Rotate a layer through a script?

You can rotate a layer about any point and any angle. Duplicating a layer and rotating can create many interisting objects.

RotateLayerAbout.jsx

// 2015  John J. McAssey (JJMack) 
// ======================================================= */
// This script is supplied as is. It is provided as freeware. 
// The author accepts no liability for any problems arising from its use.
// enable double-clicking from Mac Finder or Windows Explorer
#target photoshop // this command only works in Photoshop CS2 and higher
// bring application forward for double-click events
app.bringToFront();
// ensure at least one document open
if (!documents.length) alert('There are no documents open.', 'No Document');
else {
//Set First Time Defaults here
var dfltCpys = 12; // default number of copies including the original
var dfltPos = 4; // default Middle Center
//End Defaults
var Prefs ={}; //Object to hold preferences.
var prefsFile = File(Folder.temp + "/RotateLayerAboutPreferences.dat");
//If preferences do not exit use Defaults from above
if(!prefsFile.exists){
Prefs.Cpys  = dfltCpys;
Prefs.Pos  = dfltPos;
prefsFile.open('w');
prefsFile.write(Prefs.toSource());
prefsFile.close();
}
else{//Preferences exist so open them
prefsFile.open('r');
Prefs = eval(prefsFile.read());
prefsFile.close();
}
try {
function createDialog(){
// begin dialog layout
var DupRotateDialog = new Window('dialog');
DupRotateDialog.text = 'Duplicate and Rotate Layer';
DupRotateDialog.frameLocation = [78, 100];
DupRotateDialog.alignChildren = 'center';
DupRotateDialog.NumLayerPnl = DupRotateDialog.add('panel', [2, 2, 300, 56], 'Number of Layers and Rotation Anchor Point');
DupRotateDialog.NumLayerPnl.add('statictext', [10, 16, 50, 48], 'Copies ');
DupRotateDialog.NumLayerPnl.imgCpysEdt = DupRotateDialog.NumLayerPnl.add('edittext', [50, 13, 90, 34], Prefs.Cpys, {name:'imgCpys'});
DupRotateDialog.NumLayerPnl.imgCpysEdt.helpTip = 'Number of copies of selected Layer';
DupRotateDialog.NumLayerPnl.add('statictext',[96, 16, 240, 48],'Location');
var position =['Top Left','Top Center','Top Right','Center Left','Center','Center Right','Bottom Left','Bottom Center','Bottom Right','Doc Center','Samples','Path Points'];
DupRotateDialog.NumLayerPnl.dd1 = DupRotateDialog.NumLayerPnl.add('dropdownlist',[150, 13, 260, 34],position);
DupRotateDialog.NumLayerPnl.dd1.selection=Prefs.Pos;
var buttons = DupRotateDialog.add('group');
buttons.orientation = 'row';
var okBtn = buttons.add('button');
okBtn.text = 'OK';
okBtn.properties = {name: 'ok'};
var cancelBtn = buttons.add('button');
cancelBtn.text = 'Cancel';
cancelBtn.properties = {name: 'cancel'};
return DupRotateDialog;
}
dispdlg(createDialog());
function dispdlg(DupRotateDialog){ 
// display dialog and only continues on OK button press (OK = 1, Cancel = 2)
DupRotateDialog.onShow = function() {
var ww = DupRotateDialog.bounds.width;  
var hh = DupRotateDialog.bounds.height;  
DupRotateDialog.bounds.x  = 78;  
DupRotateDialog.bounds.y  = 100;  
DupRotateDialog.bounds.width  = ww;  
DupRotateDialog.bounds.height  = hh;  
}
if (DupRotateDialog.show() == 1) {
//variables passed from user interface
var copies = String(DupRotateDialog.NumLayerPnl.imgCpys.text); if (copies=="") { copies = Prefs.Cpys;}
if (isNaN(copies)) { alert("Non numeric value entered"); dispdlg(createDialog());}
else {
if (copies<2 || copies>360) { alert("Number of layer allow is 2 to 360"); dispdlg(createDialog());}  // Not in range
else {
var AnchorPoint = Number(DupRotateDialog.NumLayerPnl.dd1.selection.index) + 1;
cTID = function(s) { return app.charIDToTypeID(s); };
sTID = function(s) { return app.stringIDToTypeID(s); };
// Save the current preferences
Prefs.Cpys  = copies;
Prefs.Pos  = Number(DupRotateDialog.NumLayerPnl.dd1.selection.index);
