Looking for (probably a script) that can batch-name compositions

[Walter Soyka]

If you’re using frame numbers, you can do this directly with a file name template.

Add the comp to the render queue, then click the disclosure triangle next to “Output To.” Choose “Comp and Frame Range” for a good start, or “Custom” to build your own.

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

[Mark Whitney]

You mean something like this?

https://aescripts.com/ae-global-renamer/

[Adam Lewen]

Thanks for the input!
great thoughts, and Mark, this is a super powerful tool!
I think my very specific situation has to be done manually though…
My situation is for example:
Main Time line is “Episode” is an hour long.
in it a have ~50 Comps in different lengths (never overlapping and between 5-15 sec long
I want these comps to have in their name, the TimeCode In of where they on the Main timline…
so for example
Comp1_00115
Comp2_00337
ETC…

[Walter Soyka]

I wrote a quick script that should help. Save this as a .JSX file and call it like any other script:

// A quick script to rename all comp layers in a containing comp with their start frame
// Written 2018-04-11 by Walter Soyka and published on CreativeCOW

// the script works in the active comp only; if there is none, nothing happens.
comp = app.project.activeItem;
if (comp instanceof CompItem) {
app.beginUndoGroup("Add frame number suffix to comp layers");

// step through all layers in the comp
// if the layer is a comp, strip any trailing underscore/digit combination,
// then add its starting frame as _#####
for (var i = 1; i <= comp.numLayers; i++) {
if (comp.layer(i).source instanceof CompItem) {
comp.layer(i).source.name = stripFrameSuffix(comp.layer(i).source.name);
var compStartFrame = padInteger(timeToFrames(comp.layer(i).inPoint + comp.displayStartTime), 5);
comp.layer(i).source.name += "_" + compStartFrame;
}
}
app.endUndoGroup();
}

function stripFrameSuffix(compName) {
frameSuffix = new RegExp("_[0-9]*$");
var newCompName = compName.replace(frameSuffix, "");
return newCompName;
}

function padInteger(number, digits) {
numberString = number.toString();
while (numberString.length < digits) numberString = "" + "0" + numberString;
return numberString;
}

function timeToFrames(t) {
return Math.floor(t / app.project.activeItem.frameDuration);
}

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

[Adam Lewen]

OMG!
Walter thank you so much for your time!
The script does work, but unfortunately I then get the:
“This project contains expression errors 1 of 28” message…
and
some issues with the TC naming,
for example a comp on 1:19:50:14 is getting 119763

I will dive in the precomps and check, but I assume it will work flawlessly with expressionless comps!

Thank you so much!

[Walter Soyka]

TC was frame numbers. I had assumed from your 5-digit format above that’s what you were using. We’ll change that to HHMMSSFF.

As for the expression errors, easily fixable by having the script tell Ae to try a search and replace on broken expressions after renaming the comp.

V2:
// A quick script to rename all comp layers in a containing comp with their start frame
// Written 2018-04-11 by Walter Soyka and published on CreativeCOW

// the script works in the active comp only; if there is none, nothing happens.
comp = app.project.activeItem;
if (comp instanceof CompItem) {
app.beginUndoGroup("Add timecode suffix to comp layers");

// set time display to TIMECODE
timeDisplay = app.project.timeDisplayType;
app.project.timeDisplayType = TimeDisplayType.TIMECODE;

// step through all layers in the comp
// if the layer is a comp, strip any trailing underscore/digit combination,
// then add its starting timecode as _HHMMSSFF
for (var i = 1; i <= comp.numLayers; i++) {
if (comp.layer(i).source instanceof CompItem) {
originalName = comp.layer(i).source.name;
comp.layer(i).source.name = stripFrameSuffix(comp.layer(i).source.name);
var compStartTime = comp.layer(i).inPoint + comp.displayStartTime;
compStartTime = timeToCurrentFormat(compStartTime, 1/comp.frameDuration, false);
compStartTime = compStartTime.replace(/:/g, "");
compStartTime = compStartTime.replace(/;/g, "");
comp.layer(i).source.name += "_" + compStartTime;
app.project.autoFixExpressions(originalName, comp.layer(i).source.name);
}
}

app.project.timeDisplayType = timeDisplay;
app.endUndoGroup();
}

function stripFrameSuffix(compName) {
frameSuffix = new RegExp("_[0-9]*$");
var newCompName = compName.replace(frameSuffix, "");
return newCompName;
}

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

[Adam Lewen]

Dear Walter.
It works like a charm!
THANK YOU!X1000
Since it’s open to the public here. can I share this very useful script with other who might be in the need?
of course I will keep all the credits and commenting!

[Walter Soyka]

Absolutely, share it however you see fit!

Let’s call this #devforacause. If this script is helpful to you, please consider making a small donation (like what you might have paid if the script hadn’t been free) to a charity of your choice, and please encourage the folks you share it with to do the same.

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

[Adam Lewen]

I Will!
Thanks again.