What Is Mockup Mode?

Standard image replacement targets the Smart Object itself — swap the entire contents and move on. But real-world mockups are more complex. A phone mockup Smart Object doesn't just contain your screenshot; it contains a screen layer, a reflection overlay, a shadow, ambient lighting effects, and sometimes even multiple device states. Replacing the entire SO destroys all that carefully crafted composite work.

Mockup Mode solves this. When you activate Deep-Scan (Mockup Mode) on a P-type mapping card, Xlaypand opens the Smart Object's embedded PSB, reads every internal layer, and lets you target one specific layer for replacement. The rest of the SO stays untouched. Your shadows, reflections, lighting — all preserved, every row, every export.

Beyond image replacement, Mockup Mode lets you change text inside Smart Objects directly from the mapping card — no Beast Mode required. Select any internal text layer from the scanned Smart Object, map it to a CSV column or enter custom text, and the content updates automatically for every row. For more advanced control, Beast Mode adds SO: Visibility for toggling internal layers on or off. Together, these capabilities let you automate even the most intricate mockup compositions from CSV data.

Xlaypand
Deep-Scan (Mockup Mode)
Re-Scan
T Headline▾
11 layers indexed · Target: Headline
+ Create Logic Card
Ready

How It Works

Activate Mockup Mode on any Smart Object mapping card — whether you're using Data Mapping, Iterate from Folder, or Beast Mode. Scan the PSB contents, select your target layer from a dropdown, optionally add text changes on internal text layers, and the batch engine handles the rest — opening, modifying, saving, and closing the SO automatically for every row. The rest of the Smart Object remains completely untouched.

Non-destructive by design. Mockup Mode never flattens, rasterizes, or restructures your Smart Object. Every other internal layer — shadows, reflections, masks, adjustment layers — stays exactly as you designed it.

SO Capabilities

Image Replacement: Target a specific internal layer for replacement — swap the screen content or label artwork while shadows, reflections, perspective transforms, and other mockup elements stay untouched. Fit and alignment settings apply to the target layer inside the SO, giving you full control over how each source image fills the frame.

Text Replacement (Change Text in SO): Modify text content on any internal text layer directly from the mapping card. Map a text layer to a CSV column or enter custom text — headlines, app names, prices, or calls-to-action that live inside the device frame are updated automatically for every row. Available in all modes: Data Mapping, Iterate from Folder, and Beast Mode.

Visibility Control (SO: Visibility): Toggle any internal layer on or off based on CSV column values. Switch between dark/light UI states, show or hide badges and overlays, or control variant elements — all data-driven from a single mockup file.

Real-World Use Cases

Device Mockups

A product photographer maintains a set of device mockups — iPhone, MacBook, iPad, Android phone — each as a Smart Object in a master PSD. Each SO contains carefully crafted layers: the screen, a glass reflection, ambient shadows, and a perspective warp.

They need to generate 200 portfolio images showing different app screenshots on each device. Without Mockup Mode, they'd either replace the entire SO (losing reflections and shadows) or manually open each PSB 200 times.

With Mockup Mode: map the SO to the CSV image column, scan it, select the screen layer, and run the batch. Two hundred images export with perfect reflections, accurate shadows, and each app screenshot precisely placed on the screen layer. Total setup time: under a minute.

Multi-Variant Packaging

A packaging designer creates a single product box mockup as a Smart Object. Inside the PSB, separate layers control the product label, a "NEW" starburst badge, nutritional information text, and a flavor-specific color band.

Using Mockup Mode with image replacement and text changes on the mapping card, plus Beast Mode visibility actions on the same SO, they automate the entire variant matrix from one CSV:

  • Image replacement on the label layer — different product photo per flavor.
  • SO: Change Text on the nutritional info layer — different calorie counts and ingredients per variant.
  • SO: Visibility on the "NEW" badge — shown only for recently launched flavors (controlled by a CSV column).
  • SO: Visibility on color band layers — toggle between strawberry-red, blueberry-blue, and mango-yellow based on the flavor column.

One PSD, one Smart Object, one CSV, dozens of packaging variants — all with consistent mockup lighting, shadows, and perspective.

Performance

SO operations add extra processing time per row because the PSB needs to be opened, modified, and saved for each export. Expect longer batch times compared to standard text or visibility changes. Xlaypand automatically consolidates all SO modifications — image replacement, text changes, and Beast Mode visibility toggles — into a single open/modify/save cycle per row, so stacking actions doesn't multiply the time linearly.

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