prefsFile.open('w');
prefsFile.write(Prefs.toSource());
prefsFile.close();
var startRulerUnits = app.preferences.rulerUnits;
var startTypeUnits = app.preferences.typeUnits;
var startDisplayDialogs = app.displayDialogs;
// Set Photoshop to use pixels and display no dialogs
app.preferences.rulerUnits = Units.PIXELS;
app.preferences.typeUnits = TypeUnits.PIXELS;
app.displayDialogs = DialogModes.NO;
app.togglePalettes();
try { app.activeDocument.suspendHistory('RotateLayerAbout','main(copies, AnchorPoint)' );} 
catch(e) {alert(e + ': on line ' + e.line);} 
// Return the app preferences
app.togglePalettes();
app.preferences.rulerUnits = startRulerUnits;
app.preferences.typeUnits = startTypeUnits;
app.displayDialogs = startDisplayDialogs;
}
}
}
else {
//alert('Operation Canceled.');
}
}
}
catch(err){
// Lot's of things can go wrong, Give a generic alert and see if they want the details
if ( confirm("Sorry, something major happened and I can't continue! Would you like to see more info?" ) ) { alert(err + ': on line ' + err.line ); }
}
}
function main(stemsAmount, Position) {
if  (  Position == 11 && app.activeDocument.colorSamplers.length==0 ) {
alert("No Color Sampler set");
return;
}
if  (  Position == 12 ) {
var thePath = selectedPath();
if (thePath == undefined) {
alert("No Path Selected");
return;
}
var myPathInfo = extractSubPathInfo(thePath);  
}
// Save selected layer to variable:
var originalStem = app.activeDocument.activeLayer;
// Run the copying process
if(stemsAmount != null){ 
// Calculate the rotation angle
var angle = 360 / parseInt(stemsAmount);
// Create a group for stems
var stemsGroup = app.activeDocument.layerSets.add();
stemsGroup.name = originalStem.name + " ("+stemsAmount+" stems)";
// Place original layer in group
originalStem.move(stemsGroup, ElementPlacement.INSIDE);
// Duplicate and rotate layers:
for(var i = 1; i < stemsAmount; i++){
// Duplicate original layer and save it to the variable
var newStem = originalStem.duplicate();
// Rotate new layer
switch (Position){
case 1 : newStem.rotate(angle * i, AnchorPosition.TOPLEFT); break;
case 2 : newStem.rotate(angle * i, AnchorPosition.TOPCENTER); break;
case 3 : newStem.rotate(angle * i, AnchorPosition.TOPRIGHT); break;
case 4 : newStem.rotate(angle * i, AnchorPosition.MIDDLELEFT); break;
case 5 : newStem.rotate(angle * i, AnchorPosition.MIDDLECENTER); break;
case 6 : newStem.rotate(angle * i, AnchorPosition.MIDDLERIGHT); break;
case 7 : newStem.rotate(angle * i, AnchorPosition.BOTTOMLEFT); break;
case 8 : newStem.rotate(angle * i, AnchorPosition.BOTTOMCENTER); break;
case 9 : newStem.rotate(angle * i, AnchorPosition.BOTTOMRIGHT); break;
case 10 : app.activeDocument.activeLayer = newStem; rotateAroundPosition(angle * i,activeDocument.width/2,activeDocument.height/2); break;
case 11 : for (var s=0,len=app.activeDocument.colorSamplers.length;s<len;s++) {
if (s!=0) {
// Duplicate original layer and save it to the variable
var newStem = originalStem.duplicate();
}
newStem.name = originalStem.name + " " + (i+1) + " p" + (s+1) ;
app.activeDocument.activeLayer = newStem;
var colorSamplerRef = app.activeDocument.colorSamplers;
//alert("angle=" + (angle * i) +  " ,x=" + colorSamplerRef.position[0].value + " ,y=" + colorSamplerRef.position[1].value);
rotateAroundPosition(angle * i,colorSamplerRef.position[0].value,colorSamplerRef.position[1].value);
newStem.move(stemsGroup, ElementPlacement.PLACEATEND);
                }; 
break; 
case 12 : for(var k=0;k<myPathInfo.length;k++){  
for(var j=0;j<myPathInfo.entireSubPath.length;j++){ 
if (k!=0 || j!=0) {
// Duplicate original layer and save it to the variable
var newStem = originalStem.duplicate();
}
newStem.name = originalStem.name + " " + (i+1) + " p" + (j+1) ;
