Applying an effect to a layer through a script

[Dan Ebberts]

Applying an effect to a layer is easy:

myLayer.property(“Effects”).addProperty(“Ramp”);

Copying keyframes can be complicated, depending on the nature of the keyfames, especially if there is easing to consider. Actually, you can’t just copy them from one property to another, you have to re-create them. As an alternative, you might consider just having the script apply expressions linking the Start of Ramp and End of Ramp properties to the position of the nulls.

Dan

[Corey Drake]

Great! Thanks. You mention applying an expression through a script. I didn’t know that could be done. In fact, that would actually help me skip a whole process and make things way easier for me. Could you give an example of how to do that or point me in a direction where I can learn that?

[Dan Ebberts]

It’s pretty straight forward. I haven’t tested this code, but it would look something like this:

var myEffect = myLayer.property(“Effects”).addProperty(“Ramp”);
var myProperty = myEffect.property(“Start of Ramp”);
myProperty.expression = ‘thisComp.layer(“Null 1”).transform.position’;

You might have to construct the expression on the fly if you don’t know the name of the target layer (Null 1 in this case) at the time you write the script.

Dan

[Corey Drake]

Thank you very much. This is going to help so much.

[Corey Drake]

Thank you very much. This is going to help so much

[Edit] Also, I was wondering how to get a list of selected items within the comp. I’ve found the items and selection attributes, but they seem to work for the project panel. Do I have to do something with activeItem first?

[Corey Drake]

[edit2] I have found the compItem attributes, so I am good to go. No I wonder, how can I check if a selected layer is a null or a solid?