how to focus();

[Filip Vandueren]

Looks like it can’t be done.
The focus() Method certainly does not exist…

I have some weird idea about perhaps setting the textselection property of your text-object (wich is read/write and should contain the string that is selected in that text-object, or an empty string) to itself…
Can’t test that right now.
Could you pursue and see if it works ?

Anyway, a LOT of stuff in the “Bridge Javascript” PDF simply doesn’t work in After Effects, so it might be a waste of time…

[Chortorn]

I have tried a couple of things, but cannot figure out if the problem can be solved, and I feel a little too unexperienced to think of possible workarounds.

Maybe the main idea can be made up in an other way:
The idea is to be able to add an effect faster than rightclicking a layer and so on, and even faster than the presets and effects menu, which does also include the use of the mouse. I wanted to be able to call a script from a shortcut, type a number and thereby identify an effect (out of perhabs 20 effects, which I do constantly apply) and hit enter. The enter-part could probably be done with the onChange() function, but focusing the tiny textfield 167 times a day would annoy my brain.

Chortorn

[Filip Vandueren]

If there’s just 1 textfield in your UI, it should automatically have focus, does the panel or window stay on screen after applying the effect ?

Perhaps you can just create a script that opens a dialog where you enter the number, hit enter: the dialog closes and applies your favourite effect, and the next time you start the script, a fresh dialog appears.

[Filip Vandueren]

to clarify, that would be a ‘prompt’ not a dialog.

[Chortorn]

‘Prompt’ solved the problem. Thank you a lot, it will make my life easier. I would actually like to write more than just one line, to show that I really am happy that you spend your time writing this trick…
really cool.

Chortorn