[Miguel De mendoza]

It looks that is a lot of workarround on this question, i can recomend to you this links:

-Must-see workshop: https://www.provideocoalition.com/after-effects-extendscript-training-complete-series/

-The nightstand book : https://blogs.adobe.com/aftereffects/files/2012/06/After-Effects-CS6-Scripting-Guide.pdf?file=2012/06/After-Effects-CS6-Scripting-Guide.pdf

I hope it helps

[Miguel De mendoza]

You have to set a reference point on the axis you want to be the center of the mirror. I.E if you want to mirror this objects arround the middle of the comp in the x axis you can write something like this:

//in the square
L=comp("man").layer("C_feet_rgt");
center = [comp("man").width /2, 0]
P= center + value+L.toWorld(L.anchorPoint) ;
parent.fromWorld(P);

//In the circle
L=comp("man").layer("C_feet_rgt");
center = [comp("man").width /2, 0];
squarePos = comp("squareComp").layer("squareLayer").position
P= center - squarePos ;
parent.fromWorld(P);

[Miguel De mendoza]

Lets say you name the layers like “shape_1”, “shape_2”, etc… You can write this on the opacity:

sliderValue = //Your link to the slider
nameSplit = name.split("_");
shapeNum = nameSplit[nameSplit.length - 1];
if (shapeNum <= sliderValue) {
value = 100;
} else {
value = 0;
}

You can reference the shape layers by index to, but this is a way to fix your referenceing.

[Miguel De mendoza]

After some depth search I found the way to keyframe the stage object, down is the code snippet if somone needs something similar. The samples parameter is simply a list of dict values to reference the camera name and his inpoint:

def setKeysFromCameraSamples(samples):
# DESCRIPTION:
# Set the keyframes from the samples object to the stage object
if samples is None or len(samples) is 0:
return False

stageList = doc.GetActiveObjectsFilter(True, c4d.NOTOK, 5136) # Find selcted stage objects
if len(stageList) is 0: # Check if there are stage objects selected
c4d.gui.MessageDialog('Select a stage object') # If not, return
return False
elif len(stageList) > 1: # Check if there are more than one object selected
c4d.gui.MessageDialog('Select only one stage object') # If there are, return
return False

stage = stageList[0] # Select the first scene object
dCamera = c4d.DescID(c4d.STAGEOBJECT_CLINK) # Reference to a cameraLink property
cameraTrack = stage.FindCTrack(dCamera) # Reference the camera link track

if not cameraTrack: # If there is no camera track, create it
cameraTrack = c4d.CTrack(stage, c4d.STAGEOBJECT_CLINK) # Create a track
stage.InsertTrackSorted(cameraTrack) # Insert the track

fps = doc.GetFps() # Get the document framerate
curve = cameraTrack.GetCurve() # Reference the track curve

for curSample in samples: # Iterate through sample list
frame = curSample['INPOINT'] # Get the inpoint of the sample
cameraName = curSample['CAMERA'] # Get the sample camera
curCamera = doc.SearchObject(cameraName) # Find that camera in the project
frameTime = c4d.BaseTime(frame, fps) # Parse the key frame to c4d time
keyDict = curve.AddKey(frameTime) # Add a new key to the curve
keyDict['key'].SetGeData(curve, camera) # Link the current camera to the key
c4d.eventAdd() # Refresh

Return True

[Miguel De mendoza]

I think the best is Notepad ++, it’s free and recongnizes allmost all languages. But I usualy work with layer panel (it is a matter of getting used) or in Extendscript Toolkit.

[Miguel De mendoza]

Yes, I can see is a script generated dropdown menu, that simply changes the opacity of the layers by a expression on such property, so you cant achieve what you are trying because YOU CAN’T CHANGE THE IN/OUT points of the work area by expressions.

[Miguel De mendoza]

The file give me a message of a missing effect called “Dropdown”, I never heard about that effect/plugin and I cant’t find anithing about it on the web, so I can¡’t help you with that effect. What I can tell you is that if that effect dont have that trim functionality you must go on scripting.

[Miguel De mendoza]

It’s a little confusing what are you trying to achieve. What “dropdown menu” are you talking about? In advance I can tell you that you can only change the in/out point of the work area by hand or by script, not by expressions. If you can give more info about your project, maybe I can help 😉

[Miguel De mendoza]

How are you creating the dropdown menu?

[Miguel De mendoza]

Short answer: selectedLayers and selectedProperties are arrays , that means that the first element is 0, not 1, is not the same when you are selecting layers through the layerCollection object: layer(1). So you must change your for loops consecuently:


for (var i = 0; i < numSelLay; i++) {
...
for (var x = 0; x < numSelProp; x++) {
...
}
}