Project and items¶

`ae_project_info`¶

The open project: its file, whether it has unsaved changes, how many compositions, footage items and folders it holds, the active item and the selection. Read it first to learn what is there.

read-only · repeat-safe · stays inside After Effects.

Takes no parameters.

JSON Schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {}
}

`ae_project_new`¶

Start a new empty project. Refused while the open project has unsaved changes unless discard is true, so a user's work is never thrown away in silence.

may overwrite or delete · every call adds · stays inside After Effects.

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
`discard`	`boolean`	—	`false`	Throw away the open project's unsaved changes instead of refusing.

JSON Schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "discard": {
      "description": "Throw away the open project\u0027s unsaved changes instead of refusing.",
      "type": "boolean",
      "default": false
    }
  }
}

`ae_project_open`¶

Open a project file, replacing the open one. Refused while the open project has unsaved changes unless discard is true. Dialogs about missing footage are suppressed; ae_list_items with kind footage then shows what is missing.

may overwrite or delete · repeat-safe · reaches files or programs outside After Effects.

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
`path`	`string`	yes	—	Path of the .aep, .aepx or .aet file on After Effects' machine.
`discard`	`boolean`	—	`false`	Throw away the open project's unsaved changes instead of refusing.

JSON Schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "path": {
      "description": "Path of the .aep, .aepx or .aet file on After Effects\u0027 machine.",
      "type": "string"
    },
    "discard": {
      "description": "Throw away the open project\u0027s unsaved changes instead of refusing.",
      "type": "boolean",
      "default": false
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "path"
  ]
}

`ae_project_save`¶

Save the project in place, or under the path given; the folder is created when it does not exist.

only adds · repeat-safe · reaches files or programs outside After Effects.

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
`path`	`string?`	—	`null`	Where to save, for a project saved for the first time or under a new name; empty saves in place.

JSON Schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "path": {
      "description": "Where to save, for a project saved for the first time or under a new name; empty saves in place.",
      "type": [
        "string",
        "null"
      ],
      "default": null
    }
  }
}

`ae_project_close`¶

Close the project and leave After Effects with a new empty one. Refused while it has unsaved changes unless discard is true.

may overwrite or delete · repeat-safe · stays inside After Effects.

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
`discard`	`boolean`	—	`false`	Throw away the open project's unsaved changes instead of refusing.

JSON Schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "discard": {
      "description": "Throw away the open project\u0027s unsaved changes instead of refusing.",
      "type": "boolean",
      "default": false
    }
  }
}

`ae_list_items`¶

The items of the project panel — compositions, footage and folders — with ids, sizes, durations and, for footage, the file and whether it is missing. Filter by kind, folder or name; the id is what later calls take when names repeat.

read-only · repeat-safe · stays inside After Effects.

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
`kind`	`string?`	—	`null`	Keep only items of this kind: comp, footage or folder.
`folder`	`string?`	—	`null`	Keep only items directly inside this folder, by name or id.
`nameContains`	`string?`	—	`null`	Keep only items whose name contains this text, case-insensitive.
`limit`	`integer`	—	`200`	How many items to return at most; the total is reported regardless.

JSON Schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "kind": {
      "description": "Keep only items of this kind: comp, footage or folder.",
      "type": [
        "string",
        "null"
      ],
      "default": null
    },
    "folder": {
      "description": "Keep only items directly inside this folder, by name or id.",
      "type": [
        "string",
        "null"
      ],
      "default": null
    },
    "nameContains": {
      "description": "Keep only items whose name contains this text, case-insensitive.",
      "type": [
        "string",
        "null"
      ],
      "default": null
    },
    "limit": {
      "description": "How many items to return at most; the total is reported regardless.",
      "type": "integer",
      "default": 200
    }
  }
}

`ae_item_info`¶

Everything about one item: a composition's settings and its layer list, a footage item's source, a folder's children, and the compositions the item is used in.

read-only · repeat-safe · stays inside After Effects.

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
`item`	`string`	yes	—	The item by its name as the project panel shows it, or by its id when names repeat.

JSON Schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "item": {
      "description": "The item by its name as the project panel shows it, or by its id when names repeat.",
      "type": "string"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "item"
  ]
}

`ae_item_update`¶

Rename an item, change its comment or label colour, or move it into a folder.

only adds · repeat-safe · stays inside After Effects.

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
`item`	`string`	yes	—	The item by its name as the project panel shows it, or by its id when names repeat.
`name`	`string?`	—	`null`	The new name.
`comment`	`string?`	—	`null`	The comment shown in the project panel.
`label`	`integer?`	—	`null`	Label colour as a number 0 to 16 as After Effects numbers them; 0 is none.
`folder`	`string?`	—	`null`	Folder to move the item into, by name or id.

