Name pre-comp from selected layer names

[Joseph Reborn Adopted]

i saw a plugin that would dynamically name a pre-comp, but couldn't handle more than one layer at a time. i need to group individual animated characters, which are on their own individual layer ...so i can have pre-comps of the words. i have way too many to handle and typing the name for each pre-comp would take forever.

Can you recommend code or a plugin to do this?

i eventually will be trying to use monkey layer or something match the words to markers.

[Airweb_AE]

Can you make a screen recording to show us the manual steps you take?
This will allow us to write a script or direct you to a script that performs these actions.

[Joseph Reborn Adopted]

https://youtu.be/7HnoJDyGEbU

i would be naming them because i think you need a word to be a single layer to work in monkey layers with textsyncr. or maybe i could do something with textforce.

[Airweb_AE · Accepted solution]

Create Precomps.jsx

(function(thisObj) {
  buildUI(thisObj);

  function buildUI(thisObj) {
    var palette = (thisObj instanceof Panel) ? thisObj : new Window("palette", "Create Precomps", undefined, {
      resizeable: true
    });
    palette.alignChildren = ["left", "top"];
    palette.spacing = 7;
    palette.margins = 10;
    var button = palette.add("button", undefined, 'Create Precomp');
    if (palette instanceof Window) {
      palette.center();
      palette.show();
    } else {
      palette.layout.layout(true);
      palette.layout.resize();
    }
    button.onClick = function() {
      var proj = app.project;
      var thisComp = proj.activeItem;
      var selectedLayers = thisComp.selectedLayers;
      if (!selectedLayers.length) {
        alert('Select at least 1 layer');
        return false;
      }
      app.beginUndoGroup("Create Precomps");
      var precompName = '';
      var indexes = [];
      for (var i = 0; i < selectedLayers.length; i++) {
        precompName += selectedLayers[i].name;
        indexes.push(selectedLayers[i].index);
      }
      var precomp = thisComp.layers.precompose(indexes, precompName, true);
      app.endUndoGroup();
    };
  }
})(this);

[Joseph Reborn Adopted]

This is great, can i bother you to set it to remove any numbers it sees? There are layers with the same character cuasing the numbering that ae does.

[Airweb_AE]

at the end of the script, you have this line:

var precomp = thisComp.layers.precompose(indexes, precompName, true);

replace with:

// remove numbers
var precomp = thisComp.layers.precompose(indexes, precompName.replace(/\d/g, ''), true);

// remove numbers and spaces
var precomp = thisComp.layers.precompose(indexes, precompName.replace(/[\d\s]/g, ''), true);

[Joseph Reborn Adopted]

Your Extendscript select a group of layers and then put them into a precomp. Can you change it to move the selected layers to the next available marker?

i know it's possible to make a counter of makers with a slider. But i don't know if Extendscript uses something different.

[Joseph Reborn Adopted]

i mashed something together from you, Dan, and Fabrice

var palette = new Window("palette", "Move Selected Layers to Marker Position", undefined);
var button = palette.add("button", undefined, "Move Layers");

palette.center();
palette.show();

button.onClick = function () {
	var proj = app.project;
	var thisComp = proj.activeItem;
	var selectedLayers = thisComp.selectedLayers;

    if (!thisComp.markerProperty.numKeys) {
        alert('Please, add a marker on the timeline.');
        return
    }
	if (!selectedLayers.length) {
        alert('Select at least 1 layer');
        return false;
    }
    app.beginUndoGroup("undo");
	
	var myComp = app.project.activeItem;
	var myProp = myComp.markerProperty;
	var myTime = myComp.time;
	var n = 0;
	if (myProp.numKeys > 0){
		n = myProp.nearestKeyIndex(myTime);
		if (myProp.keyTime(n) <= myTime) n++;
		if (n > myProp.numKeys) n = 0;
	}
	if (n > 0){
		myComp.time = myProp.keyTime(n)
	}
	for (var i = 0; i < selectedLayers.length; i++) {
		selectedLayers[i].startTime = myTime;
    }
    endUndoGroup();
}

https://community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects-discussions/get-number-of-comp-markers/td-p/9969076
https://creativecow.net/forums/thread/how-to-move-timeline-layers-with-marker/

[Airweb_AE]

Or even faster.

