after-effects

Overview

This skill automates After Effects by generating ExtendScript (.jsx) and executing it via osascript. It reads project state through query scripts, uses rule files for domain knowledge, and wraps all mutations in undo groups.

First-Time Setup

1. Run scripts/runner.sh with any query script to detect the AE version
2. If multiple AE versions are installed, the user must choose one — runner.sh will prompt
3. Ensure AE Preferences > Scripting & Expressions > "Allow Scripts to Write Files and Access Network" is enabled

Workflow

For every user request:

Step 1: Gather context (auto-run, no confirmation needed)

Use --background for all query scripts — this skips ae.activate() so AE doesn't steal focus:

bash scripts/runner.sh --background scripts/active-state.jsx

Then read /tmp/ae-assistant-result.json for active comp, selected layers, CTI.

If this is the first interaction or the project context is unknown, also run:

bash scripts/runner.sh --background scripts/project-overview.jsx

This returns a summary by default: folder tree with counts, all comps listed, footage grouped by file type. NOT every individual file.

To drill into a specific folder:

bash scripts/runner.sh --background scripts/project-overview.jsx '{"mode": "folder", "folderName": "Images"}'

Only use full mode when you actually need every item listed:

bash scripts/runner.sh --background scripts/project-overview.jsx '{"mode": "full"}'

Step 2: Drill down if needed (auto-run)

If the task targets a specific comp:

bash scripts/runner.sh --background scripts/comp-detail.jsx '{"compName": "Comp Name"}'

If the task targets specific layers:

bash scripts/runner.sh --background scripts/layer-detail.jsx '{"layerNames": ["Layer 1", "Layer 2"]}'

Omit compName to use the active comp. Omit layerNames to use selected layers.

Additional query scripts

Expression errors — scan for broken expressions:

bash scripts/runner.sh --background scripts/expression-errors.jsx
bash scripts/runner.sh --background scripts/expression-errors.jsx '{"compName": "Main Comp"}'