Applying animation presets to solid via scripting

[Dan Ebberts]

Maybe you could set the script up so that it first tries the obvious paths to find the folder. If it can’t, then it pops up the system navigate-to-folder dialog to have the user sync it up. You could then save that path in the preferences so that the script will find it next time.

Dan

[Ben Christie]

That would make a lot of sense. That would allow my colleagues to kind of set it up themselves which would be great.

Unfortunately I’m not quite sure how to do that, let alone apply a preset from a defined folder.

Would it be something similar to this?

var thePreset = new File(“/Applications/Adobe After Effects CC 2014/Presets/PluginResource/Custom Preset.ffx”);

if (thePreset.exists == true) {
theLayer.applyPreset(thePreset);
} else {
// here would be the function to have the user set the custom path and then save it??
}

[Xavier Gomez]

* To ask for the folder path, you can use:

var myPresetsFolder = Folder.selectDialog();

or :

var allPresetsFolder = Folder(Folder.appPackage.absoluteURI + “/” + “Presets”);
var myPresetsFolder = allPresetsFolder.selectDlg();

(The 2 methods dffer in that in the latter case the dialog “has already navigated to a closer place”.)

* To read/write in the prefs file, use the app;settings object:

var allPresetsFolder = Folder(Folder.appPackage.absoluteURI + "/" + "Presets");
var myPresetsFolder;

// read the settings
if (app.settings.haveSetting("MyScriptSection", "myPresetsFolderPath")){
myPresetFolder = new Folder(app.settings.getSetting("MyScriptSection", "myPresetsFolderPath"));
};
if (!myPresetFolder || !myPresetFolder.exists){
// if the folder does not exist, ask for the path
myPresetsFolder = allPresetsFolder.selectDlg();
if (myPresetsFolder && myPresetsFolder.exists){
// if now it exists, save the path
app.settings.saveSetting("MyScriptSection", myPresetsFolder.absoulteURI);
};
};
// Beware, at this stage the variable myPresetsFolder can still be null, if the user was prompted a folder dialog and closed it.


Xavier.

[Ben Christie]

Wow this helps a lot. I Really appreciate it!