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TTTipsy
TTTipsy
Participant
November 13, 2015
Answered

How to access the Premiere Pro clipboard?

  • November 13, 2015
  • 2 replies
  • 5220 views

I'm not sure if I need to use the SDK for this or not.

Basically, I want to be able to COPY many different items from Premiere, like presets, transitions, and clips... into the clipboard, one at a time, and then SAVE all of that clipboard information somewhere where it won't get overwritten when the next thing is copied onto the clipboard.

Then I'm going to program a system (probably using AutoHotKey) where any particular item can be recalled and placed back into the active clipboard, then pasted straight into Premiere like normal.

This would allow me to use custom keyboard shortcuts to instantly apply any effect I want, any transition I want, and any group of clips that I want to the timeline... incredibly easily and flawlessly.

I've tried using autohotkey's clipboardAll() function, (Clipboard and ClipboardAll) but it doesn't work for items copied in Premiere... only for text and pictures and things like that. It looks to me like Premiere has its own special clipboard that it uses for more complicated things like copying effects or clips off of the timeline.

So again, my question is, how do I access the Premiere Pro clipboard? Where is that file located in Windows? I searched through all the Premiere AppData files and I didn't see anything that looked like clipboard information... I'm not even sure if that's the right place to look.

I downloaded the SDK, but I don't see any information about the clipboard in the included help file, so I don't know if the SDK would be useful for this.

I would be so, so grateful if anyone could help me with this. I'm a video editor, not a programmer, so this stuff is not very easy for me.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Bruce Bullis

There is no way to access the Premiere Pro clipboard, in the manner you described.

What do you want to DO, with those items you'd like to copy? Perhaps there's another way.

2 replies

N
n.abola
Inspiring
December 8, 2016

Autohotkey script: shift+1 - copy, ctrl+1 - paste.

If it will buggy increase sleep time in Paste(clipboardID) function.

#WinActivateForce

SetBatchLines, -1

SetWinDelay, -1

+1::Copy(1)

^1::Paste(1)

+2::Copy(2)

^2::Paste(2)

+3::Copy(3)

^3::Paste(3)

return

Copy(clipboardID)

{

   global

   ClipBoard := ""

   Send, ^{vk43} ; Ctrl + C

   ClipWait, 1, 1

   if ErrorLevel = 1

   {

      MsgBox, ClipBoard is empty

      return

   }

   FileDelete, ClipBoard%clipboardID%

   FileAppend, %ClipBoardAll%, ClipBoard%clipboardID%

   return

}

Paste(clipboardID)

{

   loop 2

   {

      WinActivate, ahk_class Shell_TrayWnd          ; deactivate Premiere

      WinWaitActive, ahk_class Shell_TrayWnd

      sleep 50

      If A_Index = 1

         ClipBoard := ""

      Else

         FileRead, ClipBoard, *c ClipBoard%clipboardID%

      WinActivate, ahk_class Premiere Pro           ; activate Premiere

      WinWaitActive, ahk_class Premiere Pro

      sleep 50

      Send ^{vk56}   ; Ctrl + V

   }

   return

}

Bruce Bullis
Bruce BullisCorrect answer
Legend
November 16, 2015

There is no way to access the Premiere Pro clipboard, in the manner you described.

What do you want to DO, with those items you'd like to copy? Perhaps there's another way.

TTTipsy
TTTipsyAuthor
Participant
November 20, 2015

Sorry, but I had to un-mark your answer as correct, because I did figure out how to access the clipboard. You can see exactly what I used it for, in the following video:

Save any SELECTED CLIPS as a "PRESET" in Premiere Pro! - YouTube

Technically speaking, I merely intercepted the data as it went on its way to Premiere's internal clipboard. (or however it works!)

Now that I have your attention, though, I'd like to hear your opinion on this new, related question: Is there any way to save a transition as a preset, so that I can recall it later with a single keyboard shortcut?

I know that the answer is "no, that feature does not exist, please file a feature request..." but as you can see from my video, I'm already finding ways to do things in Premiere that I've been told are impossible. Also, I already filed a request... more than a year ago.

So is there any way you can think of that I can HACK Premiere so that I can save a transition preset? Perhaps using the clipboard, perhaps not? Or, hey! Is it possible to control Premiere actions from the command line? Or is it possible to VIEW all of the changes that Premiere is making to the computer as they happen? I'm just looking for anything I can use, here!

Here is my latest post on the subject: UPDATE: I figured out how to access Premiere's clipboard... Now I'm trying to save and recall custom transitions.

Bruce Bullis
Bruce Bullis
Legend
November 20, 2015

> Sorry, but I had to un-mark your answer as correct, because I did figure out how to access the clipboard.


Sniffing the OS clipboard doesn't give you 'presets, transitions, and clips', which is what you requested, above. Glad your solution works, for you; seems very susceptible to any change to the data PPro puts on the OS clipboard.


> Is there any way to save a transition as a preset, so that I can recall it later with a single keyboard shortcut?


As you correctly surmised, still 'No'.


> I know that the answer is "no, that feature does not exist, please file a feature request..."


Actually, I wasn't going to ask you to do so, as I'm already familiar with the existing request. You're right, it's an old request.


> So is there any way you can think of that I can HACK Premiere so that I can save a transition preset?


No. Since such behavior would necessarily be unsupported and fragile, any public speculation on my part about doing so would be irresponsible, and might be misinterpreted as endorsing such hackery.

> Is it possible to control Premiere actions from the command line?


Premiere Pro can be configured to execute ExtendScripts, from the command line. What is it you want to make PPro DO, from the command line?


> Or is it possible to VIEW all of the changes that Premiere is making to the computer as they happen?


I'm not sure what 'changes to the computer' you mean...?

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