Develop a simple After Effects plugin in C# ?

[petercli]

Hello,

I would like to create a simple After Effects Plugin using C#.  The plugin will have a small screen with a couple simple controls . This plugin will run in After Effects on a Windows machine.

I am new to Adobe After Effects .

Can you point me to a SDK , tutorials etc ?

Thanks a ton,

Peter

[Todd_Kopriva]

Here's the SDK and related resources:

http://www.adobe.com/devnet/aftereffects.html

I moved your post to the SDK forum.

[petercli]

HI Todd,

The examples in the SDK are c++. Can you create a plugin using  c#   ? Or other langues , like  VB or Javascript ? I'd like to develop using Visual studio 2010  and C#.

(The sdk says :"Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2008 (version 9.0) SP 1 for Windows Vista 64 or Windows 7 64"  )

Thanks, Peter

[shachar carmi]

hi petercli, and welcome to the forum!

generally speaking, you can write a plug-in in any language.

however, the AE API is in c/c++ only, so if you want to write in other languages, you will need to use some code in c++ to interface with AE, and from there on you can wrap calls from the c++ part to any other function you have in c#.

you'll just need to add some non .cpp files to your project.

in any case, start off from one of the samples from the SDK, and add your non c# code files to that project.

as for working with visual studio 2010, it's possible.

just make sure that if your resulting plug-in is dependent on external DLLs, that you're binding to dll versions available to your user. i don't know for sure, but i think vs2010 ships with newer dlls than windows7 does. (but don't take my word for it)

[shachar carmi]

i also forgot to mention that you can run javascript code from within your C++ plug-in using the AEGP_ExecuteScript() command.

the java code can be embedded in the plug-in. you don't have to run an external file.

[Royi A]

Hi Shachar,

Do you mean I can embed a full script for AE written in Extended Script in my C++ Code?

Will it allow me to use some of the built in filters within AE?

Thanks.

[shachar carmi]

yes, you can run a script fully embedded in the plug-in. (meaning, no

external script file)

however, the same constraints of scripting for AE apply:

1. AE is the host running the script, so a script written for extedscript

in general and not AE specifically may not work.

2. AE scripting allows you manipulate the project, but it does not give you

access to image buffers or effects (besides the ability to apply an effect

to a layer (and not to process though it behind the scenes))