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Yanomanow
Known Participant
November 21, 2024
Question

AE Mouse Events in conflicts with Third Party plugin's on screen control events

  • November 21, 2024
  • 1 reply
  • 275 views

When a third party plugin is selected in the Effect Control Window), all mouse events appear to be handled by the third-party plug-in for its own on-screen controls. In this scenario, if I switch to the hand cursor to pan around the frame, it doesn’t work! Presumably, if the events are going to the third-party effect they cannot ALSO be handled by AE for it own functionality. 

 

There are at least two good solutions to this problem:

1) Any time the user switches to the hand cursor, disable third-party on-screen controls and thus allow the user to pan around the frame as usual. As soon as the user switches back to the arrow cursor, give control back to the third-party plugin.

 

2) As long as the third-party effect title is selected in the Canvas, disallow anything but the default arrow cursors. Allow the third-party plugin to capture events, change the cursor to whatever it wants, etc.

 

Either one of those two are acceptable to users/developers. 1 is probably a better UX.

 

Steps to reproduce :

1. Install the last version of FxFactory

2. Create a solid and apply the FxFactory/Generator/Circle

3. Verify the plugin is selected in the Effect Control Window (plugin name greyed)

4. Push the space bar (AE Hand tool short cut) and try to move the solid with the hand (it does not work)

5. Deselect the solid in the timeline then retry the same operation  --> Space bar + solid move ( now it works)

This topic has been closed for replies.

1 reply

JohnColombo17100380
Community Manager
Community Manager
November 22, 2024

Hi @Yanomanow,

Thank you for creating a thread on this issue. The behavior you've described is already covered in After Effects' third-party plug-in SDK—there are affordances to manage whether the plug-in has handled a mouse event and whether AE should continue to process it for the current tool.

 

The developer of the third-party effect must implement this behavior, e.g. See this Bug thread where the same issue was reported and fixed by the developer of the Cryptomatte plug-in that is bundled with After Effects: https://community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects-bugs/hand-tool-not-working-when-using-cryptomatte-plugin/idi-p/13469287.

 

I recommend contacting the plug-in developer—FxFactory, in the case you listed—and asking if they can implement the same fix for the products showing this behavior for you.

 

Cheers,

- John, After Effects Engineering Team 

FxFactory
Inspiring
November 22, 2024

Thanks for the nudge in the right direction John!

We'll make sure to set PF_EO_HANDLED_EVENT only if we actually do something with the mouse click. I just tried it out and it seems to allow AE to freely move the layer.