Create Precomps - v2.0.jsx

(function(thisObj) {
    Array.prototype.indexOf = function(item) {
      var index = 0,
        length = this.length;
      for (; index < length; index++) {
        if (this[index] === item)
          return index;
      }
      return -1;
    }
  buildUI(thisObj);

  function buildUI(thisObj) {
    var palette = (thisObj instanceof Panel) ? thisObj : new Window("palette", "Create Precomps", undefined, {
      resizeable: true
    });
    palette.alignChildren = ["left", "top"];
    palette.spacing = 7;
    palette.margins = 10;
    palette.add("statictext", undefined, 'Precomp Names Separated with Commas:');
    var precomps = palette.add('edittext {properties: {name: "edittext1"}}');
    precomps.text = "";
    var proj = app.project;
    var thisComp = proj.activeItem;
    if (thisComp) {
      for (var i = 1; i <= thisComp.numLayers; i++) {
        precomps.text += thisComp.layer(i).name
      }
    }
    precomps.preferredSize.width = 300;
    var button = palette.add("button", undefined, 'Create Precomp');
    button.preferredSize.width = 300;
    if (palette instanceof Window) {
      palette.center();
      palette.show();
    } else {
      palette.layout.layout(true);
      palette.layout.resize();
    }
    button.onClick = function() {
      var done = [];
      var arr = precomps.text.split(',');
      var proj = app.project;
      var thisComp = proj.activeItem;
      app.beginUndoGroup("Create Precomps");
      for (var i = 0; i < arr.length; i++) {
        // DeselectAll
        app.executeCommand(2004);
        var precompName = arr[i];
        var layerNames = arr[i].split('');
        var indexes = [];
        for (var j = 1; j <= thisComp.numLayers; j++) {
          if (done.indexOf(thisComp.layer(j)) == -1 && thisComp.layer(j).name == layerNames[0]) {
            thisComp.layer(j).selected = true;
            indexes.push(thisComp.layer(j).index);
            layerNames = layerNames.slice(1);
            if (!layerNames.length) {
              var precomp = thisComp.layers.precompose(indexes, precompName, true);
              done.push(precomp);
                break;
            }
          }
        }
      }
      app.endUndoGroup();
    };
  }
})(this);

[Joseph Reborn Adopted]

i save it as a .jsx and then do a file/scripts/run ...but it doesn't work ...how do i get that console you are using?

[Airweb_AE]

I tried from file > Scripts -> Run.... it works

The CONSOLE I use is a custom extension.

But I recently saw one that looks even better.

ExtendScript Developer Tools 

[Joseph Reborn Adopted]

It's ae acting weird with naming of duplicatly named layers ...i think it works for you because your layers are not of precomps. Is there a way to have the code only look at the first character for a name? ...or sptit the string at a blank space?

[Joseph Reborn Adopted]

i think it's acting weird because the idividual layers start out as precomps?

[Airweb_AE]

Try this code,

it should rename your layers correctly.

Just be aware that your Controller layer will be renamed to C

(function(thisObj) {
  Array.prototype.indexOf = function(item) {
    var index = 0,
      length = this.length;
    for (; index < length; index++) {
      if (this[index] === item)
        return index;
    }
    return -1;
  }
  buildUI(thisObj);

  function buildUI(thisObj) {
    var palette = (thisObj instanceof Panel) ? thisObj : new Window("palette", "Create Precomps", undefined, {
      resizeable: true
    });
    palette.alignChildren = ["left", "top"];
    palette.spacing = 7;
    palette.margins = 10;
    palette.add("statictext", undefined, 'Precomp Names Separated with Commas:');
    var precomps = palette.add('edittext {properties: {name: "edittext1"}}');
    precomps.text = "";
    var proj = app.project;
    var thisComp = proj.activeItem;
    if (thisComp) {
      for (var i = 1; i <= thisComp.numLayers; i++) {
        thisComp.layer(i).name = thisComp.layer(i).name.substring(0, 1)
        precomps.text += thisComp.layer(i).name
      }
    }
    precomps.preferredSize.width = 300;
    var button = palette.add("button", undefined, 'Create Precomp');
    button.preferredSize.width = 300;
    if (palette instanceof Window) {
      palette.center();
      palette.show();
    } else {
      palette.layout.layout(true);
      palette.layout.resize();
    }
    button.onClick = function() {
      var done = [];
      var arr = precomps.text.split(',');
      var proj = app.project;
      var thisComp = proj.activeItem;
      app.beginUndoGroup("Create Precomps");
      for (var i = 0; i < arr.length; i++) {
        // DeselectAll
        app.executeCommand(2004);
        var precompName = arr[i];
        var layerNames = arr[i].split('');
        var indexes = [];
        for (var j = 1; j <= thisComp.numLayers; j++) {
          if (done.indexOf(thisComp.layer(j)) == -1 && thisComp.layer(j).name == layerNames[0]) {
            thisComp.layer(j).selected = true;
            indexes.push(thisComp.layer(j).index);
            layerNames = layerNames.slice(1);
            if (!layerNames.length) {
              var precomp = thisComp.layers.precompose(indexes, precompName, true);
              done.push(precomp);
              break;
            }
          }
        }
      }
      app.endUndoGroup();
    };
  }
})(this);

