Photoshop: Record expand/collapse groups in actions

Report · Jun 10, 2011

I would love the ability to record the "Collapse groups" shortcut John Nack mentioned here: http://blogs.adobe.com/jnack/2011/06/... in my actions.

In my actions I often create lots and lots of folders that I'll need afterwards (workflow actions), which then stay open all the time so I have to collapse them manually.
Therefore it'd be great to be able to record the collapse command to save time and improve the overview over my layers/groups.

Report · Mar 24, 2014

Ctrl + Alt + click the arrow next to a layer set closes all layer sets, but it would be very nice to have a recordable action for closing all layer sets. APPLICATION: The purpose of creating layer sets for me is to be able organize layers into their relevant groups. I'd like to be able to run an set of recorded actions that ends with closing all the layer sets, so that once the actions are complete, my workspace is nice and neat.

Report · Mar 24, 2014

Can I record 'Opening and Closing' of groups?

I know I can leftclick on the triangle next to a group and then close them with ALT+CMD. But there is no way you can record this in an action.

Please add this option to Photoshop CC as it could clean up a whole bunch of layers. It would be a really usefull addition for use in actionscripts.

Report · Mar 24, 2014

When I make actions that include Folders/Groups the groups are left open and I would prefer them closed.

If there is a way to write them into the action as closed that would be great. Unfortunately, simply closing them is not recorded by the action.

Report · Apr 17, 2014

Yes, please add group expanding/collapsing activity to the actions recording soon, since it has mayor influence on recordings including shortcuts of selecting layers above/below the current selection depending on the open/collapsed state of a layer group...

Report · May 26, 2014

Agree. When I have a record set I want my group to finish in the closed state. The problem is that I am unable to record this. Can you please add this? Thank you.

Report · Mar 30, 2016

Yes we need this.
Now it's been 5 years since this was first requested.

Report · Apr 09, 2016

I would also like to be able to do this, because when recording actions, I always try to reference layers relatively with alt+ [ or alt+ ] ("select backward layer" / "select forward layer") and similar shortcuts to avoid registering the exact name of the selected layer. But when I create a group as part of an action, from then on there seems to be no way to target any layer inside the group without clicking on it, since after creating the group (with more than 1 layer selected just before creating the group), it is left closed and trying to use "select forward/backward layer" just skips over to the layers above/below the group, not inside. I need to expand the group, but this step won't be recorded 😞
Maybe there's a workaround for this situation but I haven't figured it out... But under any event, being able to record these steps (close/expand groups) would greatly help to leave things arranged exactly as one needs them to be just after aplying complex actions.

Report · Apr 09, 2016

(duplicated, delete)

Report · Apr 09, 2016

After typing my reply, I just thought there could be a partial workaround for certain situations:

- To force a group to stay open at the end of the action, we could create an empty "dummy" layer inside every group (named dummy1, dummy2, etc. if need be), then target it in the action clicking on it as a way to register the exact name (hence forcing the group to open) and just afterwards, delete it from the same action - the dummy layer will be gone but the group should stay open. The layer below the deleted dummy will be left as the currently selected layer.

- To force a group to stay closed, one could take advantage of the fact that when creating a group with more than one layer selected, the group is created and closed at the same time, or at least that's the way it works on my computer. It's helpful to know that the shortcuts "Shift + Alt + [" and "Shift + Alt + ]" allow to add-select layers in a backwards/forwards fashion (again, to avoid shift-clicking on specific layer names). These way, we can press Ctrl+G right afterwards so the group is created and closed at the same time. Still, if later on one needs to target a layer inside the closed group after creating it, it will open again and things can get convoluted to do whatever it is that needs to be done, and then ungroup the layers and regroup them again afterwards to leave them closed again. But theoretically, we could still get things sorted out to a certain degree.

