Gimp 2.10 python plugin for moving all visible layers into an existing or new layer group

readme

This plugin moves all visible, non-group layers into an existing layer group (if that is the actie layer) or a new group.

The idea is you make all layers visible that you want to move into an existing group or a new group and then call this plugin.

To install it, move the python code into the plug-ins directory of gimp and restart gimp. The plugin is then available via
<ToolBar> > Layer > Move > Move Visible To Group...

Hope it helps!

P.S. Motivation was that you can only move one layer at a time in gimp, so that makes it painful moving more than 2 layers into
a layer group .... ;)

move_visible_layers_to_layer_group.py

import os
from gimpfu import *

def _rec(layers, lst):
    for l in lst:
        if not l.visible: continue

        if pdb.gimp_item_is_group(l): _rec(layers,l.layers)
        else: layers.append(l)

    return layers

def _get_layers(image, dont_recurse=False):
    layers = None

    if dont_recurse:
        layers = [layer for layer in image.layers if (
            layer.visible and (not pdb.gimp_item_is_group(layer)))]
    else:
        layers = _rec([], image.layers)

    return (layers, len(layers), 0)

def run(*args):
    image, group_name = args

    group_layer = image.active_layer

    # selection = image.selection
    gimp.progress_init("Moving Layers")

    # Since we're moving stuff into groups, don't recurse into existing
    # groups, just use the non-group, visible, top-level layers.
    layers, total_layers, cnt = _get_layers(image, dont_recurse=True)
    mod_lmt = int(total_layers * 0.20)

    pdb.gimp_image_undo_disable(image)

    if group_layer == None or (not pdb.gimp_item_is_group(group_layer)):
        group_layer = gimp.GroupLayer(image)
        group_layer.name = group_name
        pdb.gimp_image_insert_layer(image, group_layer, None,0)

    for layer in layers:
        if layer == group_layer: continue

        orig_name = layer.name
        ly2 = pdb.gimp_layer_copy(layer,True)
        pdb.gimp_image_insert_layer(image, ly2, group_layer, 0)
        pdb.gimp_image_remove_layer(image,layer)
        ly2.name = orig_name

        if cnt % mod_lmt == 0: gimp.progress_update(cnt / total_layers)
        cnt += 1

    pdb.gimp_progress_end()
    pdb.gimp_image_undo_enable(image)

register(
    "layers_move_visible_to_new_group",
    "Move To Layer Group",
    "Move all visible layers to a new Layer Group",
    "Osmond Oswald <[email protected]>",
    "Osmond Oswald <[email protected]>",
    "20-02-2020",
    "Move Visible To Group...",
    "*",
    [
        (PF_IMAGE, "arg0", "Image To Use", None),
        (PF_STRING, "arg1", "New Group Name", "New Group"),
    ],
    [],
    run, menu="<Image>/Layer/Move"
    )

main()