Photoshop Scripting: Relink Smart Object

Question

I'm working on a script that should go through a photoshop document and relink all visible linked objects to a new specified file. I've gotten the loop working so that it cycles through every layer and collects only the visible layers, but for the life of me I can't find if there's a method available to relink a smart object. The closest I've found is this script:

https://gist.github.com/laryn/0a1f6bf0dab5b713395a835f9bfa805c

but when it gets to desc3.putPath(idnull, new File(newFile));, it spits out an error indicating that the functionality may not be present in the current Photoshop version. The script itself is 4 years old so it may be out of date.

Any help would be appreciated!

MY script as it stands is below:

// SELECT FILE //

var files = File.openDialog("Please select new linked file");

var selectedFile = files[0];

// GET ALL LAYERS //

var doc = app.activeDocument;
var allLayers = [];
var allLayers = collectAllLayers(doc, allLayers);

function collectAllLayers (doc, allLayers)
{
    for (var m = 0; m < doc.layers.length; m++)
    {
        var theLayer = doc.layers[m];
        
        if (theLayer.typename === "ArtLayer")
        {
            allLayers.push(theLayer);
        }
        else
        {
            collectAllLayers(theLayer, allLayers);
        }
    }
    return allLayers;
}

// GET VISIBLE LAYERS //

var visibleLayers = [];

for (i = 0; i < allLayers.length; i++)
{
    var layer = allLayers[i];
    
    if (layer.visible && layer.kind == LayerKind.SMARTOBJECT)
    {
        visibleLayers.push(layer);
    }
}

// REPLACE LAYERS

for (i = 0; i < visibleLayers.length; i++)
{
    var layer = visibleLayers[i];
    
    //--> REPLACE THE FILE HERE 
}

Note: I am aware that this script currently may be error-prone if you don't know exactly how it works; I'm not intending to publish it at this time so I'm not super concerned with that at the moment. Mostly I just need the core functionality to work.

Answer 1

I used an AM function for getting visible smart objects — it works much faster. But if you want you can use yours. The important bit is relinkSO(path);: it'll also work in your script (just don't forget to select a layer: activeDocument.activeLayer = visibleLayers[i];)

Note that it works similar to Photoshop Relink to File command — if used on one instance of Smart Object all the instances are going to be relinked. If you want to relink only specific layers you'll have to break instancing first (probably using the New Smart Object via Copy command)

function main() {
  var myFile = Folder.myDocuments.openDlg('Load file', undefined, false);
  if (myFile == null) return false;
  
  // gets IDs of all smart objects
  var lyrs = getLyrs();

  for (var i = 0; i < lyrs.length; i++) {
    // for each SO id...

    // select it
    selectById(lyrs[i]);

    // relink SO to file
    relinkSO(myFile);

    // embed linked if you want
    embedLinked()
  }

  function getLyrs() {
        var ids = [];
        var layers, desc, vis, type, id;

        try
        {
          activeDocument.backgroundLayer;
          layers = 0;
        }
        catch (e)
        {
          layers = 1;
        }

        while (true)
        {
          ref = new ActionReference();
          ref.putIndex(charIDToTypeID('Lyr '), layers);
          try
          {
            desc = executeActionGet(ref);
          }
          catch (err)
          {
            break;
          }
          vis = desc.getBoolean(charIDToTypeID("Vsbl"));
          type = desc.getInteger(stringIDToTypeID("layerKind"));
          id = desc.getInteger(stringIDToTypeID("layerID"));
          if (type == 5 && vis) ids.push(id);
          layers++;
        }
        return ids;

  } // end of getLyrs()

  function selectById(id) {
        var desc = new ActionDescriptor();
        var ref = new ActionReference();
        ref.putIdentifier(charIDToTypeID('Lyr '), id);
        desc.putReference(charIDToTypeID('null'), ref);
        executeAction(charIDToTypeID('slct'), desc, DialogModes.NO);
  } // end of selectById()
  
  function relinkSO(path) {
      var desc = new ActionDescriptor();
      desc.putPath( charIDToTypeID('null'), new File( path ) );
      executeAction( stringIDToTypeID('placedLayerRelinkToFile'), desc, DialogModes.NO );
  } // end of relinkSO()

  function embedLinked() {
      executeAction( stringIDToTypeID('placedLayerConvertToEmbedded'), undefined, DialogModes.NO );
  } // end of embedLinked()
  
}
app.activeDocument.suspendHistory("relink SOs", "main()");