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script to create text layer with specified properties
Hi,
I need to write a script which will create a text layer that:
– is positioned in the lower left corner
– displays the comp name
– is white, with drop shadow, a specific font and size
It all works fine until I get to the text properties and then I keep getting “unable to execute script at line #. undefined is not an object. I’ve tried both Bard and ChatGPT to help me figure this out but to no avail. Here’s what I’ve got
var compName = app.project.activeItem.name;
var textLayer = app.project.activeItem.layers.addText(“”); // Create with empty initial text
var myTextDocument = new TextDocument(textLayer);
myTextDocument.text = compName;
myTextDocument.textProperty.fontSize = 30; // Set point size
myTextDocument.textProperty.fillColor = [255, 255, 255]; // Set color to white
textLayer.property(“Position”).setValue([50, app.project.activeItem.height – 50]);
var dropShadow = textLayer.effects.addEffect(“Drop Shadow”);
dropShadow.setProperty(“Color”, [0, 0, 0]);
dropShadow.setProperty(“Opacity”, 50);
dropShadow.setProperty(“Blur Radius”, 5);
app.project.activeItem.selectedLayers = [textLayer];
Thanks for any help.
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2 Replies
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Text layers, text properties, and text documents can be a little tricky. You can read all about it in the docs here:
https://ae-scripting.docsforadobe.dev/other/textdocument.html
In the meantime, try this for your script:
var compName = app.project.activeItem.name;
var textLayer = app.project.activeItem.layers.addText(compName);
var textProp = textLayer.property("Source Text");
var textDocument = textProp.value;
textDocument.resetCharStyle();
textDocument.fontSize = 30;
textDocument.fillColor = [1, 1, 1];
textDocument.applyFill = true;
textDocument.justification = ParagraphJustification.LEFT_JUSTIFY;
textProp.setValue(textDocument);
textLayer.property("Position").setValue([50, app.project.activeItem.height - 50]);
var dropShadow = textLayer.property("Effects").addProperty("ADBE Drop Shadow");
dropShadow.setProperty("Color", [0, 0, 0]);
dropShadow.setProperty("Opacity", 50);
dropShadow.setProperty("Blur Radius", 5);
app.project.activeItem.selectedLayers = [textLayer];
ae-scripting.docsforadobe.dev
TextDocument object — After Effects Scripting Guide 22.3.0 documentation
TextDocument object — After Effects Scripting Guide 22.3.0 documentation
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I Walter, thanks so much for taking a look. That works great with the exception of the dropshadow. In other words, disabling the last 5 lines does exactly what I was after. I’ll take a closer look at the link you sent. Thanks again.
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