• Adobe After Effects

  Script for turning layers to guide layers directly from the project panel

  Posted by David Cabestany on October 16, 2013 at 7:48 pm

  I have this piece of footage that I’m using 60 times across many compositions. For my final render I need to turn each layer where it;s used into a guide layer, does anyone know of a script that will let me do that by selecting the footage in the project panel instead of having to go comp by comp?

  Thanks.

  Walter Soyka replied 12 years, 10 months ago 3 Members · 6 Replies
• 6 Replies

• 

  Walter Soyka

  October 16, 2013 at 8:20 pm

  I don’t know of a script off-hand, but I’d just cheat. Maybe create a totally transparent PNG or PSD file, and then use the replace footage command? Don’t forget to “Save As” or “Save Incremental” before proceeding…

  Walter Soyka
  Principal & Designer at Keen Live
  Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
  RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
  Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events
• 

  Roland R. kahlenberg

  October 17, 2013 at 2:38 am

  Excellent solution Walter. The only thing I’d do different is to use an empty Comp instead of the PSD/PNG.

  Cheers
  RoRK

  Intensive mocha & AE Training in Singapore and Other Dangerous Locations

  Imagineer Systems (mocha) Certified Instructor
  & Adobe After Effects CS6 ACE/ACI
• 

  David Cabestany

  October 17, 2013 at 3:07 pm

  Thanks guys, both solutions work great as final steps, but knowing the clients, I still need to go back and forth and tweak the animations using the original layer as reference, so I guess I will have to re-replace it again each time, it still beats doing it manually, nonetheless.

  Thanks for the idea, it’s a good one.
• 

  Walter Soyka

  October 17, 2013 at 3:13 pm

  [David Cabestany] “, I still need to go back and forth and tweak the animations using the original layer as reference, so I guess I will have to re-replace it again each time, it still beats doing it manually, nonetheless.”

  You could use a transparent image as proxy so you could toggle it on or off, or like Roland suggested, you could right-click the footage item in the project panel, and choose “Replace with Precomp.” Then you can open up that new precomp and enable/disable visibility of the footage layer inside to globally affect all instances.

  Walter Soyka
  Principal & Designer at Keen Live
  Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
  RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
  Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events
• 

  David Cabestany

  October 17, 2013 at 3:18 pm

  I think Roland’s solution works better, having a proxy is good only if that’s the only one on your project, if you have more then you have to turn them off for final render, as far as I know you can’t leave some proxies on and some off in one project.

  But again, this was very helpful, I really appreciate that you guys took the time to look into it.
  Best,
  D.
• 

  Walter Soyka

  October 17, 2013 at 3:40 pm

  [David Cabestany] “I think Roland’s solution works better”

  I think so, too.

  [David Cabestany] “having a proxy is good only if that’s the only one on your project, if you have more then you have to turn them off for final render, as far as I know you can’t leave some proxies on and some off in one project.”

  In the render queue, open Render Settings and set Proxy Use to “Current Settings.”

  Walter Soyka
  Principal & Designer at Keen Live
  Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
  RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
  Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events

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