Photoshop Script - New layer below current layer

Question

I am a Photoshop beginner and currently use version Photoshop CS3. I use keyboard shortcut all the time to speed up the design process such as creation of new layers etc.

However, one command I feel Photoshop must have is to create a new layer below the current working layer and therefore I cannot assign it via a shortcut.

I have to create a new layer above the current layer and then manually drag it below the current layer which I feel can be automated using action or scripting, both of which are difficult for me being a beginner.

Can anybody help me in this regard.

Thanks dkj

Answer 1

It can be scripted with the following:

I've simplified my answer - you don't need to find the index, you can use the active layer instead.

create_new_layer("Gwen!");

// function CREATE NEW LAYER (layername)
// --------------------------------------------------------
function create_new_layer(layername)
{
  if (layername == undefined) layername = "Layer";

   // create new layer at top of layers
   var originalLayer = app.activeDocument.activeLayer;
   var layerRef = app.activeDocument.artLayers.add();

   // name it & set blend mode to normal
   layerRef.name = layername;
   layerRef.blendMode = BlendMode.NORMAL;

   // Move the layer below
   layerRef.moveAfter(originalLayer);

   // Move the layer above if you desire
   // layerRef.moveBefore(originalLayer);
}

You can then record this script as an action and put on a keyboard short cut.

Answer 2

Few years ago i thought that native PS API working with DOM is cool and should work faster, but actually under the hood it's callstack often even bigger than same commands performed via actions. + Also sometimes DOM functions consist of multiple underlying calls, like artLayers.add() for example which is actually make layer + move it to top of the document. So here's action version of that functionality from my PS scripting library:

// get current layer number
function curLyrN(){
    if(app.activeDocument.artLayers.length<2) return 1;
    var idLyr = charIDToTypeID("Lyr ");
    var idItmI = charIDToTypeID("ItmI");
    var aref = new ActionReference(); 
    aref.putEnumerated(idLyr, charIDToTypeID("Ordn"), charIDToTypeID("Trgt")); 
    var id = executeActionGet(aref).getInteger(charIDToTypeID("LyrI"));
    aref = new ActionReference(); 
    aref.putProperty(charIDToTypeID("Prpr"), idItmI); 
    aref.putIdentifier(idLyr, id); 
    id = executeActionGet(aref).getInteger(idItmI);
    if(id) return id;
    return 0; 
}

// select [LayerNum], optionally [add] to selection (if add=2: with inclusion)
function selLyr(LyrN,add){
    var adesc = new ActionDescriptor();
    var aref = new ActionReference();
    aref.putIndex(charIDToTypeID("Lyr "), LyrN);
    adesc.putReference(charIDToTypeID("null"), aref);
    if(add){
        add = (add==2) ? stringIDToTypeID("addToSelectionContinuous") : stringIDToTypeID("addToSelection");
        adesc.putEnumerated(stringIDToTypeID("selectionModifier"),stringIDToTypeID("selectionModifierType"),add);
    }
    adesc.putBoolean(charIDToTypeID("MkVs"), false);
    return executeAction(charIDToTypeID("slct"), adesc, DialogModes.NO);
}

// move current layer to [LayerNum]
function movLyr(LyrN){
    var idLyr = charIDToTypeID("Lyr ");
    var adesc = new ActionDescriptor();
    var aref = new ActionReference();
    aref.putEnumerated(idLyr, charIDToTypeID("Ordn"), charIDToTypeID("Trgt"));
    adesc.putReference(charIDToTypeID("null"), aref);
    aref = new ActionReference();
    aref.putIndex(idLyr, LyrN);
    adesc.putReference(charIDToTypeID("T   "), aref);
    adesc.putBoolean(charIDToTypeID("Adjs"), false);
    return executeAction(charIDToTypeID("move"), adesc, DialogModes.NO);
}

// create new empty layer
function mkLyr(){
    var aref = new ActionReference();
    aref.putClass(charIDToTypeID("Lyr "));
    var adesc = new ActionDescriptor();
    adesc.putReference(charIDToTypeID("null"), aref);
    return executeAction(charIDToTypeID("Mk  "), adesc, DialogModes.NO);
}

// count all inner layers from layer-set (group)
function cntLyrS(lyrs,c){
    if(!c){
        if(lyrs.typename!='LayerSet') return 0;
        c = 0;
    }
    var ls = lyrs.layers.length;
    var i = 0;
    while(i<ls){
        c++;
        if(lyrs.layers[i].typename=='LayerSet') c=cntLyrS(lyrs.layers[i],c);
        i++;
    }
    return c+1;
}

// make new layer below current or [LayerNum], optionally [ignoreGroups]
function mkLyrBelow(LyrN,noGr){
    var doc = app.activeDocument;
    if(!doc) return false;
    if(LyrN){
        selLyr(LyrN);
    }else{
        LyrN = curLyrN();
        if(!LyrN) return false;
    }
    var actv = doc.activeLayer;
    if(actv.isBackgroundLayer) actv.isBackgroundLayer=false;
    mkLyr();
    if(curLyrN()==LyrN) return true;
    if(!noGr){
        var lc = cntLyrS(actv);
        if(lc && lc<LyrN-1) LyrN -= lc;
    }
    return movLyr(LyrN-1);
}

And even tho it looks pretty cumbersome and scary - i doubt that it will perform much slower. And as a bonus it will create minimal amount of actions in the history (no unnecessary layer moves) + it will correctly work with background layer + it will work properly with the groups (layer-sets): if group is opened - it will create new layer inside of it, and if group is closed it will correctly move layer under the whole group-structure including other possible groups inside the selected one.

Use it like that: mkLyrBelow(); to create new layer under selected one, or mkLyrBelow(LayerNumber); to create layer under another one via it's number, also u can optionally add 2d parameter to ignore groups (it will move new layer inside the group even if it's closed): mkLyrBelow(LayerNumber,true); or mkLyrBelow(0,1);...

P.S. don't get me wrong about ActionRefs - they're not the silver bullet, just oftenly have some more convenience in the end, but ofc best results obtained when u combine ARef's with native API. Just believe me on that, i've coded my first PS script like 8 years ago, so i've tried pretty much everything =)

Answer 3

If I understand your question correctly, Photoshop already has these shortcuts

Ctrl+Shift+N (Creating New Layer)

Ctrl+] (To move the layer up)

Ctrl+[ (To move the layer down)