[HELP] My Script UI code isn’t working but i don’t know why

Posted by Vincenzo Imbimbo on December 10, 2022 at 1:45 pm

Hello guys, i’m trying to create an script ui with a button that does this:

Add an expression to any selected properties, but if you are selecting a layer (or multiple layers) instead of properties then pre-compose that layers, i don’t know if this is possible, but the code should be working, and it doesn’t, it adds the expression to selected properties but the pre-compose option is not working can you guys help me?

This is the code:

var win = new Window("palette", "My Script UI", undefined);
// Add a button for the  expression
var myButton = win.add("button", undefined, "Button");
// Add an event listener for the button's click event
myButton.onClick = function() {
  // Get the active composition
  var comp = app.project.activeItem;
  // Get the selected properties
  var selProps = comp.selectedProperties;
  // Loop through the selected properties
  for (var i = 0; i < selProps.length; i++) {
    // Get the current property
    var prop = selProps[i];
    // Check if the property is a shape path
    if (prop.propertyValueType == PropertyValueType.SHAPE) {
      // Add the custom expression to the shape path property
      prop.expression = "my custom expression";
    } else {
      // Add the another custom expression to the property
      prop.expression = "my other custom expression";
    }
    // Check if the active item is a layer
  if (comp.activeItem instanceof AVLayer) {
    // Get the active layer
    var layer = comp.activeItem;
    // Precompose the layer
    var precomp = layer.precompose(layer.name, true);
    }
  }
}
// Show the window
win.show();

Andrei Popa replied 3 years, 5 months ago 2 Members · 3 Replies

3 Replies

Andrei Popa

December 10, 2022 at 2:48 pm

Hi Vicenzo.

You can try this.

var win = new Window("palette", "My Script UI", undefined);
// Add a button for the  expression
var myButton = win.add("button", undefined, "Button");
// Add an event listener for the button's click event
myButton.onClick = function() {
  // Get the active composition
  var comp = app.project.activeItem;
  // Get the selected properties
  var selProps = comp.selectedProperties;
  if(selProps.length > 0 ){
  // Loop through the selected properties
  for (var i = 0; i < selProps.length; i++) {
    // Get the current property
    var prop = selProps[i];
    // Check if the property is a shape path
    if (prop.propertyValueType == PropertyValueType.SHAPE) {
      // Add the custom expression to the shape path property
      prop.expression = "my custom expression";
    } else {
      // Add the another custom expression to the property
      prop.expression = "my other custom expression";
    }
    // Check if the active item is a layer
  if (comp.activeItem instanceof AVLayer) {
    // Get the active layer
    var layer = comp.activeItem;
    // Precompose the layer
    var precomp = layer.precompose(layer.name, true);
    }
  }
  //if no selected property
}else{
    var selLayers = comp.selectedLayers;
    //get an array with the indexes of the selected layers
    var indices =[];
    for(var i=0; i< selLayers.length; i++){
        indices[i] = selLayers[i].index;
    } 
    comp.layers.precompose(indices, "someName", true);
}
}
// Show the window
win.show();

You need to check if no property is selected, and then precomp the selected layers. You can change the “someName” to any name you want, or you could use selLaters[0].name to use the name of the first selected layers (works even if only one layer is selected).

Vincenzo Imbimbo
December 10, 2022 at 4:23 pm

Thank you Andrei! It works pefect now, i forgot to ask another thing, after the layers got pre-composed i want to enable the time remapping of that precomp, so, is there a way to do it? Because i need to add something like “if the selected layer is already a precomp then don’t pre-compose it, just enable the time remap”.

Andrei Popa

December 11, 2022 at 9:04 am

This applies expressions if properties are selected, precomposes if layers are selected, enables time-remap if a layer that is a comp is selected.

var win = new Window("palette", "My Script UI", undefined);
// Add a button for the  expression
var myButton = win.add("button", undefined, "Button");
// Add an event listener for the button's click event
myButton.onClick = function() {
  // Get the active composition
  var comp = app.project.activeItem;
  // Get the selected properties
  var selProps = comp.selectedProperties;
  if(selProps.length > 0 ){
  // Loop through the selected properties
  for (var i = 0; i < selProps.length; i++) {
    // Get the current property
    var prop = selProps[i];
    // Check if the property is a shape path
    if (prop.propertyValueType == PropertyValueType.SHAPE) {
      // Add the custom expression to the shape path property
      prop.expression = "my custom expression";
    } else {
      // Add the another custom expression to the property
      prop.expression = "my other custom expression";
    }
    // Check if the active item is a layer
  if (comp.activeItem instanceof AVLayer) {
    // Get the active layer
    var layer = comp.activeItem;
    // Precompose the layer
    var precomp = layer.precompose(layer.name, true);
    }
  }
  //if no selected property
}else{
    var selLayers = comp.selectedLayers;
    //check if only one layer is selected, and if it is a comp
    if(selLayers.length == 1 && selLayers[0].source  && selLayers[0].source.typeName == "Composition"){
        selLayers[0].timeRemapEnabled = true;
    }else{
    //get an array with the indexes of the selected layers
    var indices =[];
    for(var i=0; i< selLayers.length; i++){
        indices[i] = selLayers[i].index;
    } 
    comp.layers.precompose(indices, "someName", true);
    }
}
}
// Show the window
win.show();

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[HELP] My Script UI code isn’t working but i don’t know why