How to list all layers and sub comp inside a selected comp in timeline

[Dan Ebberts]

What do you mean by “list”? And are you talking about an expression or a script?

[Clara Martin]

So it’s for a script.

I would like to know if it is possible to know all the children (layers and precomp in the parent precomp etc. as in my example) of a precomp by selecting it in my timeline.

I want to loop over it (for loop).

There can be several levels as in my example:

– A parent precomp who has a child who himself has a child etc.

Do you think this is possible?

Thanks in advance 🙂

[Dan Ebberts]

Certainly possible, but one question is what you want to do with the information. If you’re talking about a script, I guess it could write it to a text file. Is that what you’re picturing?

[Clara Martin]

Hello,

Yes I have a .jsx file that I use to do what I want.

For your first question, I have a csv file which contains data, by looping over the child layers and precomp I want to impose certain data on them from the csv file (this part works)

I’m just having trouble getting the part of finding all the children of a precomp selected from my timeline to work.

Thank you 🙂

[Dan Ebberts]

I’m still not clear on exactly how you want the names formatted, but this simple script will pop up an alert that lists all the layer names (and those of any sub comps) in the selected comp:

function test(){
	var names = [];
	function getNames(theComp){
		for (var i = 1; i <= theComp.numLayers; i++){
			names.push(theComp.layer(i).name);
			if (theComp.layer(i).source instanceof CompItem){
				getNames(theComp.layer(i).source);
			}
		}
	}
	var comp = app.project.activeItem;
	if (! comp || ! (comp instanceof CompItem)){
		alert("No comp active.");
		return;
	}
	getNames(comp);
	alert(names.join("\r"));
}
test()

[Dan Ebberts]

Here’s another version that puts indents for each level of nested comps:

function test(){
	var names = [];
	function getNames(theComp, thePrefix){
		for (var i = 1; i <= theComp.numLayers; i++){
			names.push(thePrefix + theComp.layer(i).name);
			if (theComp.layer(i).source instanceof CompItem){
				getNames(theComp.layer(i).source, thePrefix+"    ");
			}
		}
	}
	var comp = app.project.activeItem;
	if (! comp || ! (comp instanceof CompItem)){
		alert("No comp active.");
		return;
	}
	getNames(comp,"");
	alert(names.join("\r"));
}
test();

[Clara Martin]

Hello thank you very much,

the last script with the test() function does exactly what I wanted.

Thank you very much

[Brie Clayton]

Thanks for this solve Dan!