[extendScript] Select a project item without using its index ?

[Walter Soyka]

You can create an object to hold a specific comp, like this:

compA = app.project.items.addComp("First comp created by script", 1920, 1080, 1, 10, 29.97);
compB = app.project.items.addComp("Second comp created by script", 1920, 1080, 1, 10, 29.97);
alert(compB.name);
alert(compA.name);

Then you can refer to the object in your code instead of the item within a collection.

Walter Soyka
Designer & Mad Scientist at Keen Live [link]
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
@keenlive   |   RenderBreak [blog]   |   Profile [LinkedIn]

[Charlie Leroy]

Hello Walter,
thanks a lot, that is working perfectly!
I am learning to script on the go and this notion is going to ease my life 🙂
thanks!

[Fabio Apelbaum]

Hi Walter, I saw your response to this thread, pretty cool. Now, let me ask you…. I do have a collection of items required to run my script.

I have in my script an if/else that stays if the file name of the current project is equals to the file name required to open, then, dont open it again and move on. But where I am having problems is that sometimes the producers imports the actual project into a new project with a different file name… so I dont know how to tell the script that if it finds element “x”within the project collection…. is because the original project has been imported… so do not open the project again and just move on with the rest of the script….

any ideas?

thanks!

[Walter Soyka]

Rather than testing the filename, why don’t you iterate through all the items in the project, looking for the ones you expect to see. If they are all there, proceed with the script; if they are not, alert the user to which elements are missing and suggesting they re-import the base project.

Walter Soyka
Designer & Mad Scientist at Keen Live [link]
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
@keenlive   |   RenderBreak [blog]   |   Profile [LinkedIn]

[Fabio Apelbaum]

sounds like an awesome approach. I believe it will all have to start with a for loop that reads all the files in the project, right?.. could you please tell me how should I write it, any tips will be highly appreciated, Im still learning on the go.

[Walter Soyka]

Fabio, yes, I think you’re on the right track. I’d loop through each item in app.project.items, and check it for whatever identifying characteristics you have in mind — perhaps filename for FootageItem elements.

This sample code will step through every item in a project, and open an alert window showing the file name of any pieces of footage:

for (i=1; i<=app.project.items.length; i++) {
if (app.project.item(i) instanceof FootageItem) {
alert(app.project.item(i).file.name);
}
}

Walter Soyka
Designer & Mad Scientist at Keen Live [link]
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
@keenlive   |   RenderBreak [blog]   |   Profile [LinkedIn]