Please note these are just some ideas I just thought of - they have not been thoroughly tested, they could be version and os dependant, and even if they work, they're far from being a solution. But I just used some of this tricks with an action of my own (I needed a group to stay open at the end, and another one to remain closed) and it worked as I wanted it to, so I'm sharing these ideas in the hopes that they might be helpful to others.

Note: Remember that the "Alt+[" based shortcuts will only work on english keyboards, and AFAIK the equivalent commands (Select backward layer/Select forward layer) are nowhere to be found in the menus, so it seems like they're only available from the aforementioned shortcuts. In Windows you can add other languages to the Language Preferences, and then switch among them from the icon in the system tray (switch to US English, then the shortcuts should work).

Report · Jun 01, 2016

You can record it, but only collapse groups for entire document: http://sklad.bereza.cz/00-jarda/00_screenshot/2016-06-01_211132.jpg

Report · Oct 19, 2016

This worked perfectly! Thanks!

Report · Jan 08, 2017

Another user request to enable recording an action to include expanding and collapsing on a per group basis.

If you select layers and create group from selected layers in an action the group is always collapsed. There is then no way in the action to open the group and use alt + [ or alt + ] to move up and down the layers within the group e.g. to turn visibility off.

Report · Mar 14, 2017

during recording: if you manually move a layer above or under another layer in the same group (in the layers panel), recording this movement as part of the action, the group is kept open at the end of the action. It should work even if you and an action SELECTING a layer in the folder (without moving it), but i have to test this deeply.

Report · Jul 08, 2018

Thanks for your helpful posts. 🙂

Report · Aug 22, 2018

For real. This seems like a basic request. I have tried all sorts of workarounds and have basically figured out how to manipulate opening and closing groups within an action, but it takes a lot of forethought and planning (at least for me). It would be SO MUCH easier if there could be a menu item for:
1. Opening a single group (or selected groups)
2. Closing a single group (or selected groups)
3. Opening all groups
4. Closing all groups* (already exists)

It makes no sense why there is only the option to close all groups. None at all. Please Fix it.

Report · Oct 31, 2018

Unfortunately this request is already open for 7 (seven) years now.
It shouldn't be sooooo difficult to implement a single option to open and close individual groups and being able to record them via an actionscript.
Does Adobe actually know and understand how easy it is to use actions?I guess not they just don't seem to want to understand the request of power users.
Sad, sad, sad...

Report · Apr 21, 2020

I use collapsable groups within my actions by using a custom keyboard shortcut:

-Edit menu -> Keyboard Shortcuts
-Shortcuts for -> Panel Menus
-In the 'Layers' Group, select 'Collapse all Groups', and assign a keyboard shortcut (I use Cntl Opt Shift Command C)
-Use this keyboard shortcut at the end of an action, and all groups will be collapsed

Report · May 27, 2020

This is what I do to get around photoshop being an idiot.
1) Have a known layer in each of your folders within photoshop. Call it "Dummy 1" and maybe "Dummy 2" for the next folder etc. They'll just be empty layers. When you have a layer outside of your folders that you need to be inside one of your folders, select your layer you'd like to move, and ctrl+click one of the dummy layers. So now you have two layers selected. Group them (ctrl + G) and then immediately ungroup them (ctrl + shift + G). The layer you wanted to move should now be right under your dummy layer. It's important to know that the layer you're moving -must- be below the dummy layers to start with. Otherwise your dummy layer will move TO your layer you want to move.
2) An alternative is to select your group that doesn't contain your layer you want in it. Ungroup it. Now all the layers within that group are now selected. You can ctrl click the layer you want in the group and re-group the layers. Now your outside layer is part of that group. Although you'll have to rename the group again.
I hope this helps people.

Report · Jan 19, 2024

I use Photoshop Actions extensively and for more than a decade I've been using similar work-arounds found right here in this thread. I'm tired of work-arounds, I hope for a real solution for this someday.

I think this can be done using scripting. One day when I learn scripting life will be grand.

Photoshop: Record expand/collapse groups in actions

1 Correct answer