Select layer by similar name -- Script

Report · Jan 10, 2017

Hello, i have a PSD document with multiple layers, i need a script that select all layers with the word "Horizontal" in it´s name, and after that, merge them in one layer.

I am using ExtendScript Toolkit CS6

Report · Jan 10, 2017

Hi Ballestero,

Hope this help you...

cTID = function(s) {return app.charIDToTypeID(s);};

sTID = function(s) {return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);};

if(app.documents.length>0){

var docRef = app.activeDocument;

docRef.activeLayer=docRef.backgroundLayer;

var myLyr = docRef.artLayers;

for (var i = 0; i < myLyr.length; i++) {

if(myLyr[i].name.indexOf("Layer")!=-1){

addtoSelection(myLyr[i].name);

}

function addtoSelection(lyName){

var desc71 = new ActionDescriptor();

var ref65 = new ActionReference();

ref65.putName( cTID( "Lyr " ), lyName );

desc71.putReference( cTID( "null" ), ref65 );

desc71.putEnumerated( sTID( "selectionModifier" ), sTID( "selectionModifierType" ), sTID( "addToSelection" ));

desc71.putBoolean( cTID( "MkVs" ), false );

executeAction( cTID( "slct" ), desc71, DialogModes.NO );

}

-yajiv

Report · Jan 11, 2017

Thank you very much, even, using your answer, i finished the code in order to exclude "Background" layer from selection and merge the layers in one single layer named "Horizontal":

Here is the code:

	cTID = function(s) {return app.charIDToTypeID(s);};
	sTID = function(s) {return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);};
	if(app.documents.length>0){
	var docRef = app.activeDocument;
	docRef.activeLayer=docRef.backgroundLayer;
	var myLyr = docRef.artLayers;
	for (var i = 0; i < myLyr.length; i++) {
	if(myLyr[i].name.indexOf("Vertical")!=-1){
	addtoSelection(myLyr[i].name);
	}
	}
	}
	function addtoSelection(lyName){
	var desc71 = new ActionDescriptor();
	var ref65 = new ActionReference();
	ref65.putName( cTID( "Lyr " ), lyName );
	desc71.putReference( cTID( "null" ), ref65 );
	desc71.putEnumerated( sTID( "selectionModifier" ), sTID( "selectionModifierType" ), sTID( "addToSelection" ));
	desc71.putBoolean( cTID( "MkVs" ), false );
	executeAction( cTID( "slct" ), desc71, DialogModes.NO );
	}

var idslct = charIDToTypeID( "slct" );

	var desc14 = new ActionDescriptor();
	var idnull = charIDToTypeID( "null" );
	var ref4 = new ActionReference();
	var idLyr = charIDToTypeID( "Lyr " );
	ref4.putName( idLyr, "Background" );
	desc14.putReference( idnull, ref4 );
	var idselectionModifier = stringIDToTypeID( "selectionModifier" );
	var idselectionModifierType = stringIDToTypeID( "selectionModifierType" );
	var idremoveFromSelection = stringIDToTypeID( "removeFromSelection" );
	desc14.putEnumerated( idselectionModifier, idselectionModifierType, idremoveFromSelection );
	var idMkVs = charIDToTypeID( "MkVs" );
	desc14.putBoolean( idMkVs, false );

executeAction( idslct, desc14, DialogModes.NO );

var idMk = charIDToTypeID( "Mk " );

	var desc22 = new ActionDescriptor();
	var idnull = charIDToTypeID( "null" );
	var ref7 = new ActionReference();
	var idlayerSection = stringIDToTypeID( "layerSection" );
	ref7.putClass( idlayerSection );
	desc22.putReference( idnull, ref7 );
	var idFrom = charIDToTypeID( "From" );
	var ref8 = new ActionReference();
	var idLyr = charIDToTypeID( "Lyr " );
	var idOrdn = charIDToTypeID( "Ordn" );
	var idTrgt = charIDToTypeID( "Trgt" );
	ref8.putEnumerated( idLyr, idOrdn, idTrgt );
	desc22.putReference( idFrom, ref8 );

executeAction( idMk, desc22, DialogModes.NO );

