ExtendScript also implements the E4X ECMA-357 specification, which defines access to data in XML format.ĮxtendScript defines a global debugging object, the dollar ( $) object, and a reporting utility for ExtendScript elements, the ExtendScript Reflection interface.įile and Folder Objects: Because pathname syntax is very different in different operating systems, Adobe ExtendScript defines File and Folder objects to provide platform-independent access to the underlying file system. The After Effects scripting engine supports the 3rd Edition of the ECMA-262 Standard, including its notational and lexical conventions, types, objects, expressions, and statements. ExtendScript implements the JavaScript language according to the ECMA-262 specification. The ExtendScript language ¶Īfter Effects scripts use the Adobe ExtendScript language, which is an extended form of JavaScript used by several Adobe applications, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
#Examples of cs6 after effects projects how to#
A thorough knowledge of the application itself and its graphical user interface is essential to understanding how to use scripting in After Effects. Nearly all of what scripting can accomplish replicates what can be done by means of the After Effects graphical user interface. JavaScript objects normally referred to as “properties” are consistently called “attributes” in this guide, to avoid confusion with After Effects’ own definition of a property (an animatable value of an effect, mask, or transform within an individual layer). You should be familiar with the After Effects object model in order to create scripts. Each object has its own special attributes, and every object in an After Effects project has its own identity (although not all are accessible to scripting). The After Effects object model is composed of a project, items, compositions, layers, and render queue items. This guide describes the ExtendScript objects that have been defined for After Effects projects. Each of these items, in scripting terms, is an object. When you use Adobe After Effects, you create projects, compositions, and render queue items along with all of the elements that they contain: footage, images, solids, layers, masks, effects, and properties. The heart of a scriptable application is the object model. However, because the After Effects expression language and ExtendScript are both based on JavaScript, familiarity with either one is very helpful in understanding the other. Whereas a script tells an application to do something, an expression says that a property is something. Expressions cannot access information from scripts (such as variables and functions). For example, you can direct After Effects to reorder the layers in a composition, find and replace source text in text layers, or send an e-mail message when rendering is complete.Īlthough both the After Effects expressions language and the After Effects ExtendScript scripting language is based on JavaScript, the expressions features and scripting features of After Effects are separate and distinct. You can use scripts in most Adobe applications to automate repetitive tasks, perform complex calculations, and even use some functionality not directly exposed through the graphical user interface.
#Examples of cs6 after effects projects series#
Overview ¶ Introduction to scripting in After Effects ¶Ī script is a series of commands that tells an application to perform a series of operations. Elements of basic JavaScript relevant to After Effects scripting.Running scripts automatically during application startup or shutdown.How to include After Effects scripting in an AppleScript (Mac OS).Running scripts from the command line, a batch file, or an AppleScript script.