Search sub folders for a project, then import it.

[Rick Gerard]

I have about 200 product specific compositions in sub folders. The structure looks like this:

Products

     Product 01

          Product 01.aep

          Footage(folder)

     Product 02

          Product 02.aep

          Footage(folder)

     Product 03

          Product 03.aep

          Footage(folder)

and so on.

I'm trying to write a script that would look in the products folder, then the Product sub folders, find the Product.01.aep and then repeat the process for all of the other product specific sub folders. I would then end up with a single AEP that contains all of the Product projects so that I could select all of the product comps and add them to the render cue.

In the actual folders the Product folder name startw with 3 letters and a dash then the product number. It looks like this wwr_1070. Maybe there would be a way to just search for all the wwr_*.aep files in the sub folder.

If you have any ideas for a better work flow I'm all ears.

[David Torno]

I had made this file importer script awhile back for importing all files with a specific extension. It's not completely polished, but should do the job for you.

http://www.sydefxink.com/FileImporter.jsxbin

[Rick Gerard]

That script seems to work fairly well. I'd love to see what went into it.

My workflow is almost automated now. I'm creating comps from a master template, exporting the comps as projects (aep files) and then manually moving each of the project files into product specific folders so that the product specific footage for the products is automatically loaded into the comps. I then use your script to gather all of the aep's into one AE project. Because of the way that I create the original comps from the csv text file the render cue is automatically loaded up, and the projects are ready to render.

The only missing part of the project now is moving the aep's from the Master folder to their product specific folders. I'd love to figure that one out.

If you have any ideas for a cleaner workflow I would love to hear it. We've got 200 + products, each with several lines of animated text, a unique audio track, and unique images to be loaded into a demo slideshow. My original thought was to have all of the images and the audio tracks have the same file name so that the same template could be used for all.

I've also looked at a comps from spreadsheet script that would work but it would require that the images and audio tracks would have unique file names. This is doable, but requires renaming about 800 files.

I'm rambling. It's been a very long day.

Thanks again for the help and the script.

[David Torno]

If you have any ideas for a cleaner workflow I would love to hear it. We've got 200 + products, each with several lines of animated text, a unique audio track, and unique images to be loaded into a demo slideshow.

Sounds like a pretty specific workflow. It could be completely coded as one script probably, but would take some time.

I'm creating comps from a master template, exporting the comps as projects (aep files)

Not sure if you are already using this one yet or not, but Jeff Almasol made this script awhile back for me. You can save multiple comps as individual project files.

http://www.redefinery.com/ae/view.php?item=rd_NewProjectFromComp

My original thought was to have all of the images and the audio tracks have the same file name so that the same template could be used for all.

That sounds like a good idea if it's possible for you.

The only missing part of the project now is moving the aep's from the Master folder to their product specific folders. I'd love to figure that one out.

Hmmm, should be possible to do. It would make sense to have that as part of the rd_NewProjectFromComp script, cause you could then use the saved name variable to then create a folder of the same name or at least use it for locating the file so you could then move the project file to it.

NOTE:

Once you run my File Importer script and import all those projects, you are also importing multiple copies of a single file if it's used in every project. It would be a good idea to run the consolidate menu command to cleanup the project of dup files.

[Rick Gerard]

Thanks for the suggestions. Still hammering away.

I'll let you know if I get it figured out.

[kevinpales]

Hey David,

I can't seem to access the file you linked.  Looks like this was from several years ago so perhaps its not hosted there anymore?

I would love to see this script.

Thanks in advance!

[David Torno]

I just checked and downloaded it just fine. Right click the link and choose "Save Link As", then choose a folder to save it to.

[kevinpales]

Yeah, I downloaded the file, but its just a bunch of messy code...

140 lines of this type of stuff:

"

@JSXBIN@ES@2.0@MyBbyBn0ABbBnABMBbyBnABMCbyBn0ADJDnASzDjQjBjMBAdCzKjJjOjTjUjBjOjD

jFjPjGCVzHjUjIjJjTiPjCjKDfOjzFiQjBjOjFjMEfnnVDfOEjzGiXjJjOjEjPjXFfREFeHjQjBjMjF"

I even tried changing the file extension from .txt, to .jsxbin and .jsx, but it looks the same.

Is there something else I should do to make this readable?

Thanks!

[David Torno]

The file is in ".jsxbin" format. This is an Adobe ExtendScript protected code format, it is not human readable. It is meant to protect the source code. I have some proprietary code being used that is not available for public eyes.

[kevinpales]

Aaaaaahhh….  got it.

Totally understandable.

Thanks DT!