How can I represent arbitrary non-video non-audio data on the timeline?

Question

I'm looking for a way to represent arbitrary data on the timeline using ExtendScript.Initially I figured I could use something like an adjustment layer with some custom metadata but discovered that there's no API access for creating adjustment layers.  This arbitrary data is neither audio nor video and does not interact with any kind of rendering but does have an edit rate and duration which could be manipulated using standard timeline tools. I have a separate process that will look at the timeline to "export" the edit decisions for the given data file.  I'm also looking at things like transparent video, silent audio or even graphics layers but I'm not quite getting where I want yet. I'm still investigating but am posting this in hopes that there's an existing technique that I just don't know about. All of this needs to be handled from ExtendScript. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Bruce Bullis · Accepted Answer

Mathias' .mogrt suggestion is worthy of exploration, but .mogrts and PPro's ExtendScript API were never intended (or tested!) for the use case you've described.

There is no such thing as a 'null' importer, and even projectItems that are offline by default would be expected to behave as actual projectItems, if/when the user onlines them. There is also no 'plumbing' to allow an importer to impersonate an effect, for parameter manipulation purposes.

However...

The AE C++ plugin effect API does support parameters of arbitrary data type. Further, it's up to a given effect plugin how it wants to deal with rendering (or not) 'arb' parameters, which can be controlled just like a standard parameter (keyframes, etc) in the timeline and effects control palette.

I'd recommend starting from the ColorGrid example plugin.

m427326055 · Answer

Or could I write (or better yet is there an existing) import plugin that essentially brings in a "null" media asset or perhaps creates a projectItem that is by default "offline" so that the content of the file is not actually used for video or audio rendering.

Regístrese

Social Login

Bienvenido

Social Login

Escaneando el archivo en busca de virus

Este archivo no se puede descargar