {text:'Ok'}", undefined, undefined, { name: "ok" }),
        evt = new Events();
    bnNotifier.onClick = function () {
        if (evt.checkEvents()) evt.removeEvents() else evt.addEvents()
        setEnabledButtonValue()
    }
    w.onShow = function () {
        setEnabledButtonValue()
    }
    function setEnabledButtonValue() {
        var enabled = evt.checkEvents()
        bnNotifier.text = enabled ? 'Disable visiblity tracking' : 'Enable visiblity tracking'
        bnNotifier.graphics.foregroundColor = enabled ? bnNotifier.graphics.newPen(bnNotifier.graphics.PenType.SOLID_COLOR, [1, 0, 0, 1], 1) : bnNotifier.graphics.newPen(bnNotifier.graphics.PenType.SOLID_COLOR, [0, 0.8, 0, 1], 1)
    }
    w.show()
}
function Events() {
    var f = File($.fileName);
    this.addEvents = function () {
        app.notifiersEnabled = true
        app.notifiers.add('Shw ', f)
        app.notifiers.add('Hd  ', f)
    }
    this.removeEvents = function () {
        for (var i = 0; i < app.notifiers.length; i++) {
            var ntf = app.notifiers[i]
            if (ntf.eventFile.name == f.name) { ntf.remove(); i--; }
        }
    }
    this.checkEvents = function () {
        for (var i = 0; i < app.notifiers.length; i++) {
            if (app.notifiers[i].eventFile.name == f.name) return true
        }
        return false
    }
}
function getLayersVisiblity() {
    var doc = new AM('document'),
        lr = new AM('layer'),
        len = doc.getProperty('numberOfLayers'),
        offset = doc.getProperty('hasBackgroundLayer') ? 0 : 1,
        layersList = new ActionList();
    for (var i = offset; i <= len; i++) {
        if (lr.getProperty('layerSection', i, true).value == 'layerSectionEnd') continue;
        if (lr.getProperty('visible', i, true)) layersList.putInteger(lr.getProperty('layerID', i, true))
    }
    return layersList;
}
function AM(target, order) {
    var s2t = stringIDToTypeID,
        t2s = typeIDToStringID;
    target = target ? s2t(target) : null;
    this.getProperty = function (property, id, idxMode) {
        property = s2t(property);
        (r = new ActionReference()).putProperty(s2t('property'), property);
        if (id == undefined) r.putEnumerated(target, s2t('ordinal'), order ? s2t(order) : s2t('targetEnum'));
        else if (typeof id == 'number') idxMode ? r.putIndex(target, id) : r.putIdentifier(target, id);
        else r.putName(target, id)
        return getDescValue(executeActionGet(r), property)
    }
    this.hasProperty = function (property, id, idxMode) {
        try {
            property = s2t(property);
            (r = new ActionReference()).putProperty(s2t('property'), property);
            (r = new ActionReference()).putProperty(s2t('property'), property);
            if (id == undefined) r.putEnumerated(target, s2t('ordinal'), order ? s2t(order) : s2t('targetEnum'));
            else if (typeof id == 'number') idxMode ? r.putIndex(target, id) : r.putIdentifier(target, id);
            else r.putName(target, id)
            return executeActionGet(r).hasKey(property)
        }
        catch (e) { return null }
    }
    this.descToObject = function (d) {
        var o = {}
        for (var i = 0; i < d.count; i++) {
            var k = d.getKey(i)
            o[t2s(k)] = getDescValue(d, k)
        }
        return o
    }
    this.objectToDesc = function (o) {
        var d = new ActionDescriptor();
        for (var k in o) {
            var v = o[k];
            switch (typeof (v)) {
                case 'boolean': d.putBoolean(s2t(k), v); break;
                case 'string': d.putString(s2t(k), v); break;
                case 'number': d.putInteger(s2t(k), v); break;
            }
        }
        return d;
    }
    this.setLayersVisiblity = function (layersState, visibility) {
        var r = new ActionReference();
        for (var i = 0; i < layersState.count; i++) r.putIdentifier(s2t('layer'), layersState.getInteger(i));
        (l = new ActionList()).putReference(r);
        (d = new ActionDescriptor()).putList(s2t("null"), l);
        executeAction(s2t(visibility), d, DialogModes.NO);
    }
    this.setLayerVisiblity = function (id, visibility) {
        var r = new ActionReference();
        typeof id == 'number' ? r.putIdentifier(s2t('layer'), id) : r.putName(s2t('layer'), id);
        (l = new ActionList()).putReference(r);
        (d = new ActionDescriptor()).putList(s2t("null"), l);
        executeAction(s2t(visibility), d, DialogModes.NO);
    }
    function getDescValue(d, p) {
        switch (d.getType(p)) {
            case DescValueType.OBJECTTYPE: return { type: t2s(d.getObjectType(p)), value: d.getObjectValue(p) };
            case DescValueType.LISTTYPE: return d.getList(p);
            case DescValueType.REFERENCETYPE: return d.getReference(p);
            case DescValueType.BOOLEANTYPE: return d.getBoolean(p);
            case DescValueType.STRINGTYPE: return d.getString(p);
            case DescValueType.INTEGERTYPE: return d.getInteger(p);
            case DescValueType.LARGEINTEGERTYPE: return d.getLargeInteger(p);
            case DescValueType.DOUBLETYPE: return d.getDouble(p);
            case DescValueType.ALIASTYPE: return d.getPath(p);
            case DescValueType.CLASSTYPE: return d.getClass(p);
            case DescValueType.UNITDOUBLE: return (d.getUnitDoubleValue(p));
            case DescValueType.ENUMERATEDTYPE: return { type: t2s(d.getEnumerationType(p)), value: t2s(d.getEnumerationValue(p)) };
            default: break;
        };
    }
}
function Config() {
    this.getScriptSettings = function () {
        var d = new ActionDescriptor();
        try { d = getCustomOptions(UUID) } catch (e) { }
        return d
    }
    this.putScriptSettings = function (d) {
        putCustomOptions(UUID, d, false);
    }
}

Show only layer inside Layer type mode

2 Correct answers

Explore related tutorials & articles