How to edit AF files without open After Effects application

[Big Eyes]

Hello, guys.

I am trying to edit aep files without opening After Effects application? ,by CMD command or SDK whatever...

My concern is that I open aep files without opening After Effects application.

and then run some jsx scripts then save and close the files. And after that, I render them out.

The whole process what I need is not to open the application.

Is there anyone knows this task?

Thanks.

[shachar carmi]

hi there big eyes! welcome to the forum!

well, others have tried to do that as well...

it's not impossible, but very limited.

first off, there's no API for that, so whatever you do, you do by trial and

error.

i'd recommend you save you projects to the XML format (there is such an

option in AE), which makes the project file a bit more readable.

now it's all down to what you're trying to modify.

some attributes are easy to decipher (such as expressions), others are

completely binary (such as arb data blocks).

adding or removing attributes as opposed to just modifying existing ones

can be hazardous, as the file has some checksums... (at least that's what i

saw when i looked)

that's all i can think of.

perhaps someone else has more experience and can contribute their

knowledge. but it's all user based experience. there's no adobe API for

that.

[Big Eyes]

Much thank you for your quick answer.

I didn't know that AF file can be saved as a XML file.

As you mentioned, I have tried to edit the XML file.

What I need is to change text in a specific text layer.

But I couldn't reach the code to change it, mostly they are binary or some unreadable code.

Is there any idea that I am able to change the text?

[shachar carmi]

err...

the text data structure is some seriously opaque one...

can you access the layer comment directly in the project file?

if so, perhaps you can set an expression to read the text from the layer

comment.

(i'm merely guessing here)

[Todd_Kopriva]

Use Paul Tuersley's pt_OpenSesame script to accomplish what you're trying to accomplish:

pt_OpenSesame - aescripts + aeplugins - aescripts.com

[AndyR_]

I've been able to perform most of what you are describing from the command line.  However, it seems that using the command/batch interface prevents saving of .AEP projects.  The JS commands to save the scene work, but when I try opening the scene generated this way, AE reports the file as corrupt and it won't open.  Basically, I modified the commandLineRenderer.jsx script (its in the Scripts/Startup folder).  I added an additional command line argument for a path to an external .jsx file.  The modified commandLineRenderer sources the content of the external file and executes the code.  I am able to modify the scene, render images and movies, but I can't save the scene or save as a different file.  The resulting project files are always unreadable by AE.

Hope that helps!

-Andy

ps: this is all on OSX, I believe Windows AE already has built in functionality for executing a script from the command line. Not sure if  you can save your changes though.

[shachar carmi]

yo andy! what's up?

on windows you get the same corrupt project.

however... you can open them by importing them into a project (even an

empty one) instead of opening them as a stand alone project.

😄

[AndyR_]

Ah Shachar, I didn't even think to try importing the project.  Very good to know!

thx

-Andy