app.activeDocument.activeLayer = newStem;
rotateAroundPosition(angle * i,myPathInfo.entireSubPath.anchor[0],myPathInfo.entireSubPath.anchor[1]);
newStem.move(stemsGroup, ElementPlacement.PLACEATEND);
}
}
break;
default : break;
}
// Add index to new layers
if (Position!=11) {
newStem.name = originalStem.name + " " + (i+1);
// Place new layer inside stems group
newStem.move(stemsGroup, ElementPlacement.PLACEATEND);
}
};
// Add index to the original layer
if (Position!=11) originalStem.name += " 1";
else originalStem.name += " 1 p1";
};
}
function rotateAroundPosition(_angle,x,y) {  
    var desc1 = new ActionDescriptor();  
    var desc2 = new ActionDescriptor();  
    var ref1 = new ActionReference();  
    ref1.putEnumerated(charIDToTypeID('Lyr '), charIDToTypeID('Ordn'), charIDToTypeID('Trgt'));  
    desc1.putReference(charIDToTypeID('null'), ref1);  
    desc1.putEnumerated(charIDToTypeID('FTcs'), charIDToTypeID('QCSt'), stringIDToTypeID("QCSIndependent"));  
    desc2.putUnitDouble(charIDToTypeID('Hrzn'), charIDToTypeID('#Pxl'), x);  
    desc2.putUnitDouble(charIDToTypeID('Vrtc'), charIDToTypeID('#Pxl'), y);  
    desc1.putObject(charIDToTypeID('Pstn'), charIDToTypeID('Pnt '), desc2);  
    desc1.putUnitDouble(charIDToTypeID('Angl'), charIDToTypeID('#Ang'), _angle);  
    desc1.putEnumerated(charIDToTypeID('Intr'), charIDToTypeID('Intp'), charIDToTypeID('Bcbc'));  
    executeAction(charIDToTypeID('Trnf'), desc1, DialogModes.NO);  
}
////// determine selected path //////
function selectedPath () {
try {
var ref = new ActionReference(); 
ref.putEnumerated( charIDToTypeID("Path"), charIDToTypeID("Ordn"), charIDToTypeID("Trgt") ); 
var desc = executeActionGet(ref);
var theName = desc.getString(charIDToTypeID("PthN"));
return app.activeDocument.pathItems.getByName(theName)
}
catch (e) {
return undefined
}
};
////// michael l hale’s code //////
function extractSubPathInfo(pathObj){  
    var pathArray = new Array();// each element can be used as the second arugment in pathItems.add ie doc.pathItems.add("myPath1", [pathArray[0]]);  
    var pl = pathObj.subPathItems.length;  
    for(var s=0;s<pl;s++){  
        var pArray = new Array();  
          for(var i=0;i<pathObj.subPathItems.pathPoints.length;i++){  
             pArray = new PathPointInfo;  
             pArray.kind = pathObj.subPathItems.pathPoints.kind;  
             pArray.anchor = pathObj.subPathItems.pathPoints.anchor;  
//alert("Anchor " + pathObj.subPathItems.pathPoints.anchor );
             pArray.leftDirection = pathObj.subPathItems.pathPoints.leftDirection;  
             pArray.rightDirection = pathObj.subPathItems.pathPoints.rightDirection;  
          };  
        pathArray[pathArray.length] = new Array();  
        pathArray[pathArray.length - 1] = new SubPathInfo();  
        pathArray[pathArray.length - 1].operation = pathObj.subPathItems.operation;  
        pathArray[pathArray.length - 1].closed = pathObj.subPathItems.closed;  
        pathArray[pathArray.length - 1].entireSubPath = pArray;  
    };  
    return pathArray;  
};  

Great job, Perfect! Thank you. r-bin I also thank my friends Kukurykus and geppettol66959005 for the attention.

Thank you all!

you can register with ScriptingListenerJS

or use an action

in photoshop you can go to the appropriate menu

// it works only for documents saved with portrait orientation:
if (!ExternalObject.AdobeXMPScript) ExternalObject.AdobeXMPScript = new ExternalObject('lib:AdobeXMPScript')
XMP = new XMPFile((aD = activeDocument).fullName.fsName, XMPConst.UNKNOWN, XMPConst.OPEN_FOR_READ).getXMP()
function XY(v) {return XMP.getProperty(XMPConst.NS_EXIF, 'Pixel' + v + "Dimension")}
if(XY("X")<XY("Y"))aD.rotateCanvas(Math.ceil((72/aD.resolution)*aD.width.as("px")/aD.width.as('cm')*Math.PI))