get value of layer controller in aftereffects

[daniely27391081]

Hi,

i need to get value of layer controller with script, since aftereffects 2018 layer controller has 2 drop downs, first drop down shows all layers, second drop down shows [effect, mask, effect & mask]. i could get value of first dropdown, but couldnt get value of second dropdown...

is it possible to read second dropdown value?

Best Regards

Daniel

[zlovatt]

From everything I've seen, setting or getting the value of that dropdown is not yet script-accessible (as of AE 16.0, Oct 2018).

[David Wigforss]

Can you provide an example of getting and setting the 1st dropdown's 'value'?  The example I was following doesn't seem to work anymore since they introduced that second dropdown.

I can access it via expressions; I need to do it via a script I'm creating...  I am trying to get a layer's layer control 'value', and then read the position from that layer.  I am also trying to create another null with another layer control, which is set to the other selected layer control value.  So I need to get and set.

Thanks a bunch!

-Dave

[zlovatt]

This is broken out into a bunch of steps so it's easier to see, and note that there aren't checks to ensure that the index that you're setting or getting is valid-- just here to show a few possibilities!

(function () {
  var comp = app.project.activeItem;
  var layer = comp.selectedLayers[0];
  var effects = layer.property("ADBE Effect Parade");
  var layerControl = effects.property("ADBE Layer Control");
  var layerDropdown = layerControl.property("ADBE Layer Control-0001");
  // This value is the index in your current comp of the dropdown's target
  var dropdownLayerIndex = layerDropdown.value;
  // This is how you'd get the layer specified by the dropdown
  var dropdownSelectedLayer = comp.layer(dropdownLayerIndex);
  // To set the value of the dropdown, you can do this--
  // where the value passed in is a number from 0 ("none"), to comp.numLayers
  layerDropdown.setValue(0);
})();

[David Wigforss]

Woh!  Thanks a bunch!  I've been trying to figure this out for a few days now...  Finally got it working thanks to your code.

I found an error, in case someone else is looking for this in the future.  On line 3 & 5, "layer" should be named something else, like "myLayer".  By calling it "layer", it creates a conflict on line 13, where you are searching for a layer's index in the comp, not in

app.project.activeItem.app.project.activeItem.selectedLayers[0];

Thanks again!!!  Great explanation/commenting btw!

-Dave

[notbyhalf]

Hi Zack,

I don't suppose you've discovered a way to set the second dropdown since this post?

I'm applying the Compound Arithmetic effect via a script. It's fairly straight forward to set the 'Second Source' layer selection using the effect property index, but I'm stumped as to how I can change the second dropdown from 'Source' to either 'Masks' or 'Effects & Masks'.

eg. This works ok:

layer("ADBE Effect Parade")("ADBE Compound Arithmetic").property(1).setValue(index of target layer)

However, property(2) refers to the next line item in the effect (Operator in this case).

Tried property(1).property(1) to no avail

[zlovatt]

There isn't a way, short of potentially setting up the effect with the right dropdown, saving it as a preset ffx, and applying that. Maybe.

[notbyhalf]

I hadn't thought of using an effect preset – that just might work, thanks!

Meanwhile, I've posted a feature request that Adobe make this dropdown accessible to the ExtendScript API. You can add your +1 here: https://adobe-video.uservoice.com/forums/911311-after-effects/suggestions/38377264-source-masks-effe...