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simene49649793
simene49649793
Known Participant
Feb 7, 2017 2:28 AM UTC
Answered

Restore Photoshop Text Layer Name Auto-Updating

Text layers in Photoshop will auto-update the layer name with the text content of the layer unless you manually edit the layer name in the layers panel. Then it retains the manually entered layer name. How would one go about restoring this auto-updating of the layer name to a layer whose name has been manually edited?

Is this possible at all? I've googled this, and everyone says it's not possible to do this manually, but that it might be possible with scripting. Does anyone know?

I know you can duplicate the layer, then re-enter the text, but that gets a bit tricky if your text has multiple fonts and colors.

r-binCorrect answer
Legend
Feb 13, 2018 12:46 AM UTC
var layer0 = app.activeDocument.activeLayer;
var fx = true;
var gr = layer0.grouped;
try { executeAction( charIDToTypeID( "CpFX" ), undefined, DialogModes.NO ); } catch (e) {fx = false;}
var r = new ActionReference();    
r.putProperty(charIDToTypeID("Prpr"), stringIDToTypeID("textKey"));
r.putEnumerated(charIDToTypeID("Lyr "), charIDToTypeID("Ordn"), charIDToTypeID("Trgt"));
var textKey = executeActionGet(r).getObjectValue(stringIDToTypeID("textKey"));
var r = new ActionReference();
r.putClass(stringIDToTypeID( "textLayer"));
var d = new ActionDescriptor();
d.putReference( charIDToTypeID( "null" ), r );
d.putObject( charIDToTypeID( "Usng" ), stringIDToTypeID( "textLayer"), textKey);
executeAction( charIDToTypeID( "Mk  " ), d, DialogModes.NO );
var layer1 = app.activeDocument.activeLayer;
if (fx) executeAction( charIDToTypeID( "PaFX" ), undefined, DialogModes.NO );
if (!layer1.grouped && gr) layer1.grouped = gr;
layer0.remove();
app.activeDocument.activeLayer = layer1;
View reply

17 replies

r-binCorrect answer
Legend
Feb 13, 2018 12:46 AM UTC
var layer0 = app.activeDocument.activeLayer;
var fx = true;
var gr = layer0.grouped;
try { executeAction( charIDToTypeID( "CpFX" ), undefined, DialogModes.NO ); } catch (e) {fx = false;}
var r = new ActionReference();    
r.putProperty(charIDToTypeID("Prpr"), stringIDToTypeID("textKey"));
r.putEnumerated(charIDToTypeID("Lyr "), charIDToTypeID("Ordn"), charIDToTypeID("Trgt"));
var textKey = executeActionGet(r).getObjectValue(stringIDToTypeID("textKey"));
var r = new ActionReference();
r.putClass(stringIDToTypeID( "textLayer"));
var d = new ActionDescriptor();
d.putReference( charIDToTypeID( "null" ), r );
d.putObject( charIDToTypeID( "Usng" ), stringIDToTypeID( "textLayer"), textKey);
executeAction( charIDToTypeID( "Mk  " ), d, DialogModes.NO );
var layer1 = app.activeDocument.activeLayer;
if (fx) executeAction( charIDToTypeID( "PaFX" ), undefined, DialogModes.NO );
if (!layer1.grouped && gr) layer1.grouped = gr;
layer0.remove();
app.activeDocument.activeLayer = layer1;
Translate
    Zipser31550168t845
    Known Participant
    Mar 13, 2024 1:46 AM UTC

    I'm here to thank you for your script, but could you make this able to change all text layers in a file? The script will be very useful for us!

    Translate
      Stephen Marsh
      Community Expert
      Stephen MarshCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      Mar 13, 2024 4:29 AM UTC
      quote

      I'm here to thank you for your script, but could you make this able to change all text layers in a file? The script will be very useful for us!


      By @Zipser31550168t845

       

       

      Here you go:

       

      /*
Reset and Sync All Top Level Text Layer Names to Content.jsx
https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/restore-photoshop-text-layer-name-auto-updating/td-p/8835798
v1.0, 13th March 2024, Stephen Marsh
*/

