24.2.1 Bug: Text essential prop not returning override value

[Tom Balev]

In the latest 24.2.1, essential property is returning the original text value instead of the esential property override.

AE 2023 seem to return the correct (override) value.

[JohnColombo]

Hi @Tom Balev,

Thank you for reporting this issue. Does the bug occur only when reading the .value attribute of the Essential Property via scripting, or does it also occur when overriding the value in the UI of After Effects?

Thank you for any further information you can provide,

- John, After Effects Engineering Team 

[Tom Balev]

Hey John,

It only happens on the .value attribute when scripting - UI in After Effects seems to be getting the correct value in the Essential Properties dropdown, as well as in the Properties panel.

I have tested 23 versions (all return correct value), but it seems the bug only started happening on 24.2.X - and only on text layers.

[Tom Balev]

Hey @JohnColombo - any updates on this? It seems to be issue in the latest beta as well.

[JohnColombo]

Hi @Tom Balev,

Thanks for the follow-up. Edit: my apologies, and thanks very much for your patience.  We had a similar issue reported and are investigating that issue, but this one has not been moved into our bug-tracking system. I will get it in today and start the investigation. 

- John, After Effects Engineering Team  

[JohnColombo]

Hello again, @Tom Balev,

I was able to reproduce the issue and it appears related to a similar bug reported against 24.2.x. We now have a ticket open and associated with that existing bug, which is already under investigation.

Thanks again for the report and for your patience,

- John, After Effects Engineering Team  

[Paul Tuersley]

Steps to reproduce:
1. Create a new comp and text layer 'some text'
2. Press UU to reveal SourceText, right-click and Add Property To Essential Graphics
3. Press T then drag Opacity into Essential Graphics panel
4. Click Edit Properties in Essential Graphics and check all options
5. Drag Comp 1 onto new comp icon to create Comp 2
6. Use Essential Properties panel to change the text, font size and set Opacity to 30% in Comp 2 only
7. With Comp 2 active, run attached essential test script
 
Result:

"localValue is not: some text source value: some text
I just can't read it. local value is not: some text
local fontSize is not: 135 source fontSize: 135
local opacity is correct: 30 source value: 100"

You can write local text but can't read it. No other text attributes work, even if enabled. Opacity local read/write works as expected, as do other non-text properties.

Expected: You could read and write at least the text properties enabled by Edit Properties.

A scripting ability to set those Edit Properties checkboxes would be good too. I guess we'd also need more stuff like Push/Pull state queries and methods to properly manage existing Essential Graphics projects through scripting.
 
System info
    Application: After Effects (Beta) v24.5.0.21
    OS: macOS v12.6.8, RAM: 64.00 GB GB, CPUs (logical): 12

[JohnColombo]

Thank you for this report, @Paul Tuersley. We've made it reported previously and have a ticket open to investigate. I've merged this post with the existing report so we can notify all affected parties when there is an update on the issue.

Cheers,

- John, After Effects Engineering Team  

[Martin Kosdy]

Hi @JohnColombo,

any news about this issue? I just tested it in latest beta 24.6.0 build 13 and I think it still doesn't work as expected.

Thanks!

[konstantinr76803912]

Hello,

the problem still exists even in 25.0.1 (Build 2).

I am developing a pipeline script for a job the next month which intensively depends on the possibilty to read this value.

Any new info on this ticket?

[Martin Vigas]

Issue: AE 2024 & 2025 are returning original values of Essential Properties instead of actual values stored in compositions using Essential Properties for text values(not sure what about other type of values) when these values are accessed through scripting. Discussed here https://community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects-discussions/scripting-essential-properties-text-values/...

AE 2023 is the last version where this behaves correctly.

How to recreate: 

I have created the simplest possible AEP file for each version in the same manual manner (attached). Creating a single text layer "test 1". Precomposing it. Drag and dropping the source text of the only text layer into the Essential graphic panel. Went to the comp one level up. In the timeline window, clicking the arrow of the layer to get to Essential properties. Choosing the only EP "test 1", rightclick, edit value, edited the value to "test 2".

And then I just run this 1 line:

alert(app.project.activeItem.selectedLayers[0].property("ADBE Layer Overrides").property(1).value);

Expected outcome:

For AE 2023 version this returns an alert window with text "test 2".

Actual result:

But for both AE 2024 and 2025 this returns an alert window with text "test 1". It returns the original value, not the edited value.

Versions of the Apps:

AE 2023 23.0.0. Build 59

AE 2024 24.6.4 Build 3

AE 2025 25.1.0 Build 68

OS: Win 10 64-bit

[JohnColombo]

Hi all,

A fix for this issue is now available in the Beta builds of After Effects 25.2. Please give this a try in the Beta builds and let us know if you are able to read the expected overriden value via scripting.

Cheers,

- John, After Effects Engineering Team 

[AlexanderToth]

Hello John, 

Thank you for the update on the issue. 

I can confirm that setting & getting the text document properties on "ADBE EP Text Document" now mostly work. There is just one big remaining problem for us. Setting of font, style, and size only works when "Source Text Properties" for these are turned on (see image below). When these properties are turned off, we're not able to set these values using scripting. 

Now, the problem is that we're not able to enable these "Source Text Properties" using scripting. Would it be possible to add access to these properties? Or some other way to change font, size, style of the "ADBE EP Text Document" if these are not manually turned on by user at the time of setting them?  
Here is a loom recording explaining the issue: 
https://www.loom.com/share/d9ccdc913b314f6998fcc7d6569a9719

Thanks!

[Martin Vigas]

Hi John,

I can confirm 25.2 beta works for me.

[Sébastien Périer]

Hi all,

The fix for this issue is now available in the new After Effects 25.2 release. 

Thanks for helping us narrow down the issue, and please let us know if it is still happening after you upgrade.

Sébastien Périer
After Effects Quality Engineer