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Using the sampleImage expression in a script – possible?
Hi everyone,
I’m relatively new to both After Effects and scripting After Effects. (I do have quite a bit of programming experience though, mostly in C#).
I’m trying to use the sampleImage method from inside a script. This script is supposed to create a grid of evenly spaced objects based on the alpha channel of the selected layer in the composition (e.g. a logo).
Here’s what I have so far:
var myComp = app.project.activeItem;
if(myComp instanceof CompItem) {
// make sure one layer is selected
var myLayers = myComp.selectedLayers;
if(myLayers.length == 1){//get selected Layer
var selectedLayer = myComp.selectedLayers[0];//define h
var h_x = 30;
var h_y = 30;
//define sample radius;
var sampleRadius = [2,2];
var samplePoint;
//iterate over comp size, sample image.
for (j = 0; j <= selectedLayer.height; j += h_y)
{
for (i = 0; i <= selectedLayer.width; i += h_x){
samplePoint = [i, j];
sampledColors = 255 * selectedLayer.sampleImage(samplePoint, sampleRadius, false, 0);
if (Math.round(sampledColors[3]) > 128){
//if the sample has at least 50% opacity, create a new Light at the sample point.
myComp.layers.addLight("Light " + i + " " + j, samplePoint);
}
}
}}else{
alert("Select exactly one layer to use as a mask!");
}
}else{
alert("Please select a composition.");
}
Unfortunately, on execution I get an error telling me the function selectedLayer.sampleImage is not defined.
What am I missing here? Slightly modified to directly select a layer by name inside an expression works like a charm.Is the sampleImage method simply not available in scripts? Is there any typecast I need to use before accessing the sampleImage function?
Any help would be greatly appreciated! =)
NilsAdobe Master Collection CS6 on Windows 7 at work and CS 5.5 on OS X at home.
Working on a regular basis with Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition and Photoshop. -
5 Replies
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Unfortunately, sampleImage() is not available directly to scripting. However, your script can apply a sampleImage() expression to the layer, harvest the result, and then remove the expression. Kind of a pain, but it works. Come back if you have trouble working out the details.
Dan
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Did you figure this one out? I’m in the same boat.
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Hi, as Dan said you cannot use sampleImage directly in a script. I ended up using a construct like the one below…
Note that I am only sampling one channel (the alpha channel in this case). There is a color effect control which can store all the channels at once…var mySlider = selectedLayer.Effects.addProperty("Slider Control");
var h_x = 10;
var h_y = 10;
//...
for (j = 0; j < selectedLayer.height + h_y; j += h_y){
for (i = 0; i < selectedLayer.width + h_x; i += h_x){
var expr = "Math.round(255 * sampleImage([" + i + "," + j + "], [" + sampleRadius + "," + sampleRadius + "])[3])";
mySlider.property(1).expressionEnabled = true;
mySlider.property(1).expression = expr;
var res = mySlider(1).value;
//do stuff
}
}Adobe Master Collection CS6 on Windows 7 at work and CS 5.5 on OS X at home.
Working on a regular basis with Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition and Photoshop. -
I just tried this in CS5.5 and get a “missing )” error at the following line.
for (j = 0; j < selectedLayer.height + h_y; j += h_y){
Any idea?
Thanks .
Phil
for (j = 0; j < selectedLayer.height + h_y; j += h_y){
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it works perfectly in CS6, but in CC2020 it takes a very long time and giving me a “Not responding” crash, can you please update the code to work in CC2020 ?
for (L = 0; L < Cd+(steps/FPS) ; L += (steps/FPS))
{
for (m = 1; m<256; m++)
{
myRec = app.project.activeItem.layer("Histogram grid").content("Histogram").content(m)
myRec.size.setValueAtTime(L,[1,0]);}
for (j = 0; j < Ch + hY; j += hY)
{
for (i = 0; i < Cw + hX; i += hX)
{
var expr = "var Tar = thisComp.layer('Histogram');\rMath.floor(255* rgbToHsl(Tar.sampleImage([" + i + "," + j + "], [" + sampleRadius + "," + sampleRadius + "],true,time))[2])";
mySlider.property(1).expressionEnabled = true;
mySlider.property(1).expression = expr;
var res = mySlider(1).valueAtTime(L,false)+1;
myRec = app.project.activeItem.layer("Histogram grid").content("Histogram").content(res)
Ht = myRec.size.valueAtTime(L,true)[1]+(SampleValue/12)
if (Ht > 118) Ht = 118
myRec.size.setValueAtTime(L,[1,Ht]);
//prog.value += (1/SSS)
}//problem is here
}
Ht = 0
res = 0;
mySlider(1).setValueAtTime(L,0)
}
myLayer.remove();
shapeLayer.moveAfter(myComp.layer("Histogram frame"));
Status.text = "Ready"
mainWindow.update();
}
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