[Joseph Reborn Adopted]

Thanks for looking into this. i just changed the index to step over the controller layer:
if (thisComp) {
for (var i = 2; i <= thisComp.numLayers; i++) {

[Joseph Reborn Adopted]

Can i please annoy you again? Would you know how to make a copy of that first layer controller and put it into each of the new precomps that this makes?

[Airweb_AE]

Maybe like this:

(function(thisObj) {
  Array.prototype.indexOf = function(item) {
    var index = 0,
      length = this.length;
    for (; index < length; index++) {
      if (this[index] === item)
        return index;
    }
    return -1;
  }
  buildUI(thisObj);

  function buildUI(thisObj) {
    var palette = (thisObj instanceof Panel) ? thisObj : new Window("palette", "Create Precomps", undefined, {
      resizeable: true
    });
    palette.alignChildren = ["left", "top"];
    palette.spacing = 7;
    palette.margins = 10;
    palette.add("statictext", undefined, 'Precomp Names Separated with Commas:');
    var precomps = palette.add('edittext {properties: {name: "edittext1"}}');
    precomps.text = "";
    var proj = app.project;
    var thisComp = proj.activeItem;
    if (thisComp) {
      for (var i = 2; i <= thisComp.numLayers; i++) {
        thisComp.layer(i).name = thisComp.layer(i).name.substring(0, 1)
        precomps.text += thisComp.layer(i).name
      }
    }
    precomps.preferredSize.width = 300;
    var button = palette.add("button", undefined, 'Create Precomps');
    button.preferredSize.width = 300;
    if (palette instanceof Window) {
      palette.center();
      palette.show();
    } else {
      palette.layout.layout(true);
      palette.layout.resize();
    }
    button.onClick = function() {
      var done = [];
      var arr = precomps.text.split(',');
      var proj = app.project;
      var thisComp = proj.activeItem;
      app.beginUndoGroup("Create Precomps");
      for (var i = 0; i < arr.length; i++) {
        // DeselectAll
        app.executeCommand(2004);
        var precompName = arr[i];
        var layerNames = arr[i].split('');
        var indexes = [1];
        thisComp.layer(1).duplicate();
        thisComp.layer(1).selected = true;
        thisComp.layer(1).name = thisComp.layer(2).name;
        for (var j = 3; j <= thisComp.numLayers; j++) {
          if (done.indexOf(thisComp.layer(j)) == -1 && thisComp.layer(j).name == layerNames[0]) {
            thisComp.layer(j).selected = true;
            indexes.push(thisComp.layer(j).index);
            layerNames = layerNames.slice(1);
            if (!layerNames.length) {
              var precomp = thisComp.layers.precompose(indexes, precompName, true);
              done.push(precomp);
              thisComp.layer(1).moveAfter(thisComp.layer(thisComp.numLayers));
              break;
            }
          }
        }
      }
      thisComp.layer(1).remove();
      app.endUndoGroup();
    };
  }
})(this);

[Joseph Reborn Adopted]

That does put a copy in there, thank you ...but erm, it seems FontManager bakes in a some paths as it generates the animations of each letter, so after i use your scipt is starts asking for a layer that i don't think ever existed. "T 2 1" ...for example. Does your script change the name of the layers as they go into their new precomp?

[Joseph Reborn Adopted]

i'm noticing that the 44 errors come up right as i run your script ...so before i even click "Create Precomps". That's weird.

[Joseph Reborn Adopted]

You did everything i asked ...but i think i was asking for something that was never going to work. These layers are super weird from FontManager ...i'm getting all kinds of crazy errors after they get grouped into precomps ...the paths are breaking somewhere.

i could avoid the whole grouping thing if there was a way to move multiple layers (that make up each word) to markers based on a paragraph of text that i feed it.