Layers - sorting, searching, filtering

[bures]

It would be useful to be able to sort, filter and search by name in the Layers panel.

[fde101]

This has been discussed previously and is more complicated than it sounds.

If you sort them, all the objects in your document would need to be sorted along with it, as the order of items in the Layers panel is a direct reflection of their stacking order in the document.

If you filter the Layers panel, should the layers that are not listed in the panel also be hidden in the document?

If not, what is the basis for their existence as they have been filtered away?

If you have layers hidden in the panel and drag something that is visible into a different position where some of the filtered layers would be, does it get moved above or below them?  In between some of them?

If layers are grouped and the group does not match the filter but some of the layers within the group do, should they be hidden along with their group?  Should they show up independently of the group, or should the group be visible in spite of not matching the filter so that the matching child layers can be accessed?

If you sort the panel and a group would sort into a different position from its child layers, should they be separated?  Should the child layers be sorted within the group and not amongst each other?

 

Personally, I think this should be offered in a different panel - one specifically intended for these operations and NOT reflecting the actual stacking order of the document.  That new panel would be used for searching/filtering/sorting and give options on how you want to deal with layers that are grouped or otherwise parented and thus would not allow you to re-order the layers due to the complications explained above, though it could make layer visibility and other similar features available.  It could also have an option to select the actual layer in the Layers panel, maybe by double-clicking on one in the layer search panel, when you do find the one you are looking for.

[bures]

Thanks for the detailed analysis. As far as sorting is concerned, I am mainly concerned with sorting Artboards. Specifically, layers that don't affect the display of the final image.
The power of the filtering is shown, for example, when the user names the layers in a meaningful way.
I think the usefulness of the search is obvious.