// =======================================================

var idsetd = charIDToTypeID( "setd" );

	var desc23 = new ActionDescriptor();
	var idnull = charIDToTypeID( "null" );
	var ref9 = new ActionReference();
	var idLyr = charIDToTypeID( "Lyr " );
	var idOrdn = charIDToTypeID( "Ordn" );
	var idTrgt = charIDToTypeID( "Trgt" );
	ref9.putEnumerated( idLyr, idOrdn, idTrgt );
	desc23.putReference( idnull, ref9 );
	var idT = charIDToTypeID( "T " );
	var desc24 = new ActionDescriptor();
	var idNm = charIDToTypeID( "Nm " );
	desc24.putString( idNm, """Vertical""" );
	var idLyr = charIDToTypeID( "Lyr " );
	desc23.putObject( idT, idLyr, desc24 );

executeAction( idsetd, desc23, DialogModes.NO );

// =======================================================

var idMrgtwo = charIDToTypeID( "Mrg2" );

executeAction( idMrgtwo, undefined, DialogModes.NO );

///////////////////////////////////

	cTID = function(s) {return app.charIDToTypeID(s);};
	sTID = function(s) {return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);};
	if(app.documents.length>0){
	var docRef = app.activeDocument;
	docRef.activeLayer=docRef.backgroundLayer;
	var myLyr = docRef.artLayers;
	for (var i = 0; i < myLyr.length; i++) {
	if(myLyr[i].name.indexOf("Horizontal")!=-1){
	addtoSelection(myLyr[i].name);
	}
	}
	}
	function addtoSelection(lyName){
	var desc71 = new ActionDescriptor();
	var ref65 = new ActionReference();
	ref65.putName( cTID( "Lyr " ), lyName );
	desc71.putReference( cTID( "null" ), ref65 );
	desc71.putEnumerated( sTID( "selectionModifier" ), sTID( "selectionModifierType" ), sTID( "addToSelection" ));
	desc71.putBoolean( cTID( "MkVs" ), false );
	executeAction( cTID( "slct" ), desc71, DialogModes.NO );
	}

var idslct = charIDToTypeID( "slct" );

	var desc14 = new ActionDescriptor();
	var idnull = charIDToTypeID( "null" );
	var ref4 = new ActionReference();
	var idLyr = charIDToTypeID( "Lyr " );
	ref4.putName( idLyr, "Background" );
	desc14.putReference( idnull, ref4 );
	var idselectionModifier = stringIDToTypeID( "selectionModifier" );
	var idselectionModifierType = stringIDToTypeID( "selectionModifierType" );
	var idremoveFromSelection = stringIDToTypeID( "removeFromSelection" );
	desc14.putEnumerated( idselectionModifier, idselectionModifierType, idremoveFromSelection );
	var idMkVs = charIDToTypeID( "MkVs" );
	desc14.putBoolean( idMkVs, false );

executeAction( idslct, desc14, DialogModes.NO );

var idslct = charIDToTypeID( "slct" );

	var desc14 = new ActionDescriptor();
	var idnull = charIDToTypeID( "null" );
	var ref4 = new ActionReference();
	var idLyr = charIDToTypeID( "Lyr " );
	ref4.putName( idLyr, "Vertical" );
	desc14.putReference( idnull, ref4 );
	var idselectionModifier = stringIDToTypeID( "selectionModifier" );
	var idselectionModifierType = stringIDToTypeID( "selectionModifierType" );
	var idremoveFromSelection = stringIDToTypeID( "removeFromSelection" );
	desc14.putEnumerated( idselectionModifier, idselectionModifierType, idremoveFromSelection );
	var idMkVs = charIDToTypeID( "MkVs" );
	desc14.putBoolean( idMkVs, false );

