Why Layer Detection Matters
A typical Photoshop template has dozens of layers — text layers, Smart Objects, shape layers, groups, adjustment layers, pixel layers. Before you can automate anything, you need to know what each layer is. Manually tagging or naming every layer is tedious and error-prone, especially when working with templates from external designers or stock resources.
Xlaypand's Layer Detection reads your entire document and automatically classifies every layer by type. No naming conventions required, no manual tagging, no pre-processing. Just open a PSD and every layer is automatically identified and ready for mapping — no button to click, no scan to trigger.
What Layer Detection Detects
Layer Detection identifies five primary layer types, each marked with a color-coded badge in the plugin's layer tree: Text Layers (point and paragraph text, ready for CSV content mapping), Smart Objects (embedded and linked, flagged for image replacement), Shape Layers (vectors for color overlays and visibility toggles), Groups (with full hierarchy for Iteration Mode and Combinations), and Adjustment Layers (available as conditional modifiers through the Logic Engine).
Color coding: Each layer type gets a distinct badge color — T for Text, P for Smart Objects, S for Shapes, G for Groups, L for Adjustment Layers — so you can visually scan even the most complex documents at a glance.
Panel Features
The Layer Detection panel provides a complete interactive tree with live visibility toggling, cascading group selection, and collapsible hierarchy. You can manage and audit your layers entirely from within the plugin — no switching back to Photoshop's layer panel.
Search & Filter
The built-in search bar filters the layer tree in real time as you type. Start typing "price" and only layers containing that string remain visible — everything else fades out. This makes it easy to locate specific layers in complex documents, verify that a mapped layer still exists before running a batch, or quickly find all Smart Objects by name pattern.
Inline Rename
Double-click any layer name directly in the plugin tree to rename it. The change syncs instantly to Photoshop — no need to switch panels. This is especially useful when preparing templates for automation, since layer names become CSV column references. Clean naming in the plugin means clean mappings in the batch.
Scan Performance
Layer Detection reads the entire layer tree in a single pass — under a second for 50 layers, a few seconds for 200+. Results are cached for the session, so subsequent panel interactions use the cached tree without re-scanning. The tree updates automatically when you modify the document structure in Photoshop.