get index of selected layer

[lukasz]

for some reason I cannot get the index of the selected layer. having a brain fart.

trying to turn off visibility of selected layer then turn on visibility next layer and have next layer also be active layer.

Code: Select all

var currentLayer = app.activeDocument.activeLayer.length;
var activelayer = app.activeDocument.activeLayer;
activelayer.visible = false;
var nextLayer = currentLayer-1;
nextLayer.visible = true;
app.activeDocument.activeLayer = nextLayer;

[txuku]

Bonjour lukasz

I think this corresponds to what you seek :

Code: Select all

var doc = app.activeDocument;
var currentLayer = doc.activeLayer;
   
for(i=0; i < doc.layers.length; )
{         
  if(doc.layers[i]==currentLayer)
  {
      a=i;
      //alert(a);
      i = doc.layers.length;
  }
  else{ i++; }
}

currentLayer.visible = false;
try
{
  var nextLayer = doc.layers[a-1];
}
catch(e)
{
  var nextLayer = doc.layers[doc.layers.length-1];
} 
nextLayer.visible = true;
doc.activeLayer = nextLayer;

[lukasz]

that worked perfect. one more issue though.
documentation says index is method of layers, but I can't seem to select via the index. any idea whats going on?

Code: Select all

var newActivelayer = doc.layers.index(1);

[larsen67]

Not like that…

Code: Select all

app.activeDocument.activeLayer = app.activeDocument.layers[1];

Index inside of a square bracket pair…

[lukasz]

doh, ok works get thanks!

[lukasz]

still a little hiccup. doesnt seem to want to select next layer, however it does make it visible? which seems weird because it makes it visible after it selects the layer in the code, or should? but in the document the next layer is not selected.

Code: Select all

#target illustrator

var activelayer = app.activeDocument.activeLayer;
activelayer.visible = false;

for(i=0; i < doc.layers.length; )
{
  if(doc.layers[i]==activelayer)
  {
      var a = i;
      alert(a);
      var i = doc.layers.length;
      var b = a+1;
  }
  else{ i++; }
}

app.activeDocument.activeLayer = app.activeDocument.layers[b];
var activelayer = app.activeDocument.activeLayer;
activelayer.visible = true;

[larsen67]

#target illustrator

Sorry but you can't expect the syntax of Photoshop to work with Illustrator… While there are common objects like app & doc little else will work… In PS layers can exist inside a doc or layer set… In Illustrator they can exist anywhere… other layers, groups, etc… this needs to be scripted as per the Illustrator DOM…

[lukasz]

hmmm, interesting. I understand not all of it will work. but usually the core dom is the same, they do handle layers differently though. i will look into that.

[Mike Hale]

but usually the core dom is the same

It has been my experience that the core javascript is the same, but the DOM's for each Adobe app have little if anything in common.

[larsen67]

Try getting the name of your active layer… You will see it's the one you wanted it's just a lazy UI that does not redraw as you would expect… Even app.redraw() will not refresh this for you…

[lukasz]

Try getting the name of your active layer… You will see it's the one you wanted it's just a lazy UI that does not redraw as you would expect… Even app.redraw() will not refresh this for you…

not sure I understand what you're saying?

[lukasz]

still not sure what you meant by lazy UI hah, but decided to add the redraw(); method and it seems to fix it? really strange. why do you have to apply this in order to set an active layer? seems like the UI would do it sometimes, and other times it didn't. but now it is consistant. it's the worst when I am doing several things in succession, if it is only selecting active layer and that is all script does, it seems to work fine. very strange.