executeAction( idslct, desc14, DialogModes.NO );

var idMk = charIDToTypeID( "Mk " );

	var desc22 = new ActionDescriptor();
	var idnull = charIDToTypeID( "null" );
	var ref7 = new ActionReference();
	var idlayerSection = stringIDToTypeID( "layerSection" );
	ref7.putClass( idlayerSection );
	desc22.putReference( idnull, ref7 );
	var idFrom = charIDToTypeID( "From" );
	var ref8 = new ActionReference();
	var idLyr = charIDToTypeID( "Lyr " );
	var idOrdn = charIDToTypeID( "Ordn" );
	var idTrgt = charIDToTypeID( "Trgt" );
	ref8.putEnumerated( idLyr, idOrdn, idTrgt );
	desc22.putReference( idFrom, ref8 );

executeAction( idMk, desc22, DialogModes.NO );

// =======================================================

var idsetd = charIDToTypeID( "setd" );

	var desc23 = new ActionDescriptor();
	var idnull = charIDToTypeID( "null" );
	var ref9 = new ActionReference();
	var idLyr = charIDToTypeID( "Lyr " );
	var idOrdn = charIDToTypeID( "Ordn" );
	var idTrgt = charIDToTypeID( "Trgt" );
	ref9.putEnumerated( idLyr, idOrdn, idTrgt );
	desc23.putReference( idnull, ref9 );
	var idT = charIDToTypeID( "T " );
	var desc24 = new ActionDescriptor();
	var idNm = charIDToTypeID( "Nm " );
	desc24.putString( idNm, """Horizontal""" );
	var idLyr = charIDToTypeID( "Lyr " );
	desc23.putObject( idT, idLyr, desc24 );

executeAction( idsetd, desc23, DialogModes.NO );

// =======================================================

var idMrgtwo = charIDToTypeID( "Mrg2" );

executeAction( idMrgtwo, undefined, DialogModes.NO );

Report · May 21, 2021

Changes to the forum software messed up old code:

Select all layers with same name script

Report · May 21, 2021

Hi,

I have found the code from the following link Select layer by similar name -- Script that selects all layers with the same name:

cTID = function(s) {return app.charIDToTypeID(s);};
sTID = function(s) {return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);};      
if(app.documents.length>0){
    var docRef = app.activeDocument;
    docRef.activeLayer=docRef.backgroundLayer;
    var myLyr = docRef.artLayers;
        for (var i = 0; i < myLyr.length; i++) {
            if(myLyr.name.indexOf("Layer")!=-1){
                addtoSelection(myLyr.name);
            }
        }
}
function addtoSelection(lyName){
    var desc71 = new ActionDescriptor();
    var ref65 = new ActionReference();
    ref65.putName( cTID( "Lyr " ), lyName );
    desc71.putReference( cTID( "null" ), ref65 );
    desc71.putEnumerated( sTID( "selectionModifier" ), sTID( "selectionModifierType" ), sTID( "addToSelection" ));
    desc71.putBoolean( cTID( "MkVs" ), false );
    executeAction( cTID( "slct" ), desc71, DialogModes.NO );
}

The code is stopping at line 8 and throwing the following error:

Error 1302: No such element

Line 8:

-> if(myLyr.name.indexOf("Layer")!=-1){

Why is this error showing and how to fix it?

My simple question is how to search and select all layers with the same name by a script.

Thank you.

Report · May 21, 2021

Replace in two places

myLyr.name

with

myLyr[i].name

upd.

>>>My simple question is how to search and select all layers with the same name by a script.

But it is not clear what exactly and how you want

Report · May 21, 2021

Thank you r-bin, this solves the problem. I will use this code to achieve certain selections of many layers with the same name and then will apply certain filter on them.

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Select layer by similar name -- Script

1 Correct answer

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