When the mask is enabled, the layer has no visible content. When the right-click menu "Export As" is selected, a pop-up box shows that there is no image. When the mask is disabled, there is visible content. When the right-click menu "Export As" is selected, a pop-up box shows that there is an image. How to write a script to determine whether there is visible content after applying a layer mask
enable layer mask
 
disable layer mask
2 Correct answers
I looked at the code in the link, that is for the entire document, I hope to check a certain layer
By javaer
Too bad that it's impossible to duplicate the active layer to a new document, check the histo and then close the temp doc without saving. :]
EDIT: Joking aside, here is what I was referring to, I ended up using mean rather than std. dev.
/*
Alert Visible Pixels In The Active Layer.jsx
Stephen Marsh
v1.0 - 27th February 2025
https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discu
I do apologize, I had overlooked the psd in the original post.
// 2025, use it at your own risk;
if (app.documents.length > 0) {
if (hasLayerMask () == true) {
var desc = new ActionDescriptor();
var ref = new ActionReference();
ref.putEnumerated(charIDToTypeID("Chnl"), charIDToTypeID("Chnl"), charIDToTypeID("Msk "));
desc.putReference(charIDToTypeID("null"), ref);
desc.putBoolean(charIDToTypeID("MkVs"), false );
executeAction(charIDToTypeID("slct"), desc, DialogModes.NO );
// load transparenc
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Replies
I looked at the code in the link, that is for the entire document, I hope to check a certain layer
By javaer
Too bad that it's impossible to duplicate the active layer to a new document, check the histo and then close the temp doc without saving. :]
EDIT: Joking aside, here is what I was referring to, I ended up using mean rather than std. dev.
/*
Alert Visible Pixels In The Active Layer.jsx
Stephen Marsh
v1.0 - 27th February 2025
https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/use-a-script-to-check-if-a-layer-with-a-layer-mask-applied-has-visible-content/td-p/15180227
*/
#target photoshop
if (app.documents.length > 0) {
if (isLayerMaskEnabled()) {
// Set the active layer name
var theLayerName = app.activeDocument.activeLayer.name;
// Duplicate the active layer to a temporary document
var s2t = function (s) {
return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
};
var descriptor = new ActionDescriptor();
var reference = new ActionReference();
var reference2 = new ActionReference();
reference.putClass(s2t("document"));
descriptor.putReference(s2t("null"), reference);
descriptor.putString(s2t("name"), "tempDoc");
reference2.putEnumerated(s2t("layer"), s2t("ordinal"), s2t("targetEnum"));
descriptor.putReference(s2t("using"), reference2);
descriptor.putString(s2t("layerName"), theLayerName);
descriptor.putInteger(s2t("version"), 5);
executeAction(s2t("make"), descriptor, DialogModes.NO);
// Select the mask channel
var s2t = function (s) {
return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
};
var descriptor = new ActionDescriptor();
var reference = new ActionReference();
reference.putEnumerated(s2t("channel"), s2t("channel"), s2t("mask")); // or "RGB"
descriptor.putReference(s2t("null"), reference);
descriptor.putBoolean(s2t("makeVisible"), false);
executeAction(s2t("select"), descriptor, DialogModes.NO);
// Apply the layer mask
var s2t = function (s) {
return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
};
var descriptor = new ActionDescriptor();
var reference = new ActionReference();
reference.putEnumerated(s2t("channel"), s2t("ordinal"), s2t("targetEnum"));
descriptor.putReference(s2t("null"), reference);
descriptor.putBoolean(s2t("apply"), true); // or false
executeAction(s2t("delete"), descriptor, DialogModes.NO);
/*
Based on:
https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop/how-to-get-the-histogram-s-std-dev/td-p/9875041
*/
if (app.documents.length > 0 && activeDocument.mode == DocumentMode.RGB) {
var theR = histogramMeanStandardDeviation(activeDocument.channels[0].histogram);
var theG = histogramMeanStandardDeviation(activeDocument.channels[1].histogram);
var theB = histogramMeanStandardDeviation(activeDocument.channels[2].histogram);
// theMean = [0] | theMedian = [1] | theStandDev = [2]
var theMean = Number(((theR[0] + theG[0] + theB[0]) / 3));
// Alert the results!
if (theMean === 255) {
app.activeDocument.close(SaveOptions.DONOTSAVECHANGES);
alert("There are no visible pixels in the active layer!");
// Do something here...
} else {
app.activeDocument.close(SaveOptions.DONOTSAVECHANGES);
alert("There are visible pixels in the active layer!");
// Do something else here...
}
}
////// get mean of histogram //////
function histogramMeanStandardDeviation(theHist) {
// get total number;
var thePixels = 0;
for (var m = 0; m < theHist.length; m++) {
thePixels = thePixels + theHist[m];
}
// get mean and median;
var theMean = 0;
var aTotal = 0;
var check = false;
for (var n = 0; n < theHist.length; n++) {
theMean = theMean + (n * theHist[n] / thePixels);
aTotal = aTotal + theHist[n];
if (aTotal >= thePixels / 2 && check === false) {
theMedian = n;
check = true;
}
}
// get standard deviation;
var theStandDev = 0;
for (var o = 0; o < theHist.length; o++) {
theStandDev = theStandDev + (Math.pow((o - theMean), 2) * theHist[o]);
}
theStandDev = Math.sqrt(theStandDev / thePixels);
// theMean = [0] | theMedian = [1] | theStandDev = [2]
return ([theMean, theMedian, theStandDev]);
}
} else {
alert("The active layer mask is not enabled... Script aborted!");
}
} else {
alert("No document is open.");
}
function isLayerMaskEnabled() {
var s2t = function (s) {
return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
};
var ref = new ActionReference();
ref.putEnumerated(s2t("layer"), s2t("ordinal"), s2t("targetEnum"));
var desc = executeActionGet(ref);
return desc.hasKey(s2t("userMaskEnabled")) && desc.getBoolean(s2t("userMaskEnabled"));
}
One could load the Transparency and intersect with the Layer Mask …
By c.pfaffenbichler
Cool! I looked at loading the transparency, which fires a warning when performing without scripting, but didn't think of qualifying this against the mask!
Not prompted as expected: empty
By javaer
While you are waiting for @c.pfaffenbichler you can try the script that I posted.
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