• Adobe After Effects Expressions

  script to copy multiple paths from one layer to multiple masks on another layer?

  Posted by Constanti Dinu on December 3, 2021 at 1:52 pm

  hi,

  for starters, i have never wrote scripts in AE, only expression, so saying im new to this is an understatement.

  i have a shape layer with 300+ paths and i need to copy every path into an adjustment layer as a mask. i have done this manually by copying the path from the shape, add a new mask in the adjustment layer, and paste it there, but because i have to do this a lot of times, i kinda need a script. i tried my best with what’s below, so far ive managed to copy the path, add mask, paste the path as a mask, delete the first path. any ideas how to make this a loop?

  var myComp = app.project.activeItem;

  var mySourceLayer = myComp.layer(“de sters”);

  var myPath = mySourceLayer.property(“Contents”).property(1).property(“Path”);

  mySourceLayer.selected = true;

  myPath.selected = true;

  app.executeCommand(19); //Copy

  myPath.selected = false;

  mySourceLayer.selected = false;

  var myShape = myPath.value;

  var myDestLayer = myComp.layer(“1”);

  var myNewMask = myDestLayer.property(“Masks”).addProperty(“Mask”);

  var myNewPath = myNewMask.property(“Mask Path”);

  //myNewPath.setValue(myShape);

  myDestLayer.selected = true;

  myNewMask.selected = true;

  myNewPath.selected = true;

  app.executeCommand(20); //Paste

  myDestLayer.selected = false;

  mySourceLayer.selected = true;

  myPath.selected = true;

  app.executeCommand(18); //Copy

  Constanti Dinu replied 4 years, 5 months ago 2 Members · 2 Replies
• 2 Replies

• 

  Andrei Popa

  December 3, 2021 at 3:25 pm

  Hi Constanti.

  I am not 100% sure how the paths are organized inside your layer, but this or something close to this should work.

  var myComp = app.project.activeItem;
  var mySourceLayer = myComp.layer("de sters");
  var myDestLayer = myComp.layer("1");
  for (var i = 1; i <= mySourceLayer("Contents").numProperties; i++) {
      var myPath = mySourceLayer("Contents")(i)("Path") ;
      if(myPath !== null) copyPathToMask(mySourceLayer, myPath, myDestLayer);
  }
  function copyPathToMask(mySourceLayer, myPath, myDestLayer) {
      mySourceLayer.selected = true;
      myPath.selected = true;
      app.executeCommand(18); //Cut
      mySourceLayer.selected = false;
      var myNewMask = myDestLayer.property("Masks").addProperty("Mask");
      var myNewPath = myNewMask.property("Mask Path");
      myDestLayer.selected = true;
      myNewMask.selected = true;
      myNewPath.selected = true;
      app.executeCommand(20); //Paste
      myDestLayer.selected = false;
  }
• 

  Constanti Dinu

  December 3, 2021 at 3:44 pm

  worked perfectly, mersi frumos Andrei

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