#target photoshop

function main() {
    // Hack to ensure that a layer is selected
    activeDocument.artLayers.add();
    activeDocument.activeLayer.remove();
    var counter = 0;
    // Start Timer
    var timeDiff = {
        setStartTime: function () {
            d = new Date();
            time = d.getTime();
        },
        getDiff: function () {
            d = new Date();
            t = d.getTime() - time;
            time = d.getTime();
            return t;
        }
    };
    timeDiff.setStartTime();
    // Loop over the text layers
    for (var i = 0; i < activeDocument.artLayers.length; i++) {
        try {
            activeDocument.activeLayer = activeDocument.artLayers[i];
            if (app.activeDocument.activeLayer.kind == LayerKind.TEXT) {
                resetTextLayer();
                counter++;
            }
        } catch (e) {}
    }
    alert(counter + " text layers reset!" + "\r" + "Run Time: " + timeDiff.getDiff() / 1000 + " seconds");
}
activeDocument.suspendHistory("Reset all text layers...", "main()");


function resetTextLayer() {
    // by r-bin
    var layer0 = app.activeDocument.activeLayer;
    var fx = true;
    var gr = layer0.grouped;
    try {
        executeAction(charIDToTypeID("CpFX"), undefined, DialogModes.NO);
    } catch (e) {
        fx = false;
    }
    var r = new ActionReference();
    r.putProperty(charIDToTypeID("Prpr"), stringIDToTypeID("textKey"));
    r.putEnumerated(charIDToTypeID("Lyr "), charIDToTypeID("Ordn"), charIDToTypeID("Trgt"));
    var textKey = executeActionGet(r).getObjectValue(stringIDToTypeID("textKey"));
    var r = new ActionReference();
    r.putClass(stringIDToTypeID("textLayer"));
    var d = new ActionDescriptor();
    d.putReference(charIDToTypeID("null"), r);
    d.putObject(charIDToTypeID("Usng"), stringIDToTypeID("textLayer"), textKey);
    executeAction(charIDToTypeID("Mk  "), d, DialogModes.NO);
    var layer1 = app.activeDocument.activeLayer;
    if (fx) executeAction(charIDToTypeID("PaFX"), undefined, DialogModes.NO);
    if (!layer1.grouped && gr) layer1.grouped = gr;
    layer0.remove();
    app.activeDocument.activeLayer = layer1;
}

       

      Translate
        Tuttleharry
        Inspiring
        Feb 12, 2018 9:40 PM UTC

        Solution:

        1. Highlight the text layer

        2. type [ENTER], [Backspace], [ENTER]

        3. It will auto update and keep auto updating.

        Translate
          nicazuela
          nicazuela
          Participant
          Oct 15, 2020 9:40 PM UTC

          Oh my god, this is exactly what I needed. What a simple solution. Thank you!

          Translate
          Anonymous
          Feb 8, 2017 9:11 AM UTC

          You can try following Script, Tomas Sinkunas do the most of the works, a tribute to Master!

          // Script  Auto-Update the layer's name  

          // by Du Hui a JS new hand ,

          // Most of the following cord was Tomas Sinkunas's   works, I write just one line.

           

          (function(){ 

              #target photoshop 

          // Collect all text layers in the document 

              var textLayers = getTextLayers(app.activeDocument); 

           

              // Loop through all text layers in the document 

              for (var t = 0, tl = textLayers.length; t < tl ; t ++) { 

               //  get TXTlayer's contents and Assing values to the lyayer's name

                         textLayers.name =textLayers.textItem.contents; 

              } 

           

              function getTextLayers (doc, layers) { 

                  layers = layers || []; 

                  for (var i = 0, il = doc.layers.length; i < il; i ++) { 

                      if (doc.layers.typename == "LayerSet") { 

                          getTextLayers(doc.layers, layers) 

                      } else { 

                          if (doc.layers.kind == "LayerKind.TEXT") { 

                              layers.push(doc.layers) 

                          } 

                      } 

                  } 

                  return layers 

              } 

          })();

          Translate
          simene49649793
          simene49649793Author
          Known Participant
          Feb 8, 2017 8:00 PM UTC

          JJMack: Yeah I thought so

          luhuaidan: That's what I have now, renaming the layers to their content. However, it doesn't solve the auto-updating of layername based on text content. Thanks though

          Translate
          PECourtejoie
          Community Expert
          PECourtejoieCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          Feb 9, 2017 5:52 PM UTC

          Simene, I thought about duplicating the text layer, but in the panel, the text copy gets appended, and future edition of the text does not update it...

          BUT! If you duplicate the layer using CMD+J, copy also gets appended, then, if you re-edit that text (selecting, then CMD+enter), the layer name auto updates again. Now, a scripter could use the scriptlistener to find the difference between the duplicate from panel and CMD+J, then update content, delete the original text layer... and it could be automated, no?

          Translate
            JJMack
            Community Expert
            JJMackCommunity Expert
            Community Expert
            Feb 7, 2017 4:11 AM UTC

            If you have not not closed the document if there is a  history state before you changed the layer name you could back up to that point in time. Else I believe its a done deal. You would need to create a new text later to match the existing one.

            Translate
            JJMack
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