Run script automatically when switching projects

Report · May 04, 2022

I have a script that does a thing if it finds a specific comp/layer/item in a project. I would like this to run automatically when AE switches projects.

I can put it in the Startup folder, and it will run on program launch, but the project on launch is always blank, so the script does nothing. Even double clicking on the project in explorer will launch a blank project, execute the script (which does nothing to a blank project) and then switches to the project that was double clicked. Since changing projects is not a startup function, the script does not run on the intended project.

I want to have AE run the script when it changes to a new project--either by manually doing File-Open Project or File-Open Recent, or by double clicking the project file in explorer.

Alternatively, I would settle for a global variable that could be stored for the AE session that persists across changing projects. This variable could be set on startup and then accessible by layer property expressions in our template project file.

I would also settle for accessing system variables in layer property expressions, like system.userName. My google search attempts have been futile.

Thanks for any assistance.

Report · May 04, 2022

There is no such thing and that is that. If at all it probably could be rigged up by not opening files directly, but e.g. through Windows Scripting Host and handing over command line parameters to process a certain script, but that is as good as it will ever get. AE simply doesn't work this way.

Mylenium