JSON Schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "item": {
      "description": "The item by its name as the project panel shows it, or by its id when names repeat.",
      "type": "string"
    },
    "name": {
      "description": "The new name.",
      "type": [
        "string",
        "null"
      ],
      "default": null
    },
    "comment": {
      "description": "The comment shown in the project panel.",
      "type": [
        "string",
        "null"
      ],
      "default": null
    },
    "label": {
      "description": "Label colour as a number 0 to 16 as After Effects numbers them; 0 is none.",
      "type": [
        "integer",
        "null"
      ],
      "default": null
    },
    "folder": {
      "description": "Folder to move the item into, by name or id.",
      "type": [
        "string",
        "null"
      ],
      "default": null
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "item"
  ]
}

`ae_item_remove`¶

Delete an item from the project. Layers that use it are deleted with it, and so is everything inside a folder; ae_item_info shows where it is used first.

may overwrite or delete · every call adds · stays inside After Effects.

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
`item`	`string`	yes	—	The item by its name as the project panel shows it, or by its id when names repeat.

JSON Schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "item": {
      "description": "The item by its name as the project panel shows it, or by its id when names repeat.",
      "type": "string"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "item"
  ]
}

`ae_folder_create`¶

Create a folder in the project panel, at the root or inside another folder.

only adds · every call adds · stays inside After Effects.

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
`name`	`string`	yes	—	Name of the new folder.
`folder`	`string?`	—	`null`	Parent folder, by name or id; the project root otherwise.

JSON Schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "name": {
      "description": "Name of the new folder.",
      "type": "string"
    },
    "folder": {
      "description": "Parent folder, by name or id; the project root otherwise.",
      "type": [
        "string",
        "null"
      ],
      "default": null
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "name"
  ]
}

`ae_import_file`¶

Import a file into the project: video, audio, a still, an image sequence, a layered .psd or .ai as a composition, or another .aep merged in. The imported item comes back with its id; use ae_add_layer to put it into a composition.

only adds · every call adds · reaches files or programs outside After Effects.

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
`path`	`string`	yes	—	Path on After Effects' machine: footage, image, sound, a sequence's first frame, .psd/.ai, or another .aep.
`as`	`string?`	—	`null`	footage (default), comp (layered file as a composition), comp_cropped (layers cropped to content) or project (merge).
`sequence`	`boolean`	—	`false`	Import the file as the first frame of a numbered sequence.
`folder`	`string?`	—	`null`	Folder to put the item into, by name or id.
`name`	`string?`	—	`null`	Name for the item; the file's name otherwise.
`forceAlphabetical`	`boolean`	—	`true`	Sequence: order frames alphabetically; on unless a range is given.
`rangeStart`	`integer?`	—	`null`	Sequence: first frame number to import.
`rangeEnd`	`integer?`	—	`null`	Sequence: last frame number to import.

JSON Schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "path": {
      "description": "Path on After Effects\u0027 machine: footage, image, sound, a sequence\u0027s first frame, .psd/.ai, or another .aep.",
      "type": "string"
    },
    "as": {
      "description": "footage (default), comp (layered file as a composition), comp_cropped (layers cropped to content) or project (merge).",
      "type": [
        "string",
        "null"
      ],
      "default": null
    },
    "sequence": {
      "description": "Import the file as the first frame of a numbered sequence.",
      "type": "boolean",
      "default": false
    },
    "folder": {
      "description": "Folder to put the item into, by name or id.",
      "type": [
        "string",
        "null"
      ],
      "default": null
    },
    "name": {
      "description": "Name for the item; the file\u0027s name otherwise.",
      "type": [
        "string",
        "null"
      ],
      "default": null
    },
    "forceAlphabetical": {
      "description": "Sequence: order frames alphabetically; on unless a range is given.",
      "type": "boolean",
      "default": true
    },
    "rangeStart": {
      "description": "Sequence: first frame number to import.",
      "type": [
        "integer",
        "null"
      ],
      "default": null
    },
    "rangeEnd": {
      "description": "Sequence: last frame number to import.",
      "type": [
        "integer",
        "null"
      ],
      "default": null
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "path"
  ]
}

Project and items¶

ae_project_info¶

ae_project_new¶

ae_project_open¶

ae_project_save¶

ae_project_close¶

ae_list_items¶

ae_item_info¶

ae_item_update¶

ae_item_remove¶

ae_folder_create¶

ae_import_file¶

`ae_project_info`¶

`ae_project_new`¶

`ae_project_open`¶

`ae_project_save`¶

`ae_project_close`¶

`ae_list_items`¶

`ae_item_info`¶

`ae_item_update`¶

`ae_item_remove`¶

`ae_folder_create`¶

`ae_import_file`¶