Add video (via path) into After Effects - ExtendScript

[jamesc12645275]

What command to add video to After Effects?

For example, the file "C:/Users/jamesc/video.mp4" needs to be added into my AE.

How do I add it in as a resource and then put it into the composition?

[Alex White · Accepted solution]

Here you go.

The following function will import your footage and add it to an opened composition.

var file = "C:/Users/jamesc/video.mp4";
function importFootage(file) {
    var myComp = app.project.activeItem; // your opened composition
    if (!myComp || !(myComp instanceof CompItem)) {
        alert("Please, open composition");
        return false;
    }
    app.beginUndoGroup("Import file");
    var importOpts = new ImportOptions(File(file));
    var importFootage = app.project.importFile(importOpts);
    var myFootage = myComp.layers.add(importFootage); // add footage to your composition
    app.endUndoGroup();
};

[guntramp26642460]

I think you can fetch the composition like this if you do not want to work with the currently active one:

/**
 * Returns e.g. a composition from the bins.
 * If there are more files with the same name,
 * the first one will be returned and others will be ignored.
 * @param string name The name of the item to retrieve
 */
getFolderItemByName: function getFolderItemByName(name) {
  var project = app.project;
  for (var index = 1; index <= project.numItems; index++) {
      var folderItem = project.item(index);
      if (folderItem && folderItem.name === name) {
        return folderItem;
      }
  }
  return null;
},

Or if you want to bring a composition to the active state, you can set it:

composition.selected = true;