Why isn’t this script creating four nulls?

Posted by Nick Hill on January 29, 2024 at 5:40 pm

I’m trying to create a script, using the Create paths from nulls example as a starting point. The function called when the button is clicked is below – it should create four nulls, but only creates one. I tried removing the loop and putting in four separate code blocks to manually create the nulls one after another, but that didn’t work either:

<pre class=””>function createNull(targetComp){
return targetComp.layers.addNull();
}

function CurveMaker(){
    var undoGroup = localize("$$$/AE/Script/createCurveMaker/curveMaker=Make Curves");
    app.beginUndoGroup(undoGroup);
    nl = [];
    var comp = getActiveComp();
    // TODO: if there isn't an active comp, make one
    for (var i = 0; i <= 3; i++) {
        nl[i] = createNull(comp);
        nl[i].name = ("Control-0" + (i+1));
        nl[i].label = 11; // orange
        var np = nl[i].position;
        np.setValue([100 + (i%2)*100, 100 + (Math.floor(i/2)*100)]);
        var e1 = addSlider(nl[i], "CurveDepth", 1);
        var e2 = addSlider(nl[i], "Roundedness",  0.5);
        var e3 = addSlider(nl[i], "Influence", 1);
        var e4 = addCheckbox(nl[i], "Disable", false);
    }
    app.endUndoGroup();
}

I get one orange null with the sliders attached to it, but it’s like the loop then stops. Is there a reason why createNull() can’t be called more than once, or something like that?

Brie Clayton

replied 7 months, 1 week ago 3 Members · 5 Replies

5 Replies

Dan Ebberts
January 29, 2024 at 8:24 pm

It works for me if I comment out the addSlider() calls since that function isn’t included. If I don’t comment those out, it errors out, and it only creates one null.
Nick Hill
January 29, 2024 at 8:45 pm

Ah, sorry Dan! I didn’t include all the code; addSlider() and addCheckbox() are defined elsewhere –

 function addSlider(targetLayer, sliderName, defaultValue) { var slz = targetLayer.property("Effects").addProperty("ADBE Slider Control"); slz.name = sliderName; slz("Slider").setValue(defaultValue); return slz.propertyIndex; } function addCheckbox(targetLayer, chkName, defaultValue) { var chz = targetLayer.property("ADBE Effect Parade").addProperty("ADBE Checkbox Control"); chz.name = chkName; chz.setValue(defaultValue); return chz; }

These work the first time round, and if I comment them both out I get four nulls… so what’s happening with these functions that they’ll only run through once?
Dan Ebberts
January 29, 2024 at 9:39 pm
Ah, OK. I think in your addCheckbox() function you need to change this:
```
chz.setValue(defaultValue);
```
to this:
```
chz("ADBE Checkbox Control-0001").setValue(defaultValue);
```
Nick Hill
January 29, 2024 at 9:47 pm

You sir are a genius – this is the correct answer. Thank you so much!
Brie Clayton
January 29, 2024 at 10:13 pm

Thank you for this solve, Dan!

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Why isn’t this script creating four nulls?