• Adobe After Effects Expressions

  AE Script for creating/adding layers

  Posted by James Lex on March 29, 2018 at 6:55 pm

  I’m creating a script that creates a solid layer, applies a Fractal Noise effect, then precomposes the layer.

  var proj = app.project;
  var comp = proj.items.addComp(name, 1920, 1080, 1.0, 30.0, 29.97);

  var distortionLayer = comp.layers.addSolid([0, 0, 0], 'Distortion', 1920, 1080, 1.0);
  distortionLayer.Effects.addProperty("ADBE Fractal Noise");
  distortionLayer.enabled = false;
  comp.layers.precompose([1], 'jj_Distortion', true);

  Now this is fine for one comp, but if the script is run again, it will simply create another “jj_Distortion” comp. Instead, I want to check if the “jj_Distortion” comp exists. If it does, then add it to the current comp. Else, create the comp.

  I know the example below is not code, but I’m thinking it could look like this:

  if(layer("jj_Distortion").exists()){
  //Add the jj_Distortion comp to this comp
  } else {
  // Create it
  var distortionLayer = comp.layers.addSolid([0, 0, 0], 'Distortion', 1920, 1080, 1.0);
  distortionLayer.Effects.addProperty("ADBE Fractal Noise");
  distortionLayer.enabled = false;
  comp.layers.precompose([1], 'jj_Distortion', true);
  }

  I’ve gone through the CS6 Scripting guide, but I can’t find the correct command(s) there or through Google.

  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

  James Lex replied 8 years, 1 month ago 2 Members · 2 Replies
• 2 Replies

• 

  Dan Ebberts

  March 29, 2018 at 7:49 pm

  A rough outline of how I’d do it (not tested at all):

  function getComp(theName){
  for (var i = 1; i <= app.project.numItems; i++){
  if ((app.project.item(i).name == theName) && (app.project.item(i) instanceof CompItem)){
  return app.project.item(i);
  }
  }
  return null;
  }

  var distortionComp = getComp(“jj_Distortion”);
  if (distortionComp == null){
  //
  // doesn’t exist — create it
  }else{
  comp.layers.add(distortionComp);
  }

  Dan
• 

  James Lex

  March 29, 2018 at 8:38 pm

  Dan Ebberts—legend himself—has saved me. Thank you!

  Ultimately, the for loop I wrote wasn’t giving me the desired result; yours works perfectly.

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