Why reference collection matters for AI-powered creative workflows
Every AI-generated asset starts with a vision. Game artists, concept designers, and marketing teams spend significant time gathering visual references before they generate anything in Layer. Screenshots of competitor games, art style inspiration from ArtStation, UI patterns from Dribbble, texture samples from photography sites — these references define the direction of AI generation and the quality of the output.
The problem is that this collection process is fragmented. References end up scattered across browser bookmarks, desktop folders, Slack threads, and Google Docs. By the time the team sits down to generate assets in Layer, half the references are lost or buried. The Layer Reference Collector Chrome extension solves this by making reference collection a seamless part of browsing. Save any image to your Layer workspace with a single right-click, and it is immediately available for your AI generation workflows.
For game artists building mood boards for a new project, this means no more downloading images to a local folder and re-uploading them later. For creative strategists gathering competitor ad creative, it means the references are already organized in the workspace by the time the briefing starts.
One-click saving from any website
The extension adds a "Save to Layer" option to your browser's right-click context menu. When you see an image you want to reference — a character design, a background style, a UI element, a texture — right-click it and select "Save to Layer." The image is captured at its full resolution and added to your collection.
This works on virtually any website: ArtStation, Pinterest, Dribbble, Google Images, competitor websites, stock photo libraries, and social media platforms. The extension captures the original image URL and metadata, so you can always trace a reference back to its source.
For teams working on style consistency, this is especially powerful. A lead artist can collect reference images throughout the week during normal browsing, and by the time the team meets to discuss art direction, the Layer workspace already contains a curated collection of visual targets. No separate mood board creation step required.
Batch selection for rapid mood board building
When you need to collect many images from a single page — a gallery, a search results page, or a portfolio — one-click saving would be tedious. The batch selection mode solves this. Right-click anywhere on the page and select "Start batch selection mode." Now click each image you want to collect. Each selected image gets highlighted with a purple border so you can see your selections clearly. When you are done, press Enter to save all selected images to Layer in one action.
This is particularly useful for UA managers who analyze competitor ad libraries. Open a competitor's Facebook Ad Library page, enter batch mode, click through the creatives you want to reference, and save them all to a dedicated workspace. The entire collection is ready for the team to review and use as generation prompts in Layer.
Batch mode also helps indie game developers building reference boards for new game concepts. Browse a few art style galleries, batch-select the images that match the aesthetic direction, and jump straight into Layer to start generating assets that match those references.
Workspace integration and auto-upload
The extension connects directly to your Layer account. Open the extension popup to see your workspaces and switch between them. This means you can organize references by project, by client, or by asset type without any extra effort.
When auto-upload is enabled, every saved image goes directly to your selected Layer workspace without manual intervention. A desktop notification confirms each upload, so you never have to wonder whether an image made it to the right place. For teams that want more control, auto-upload can be disabled — images are collected locally in the extension and uploaded manually when the set is complete.
This direct workspace connection means your references are immediately available for generation. Open Layer, navigate to your workspace, and the references you collected during your browsing session are already there. No file transfers, no re-uploads, no searching through download folders.
Use cases for game studios and creative teams
Concept art direction: Art directors and game artists browse reference sites throughout their workday. The extension turns that passive browsing into active reference building. By the time a project kicks off, the workspace already contains a rich collection of style references, color palettes, and composition examples that guide AI generation in Layer.
Competitive analysis for UA teams: Growth leads and marketing teams need to stay on top of competitor creative. The extension makes it effortless to save competitor ads, landing page designs, and promotional assets to a shared workspace. The team can then use these references to generate fresh creative variations in Layer that are informed by market trends without copying specific assets.
Texture and material reference: Environment artists and 3D teams collect texture references from photography sites, material databases, and nature photography galleries. These references feed directly into Layer's generation pipeline to create game-ready textures that match real-world materials. The extension eliminates the friction between finding a reference and using it.
Client mood boards: Studios working with external clients can set up a dedicated workspace per client, collect approved references directly into that workspace during review calls, and use those references to guide AI generation. The client sees the connection between the references they approved and the generated output, which builds trust in the AI-assisted pipeline.
Install the Layer Reference Collector from the Chrome Web Store to start collecting references directly into your Layer workflow.