Outputting comp layers to a shot list text file

[Frederic Lumiere]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the response!

Yes, I need to do it in AE. 750 layers, spread across 9 screens for a total of 13K resolution… FCP, Avid, Premiere couldn’t handle it.

All I really need is output what i see:

Layer name, In, Out, Duration

Thanks,

F

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

I thought you’d seen this b4 – https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/2/1008244

HTH
RoRK

Intensive mocha & AE Training in Singapore and Other Dangerous Locations

Imagineer Systems (mocha) Certified Instructor
& Adobe After Effects ACE/ACI (version 7)

[Walter Soyka]

[Frederic Lumiere] “All I really need is output what i see: Layer name, In, Out, Duration”

Three thoughts:

You can do all this with a keyboard macro. You mentioned FCP, so I’ll assume you’re on a Mac. Look at Keyboard Maestro. Here are the keystrokes you’d need:

Return (to make layer name editable)
Cmd-C (copy)
Cmd-Tab (to Excel)
Cmd-V (paste)
Cmd-Tab (back to Ae)
I (go to layer in)
Opt-Shift-J (Go to time)
Cmd-C (copy)
Esc (close Go to time)
Cmd-Tab (to Excel)
Cmd-V (paste)
Tab (next field)
Cmd-Tab (back to Ae)
O (go to layer out)
Opt-Shift-J (Go to time)
Cmd-C (copy)
Esc (close Go to time)
Cmd-Tab (to Excel)
Cmd-V (paste)
Return (next line)
Home (beginning of line)
Cmd-Tab (back to Ae)
Cmd-Down (select next layer)

Wash, rinse, repeat. You’ll have to calculate duration yourself from the in and out points. You should be able to grab them from the Time Stretch dialog box, but you can’t reach that from the keyboard; your macro would have to navigate the menus Layer > Time > Time Stretch…, and then a Tab and Cmd-C and Esc should work, as it does for the Go to time window.

Alternately, you could swing by the Expressions forum. This can’t be done with an expression, but it should be a very simple script to walk down the timeline and grab the information you’re looking for, and you may be able to find help or hire someone for a couple hours to pull it together for you.

Finally, you might be able to parse this out of Paul Tuersley’s pt_OpenSesame script — but that may be a lot more work than the other options.

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events

[Frederic Lumiere]

I need to output a comma delimited file for production bible.

[Frederic Lumiere]

Wow, really there is no way to output a shot list from a comp?

I can basically see it in front of me when looking at a comp but I can’t output it to a text file…

[Frederic Lumiere]

Hi Walter,

Thanks so much for your help on this.

I’m trying Keyboard Maestro and the copy and paste works fine when I record it but it doesn’t when I execute it… It pastes the last thing in the clipboard.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

F

[Walter Soyka]

[Frederic Lumiere] “Thanks so much for your help on this. I’m trying Keyboard Maestro and the copy and paste works fine when I record it but it doesn’t when I execute it… It pastes the last thing in the clipboard.”

Sorry, I have no idea. I just tried it over here, and it works fine.

Keyboard Maestro has a stack of fancy clipboard features — perhaps one of them is enabled?

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events

[Frederic Lumiere]

So strange, I tried everything and the copy/paste function isn’t working for me.

Which version of AE do you have? I use CS6