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dbDavideBoscolo
dbDavideBoscolo
Brainiac
May 20, 2018
Answered

Working with AE Preference settings

  • May 20, 2018
  • 1 reply
  • 3252 views

Hi everybody,

I have a checkbox defined as this:

var passThrough = groupTwo.add ("checkbox", undefined, "passThrough");

And I'm trying to store the checkbox value in the AE Preference setting file, using this code here:

passThrough.onClick = function(){
          app.settings.saveSetting("EVLCopy", "passThrough", passThrough.value);
        }

It doesn't work.

The getSetting method doesn't work neither (over a setting that already exists in the file):

passThrough.onClick = function(){
          var testing = app.settings.getSetting("AE_OpenGL","Downsample Factor");
          alert(testing);
        }

What the heck am I doing wrong?

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Tomas Sinkunas

Two things you are doing wrong here:

1. You are saving and getting settings from 2 different Section Names: EVLCopy and AE_OpenGL. It's a common practice to use Section Name as your Script Name. This way all your settings reside in same place, and everyone is happy.

app.settings.saveSetting(sectionName, keyName, value)
app.settings.getSetting(sectionName, keyName)

2. Optional - you need to save settings to disk to see the changes in the prefs.txt file;

app.preferences.saveToDisk();

Read more about settings here: Settings object — After Effects Scripting Guide 0.0.1 documentation

And here's a working demo:

(function(thisObj) {
    var scriptName = 'Some Script';
    var keyName = 'My Checkbox Value';
    var win = new Window('palette', scriptName, undefined);
    var checkbox = win.add('checkbox', undefined, 'Checkbox');
    var btnSaveSettings = win.add('button', undefined, 'Save Settings');
    btnSaveSettings.onClick = function () {
        var value = checkbox.value.toString();
        saveSettings(keyName, value);
        saveToDisk();
        alert('Settings saved:\nSection Name: ' + scriptName + '\nkeyName: ' + keyName + '\nValue: ' + value);
    };
    var btnLoadSettings = win.add('button', undefined, 'Load Settings');
    btnLoadSettings.onClick = function () {
        if (!haveSetting(keyName)) {
            throw 'Ups, dont have any settings for "' + keyName + '"';
        }
        var stringValue = getSetting(keyName);
        var value = (stringValue === 'true') ? true : false;
        checkbox.value = value;
        alert('Settings Loaded:\nSection Name: ' + scriptName + '\nkeyName: ' + keyName + '\nValue: ' + value);
    };
    win.show();
    function getSetting(keyName) {
        return app.settings.getSetting(scriptName, keyName);
    }
    function haveSetting(keyName) {
        return app.settings.haveSetting(scriptName, keyName);
    }
    function saveSettings(keyName, value) {
        app.settings.saveSetting(scriptName, keyName, value.toString());
    }
    function saveToDisk() {
        app.preferences.saveToDisk();
    }
})();

1 reply

Tomas Sinkunas
Tomas SinkunasCorrect answer
Brainiac
May 20, 2018

Two things you are doing wrong here:

1. You are saving and getting settings from 2 different Section Names: EVLCopy and AE_OpenGL. It's a common practice to use Section Name as your Script Name. This way all your settings reside in same place, and everyone is happy.

app.settings.saveSetting(sectionName, keyName, value)
app.settings.getSetting(sectionName, keyName)

2. Optional - you need to save settings to disk to see the changes in the prefs.txt file;

app.preferences.saveToDisk();

Read more about settings here: Settings object — After Effects Scripting Guide 0.0.1 documentation

And here's a working demo:

(function(thisObj) {
    var scriptName = 'Some Script';
    var keyName = 'My Checkbox Value';
    var win = new Window('palette', scriptName, undefined);
    var checkbox = win.add('checkbox', undefined, 'Checkbox');
    var btnSaveSettings = win.add('button', undefined, 'Save Settings');
    btnSaveSettings.onClick = function () {
        var value = checkbox.value.toString();
        saveSettings(keyName, value);
        saveToDisk();
        alert('Settings saved:\nSection Name: ' + scriptName + '\nkeyName: ' + keyName + '\nValue: ' + value);
    };
    var btnLoadSettings = win.add('button', undefined, 'Load Settings');
    btnLoadSettings.onClick = function () {
        if (!haveSetting(keyName)) {
            throw 'Ups, dont have any settings for "' + keyName + '"';
        }
        var stringValue = getSetting(keyName);
        var value = (stringValue === 'true') ? true : false;
        checkbox.value = value;
        alert('Settings Loaded:\nSection Name: ' + scriptName + '\nkeyName: ' + keyName + '\nValue: ' + value);
    };
    win.show();
    function getSetting(keyName) {
        return app.settings.getSetting(scriptName, keyName);
    }
    function haveSetting(keyName) {
        return app.settings.haveSetting(scriptName, keyName);
    }
    function saveSettings(keyName, value) {
        app.settings.saveSetting(scriptName, keyName, value.toString());
    }
    function saveToDisk() {
        app.preferences.saveToDisk();
    }
})();
    dbDavideBoscolo
    dbDavideBoscoloAuthor
    Brainiac
    May 21, 2018

    Hi Tomas,

    a huge thank you for your reply!

    Your demo works like a charm and it made my life easier. Now everything works fine.

    Thanks! You are the boss!

    This line here:

    app.settings.saveSetting("EVLCopy", "passThrough", passThrough.value); 

    didn't do anything because I didn't know I had to save the settings to disk.

    It now saves the settings under ["Settings_EVLCopy"] and not under ["EVLCopy"] as I thought.

    These lines here:

    1. var testing = app.settings.getSetting("AE_OpenGL","Downsample Factor");  
    2.           alert(testing); 

    I was expecting to return an alert with the value 4 but it doesn't work. I think because it searches for ["Settings_AE_OpenGL"], which doesn't exists.

    but these lines here work fine now:

    1. var testing = app.settings.getSetting("EVLCopy","passThrough");  
    2.           alert(testing); 

    So... all good for me!!

    Tomas Sinkunas
    Tomas Sinkunas
    Brainiac
    May 21, 2018

    Well, to get that value, you'd need to check app.preferences object.

    (function() {
        var sectionName = 'AE_OpenGL';
        var keyName = 'Enabled2';
        var prefType = PREFType.PREF_Type_MACHINE_SPECIFIC;
        /*
            There are few PrefTypes. Pick one:
            PREF_Type_MACHINE_INDEPENDENT
            PREF_Type_MACHINE_INDEPENDENT_COMPOSITION
            PREF_Type_MACHINE_INDEPENDENT_OUTPUT
            PREF_Type_MACHINE_INDEPENDENT_RENDER
            PREF_Type_MACHINE_SPECIFIC
            PREF_Type_MACHINE_SPECIFIC_PAINT
            PREF_Type_MACHINE_SPECIFIC_TEXT
        */
        if (!app.preferences.havePref(sectionName, keyName, prefType)) {
            throw 'Cannot get "' + keyName + '" in section "' + sectionName + '" in ' + prefType;
        }
        var prefsValue = app.preferences.getPrefAsString(sectionName, keyName, prefType);
        alert('Value for "' + keyName + '" is ' + prefsValue);
        /*
            app.preferences has exposes these methods:
            deletePref
            getPrefAsBool
            getPrefAsFloat
            getPrefAsLong
            getPrefAsString
            havePref
            reload
            savePrefAsBool
            savePrefAsFloat
            savePrefAsLong
            savePrefAsString
            saveToDisk
        */
    })();
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