[Xavier Gomez]

One thing to know is that there is a ready to use comp.sameFrameAsPng(time, destFile) method for composition objects in ExtendScript (comp: CompItem, time: time in seconds, destFile: the file to write to).

If you can live with a PNG output, your script will be fairly simple. If you absolutely want JPEG, it will be probably more tedious.

Xavier.

[Xavier Gomez]

app.project.rootFolder; // not visible, its name is “Root”

I think that what you called “footage” is the folder you are looking for (no need of a search function),
and its parentFolder is the rootFolder:

var myFile = File(“~/Desktop/Bowls.aep”);
var io = new ImportOptions(myFile);
var footage;

if (io.canImportAs(ImportAsType.PROJECT)){
io.importAs = ImportAsType.PROJECT;
footage = app.project.importFile(io);
alert(“parentFolder: ” + footage.parentFolder.name);
alert(“is root folder: ” + (footage.parentFolder===app.project.rootFolder));
alert(“footage is instance of: ” + footage.constructor.name);
};

Xavier.

[Xavier Gomez]

Even if a layer is a precomp, it doesnt have a “layers” property.
You should use layer.source to get to its source.
If the layer is a precomp, then layer.source should be a CompItem:

var curItem = app.project.activeItem;
var selectedLayers = curItem.selectedLayers;
var curLayer = curItem.selectedLayers[0];
var layersInside = curLayer.source.layers;

Care: this will be valid only if currLayer is a precomp.

Xavier

[Xavier Gomez]

Can you post a screenshot of the layout ?

Xavier.

[Xavier Gomez]

Just in case, there is also a ready-made solution on aescripts.com:
https://aescripts.com/ae-shader-effector/

Xavier.

[Xavier Gomez]

Hi,

doing what you want is not as straigthforward as it may seem.
Have a look there, it is explained step by step: https://www.motionscript.com/articles/speed-control.html#linear

Xavier

[Xavier Gomez]

OK thank you.

I’m surprised, i thought that the javascript implementation was the same across all versions, with only the object model growing from time to time.

Xavier.

[Xavier Gomez]

Dan,
i tested this and obtained 4.
Can it have something to do with the AE version (CS5.5 for me)?

Xavier.

[Xavier Gomez]

It is myComp.duration

There is a list of available “commands” for expressions (click the triangle close to the = sign of the expression).

Xavier

[Xavier Gomez]

This might answer your question, but it assumes you named the keyframed leader “LEADER”.
You can change that.

Xavier

lead = thisComp.layer("LEADER");
refTime = 0; // a time where all layers are lined up
if (time<= refTime) {value;}
else{
delay = Math.abs(lead.index-index)*framesToTime(thisComp.layer("USA").effect("delay")("Slider").value, 1/thisComp.frameDuration);
lead.transform.position.valueAtTime(time-delay) + valueAtTime(refTime) - lead.transform.position.valueAtTime(refTime);
};