Layer object¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index)
Description¶
The Layer object provides access to layers within compositions. It can be accessed from an item's layer collection either by index number or by a name string.
Info
Layer is a subclass of PropertyGroup, which is a subclass of PropertyBase. All methods and attributes of PropertyGroup, in addition to those listed below, are available when working with Layer, with the exception that propertyIndex
attribute is set to undefined
.
Info
Layer is the base class for CameraLayer object, LightLayer object, and AVLayer object, so Layer attributes and methods are available when working with all layer types. Layers contain AE properties, in addition to their JavaScript attributes and methods. For examples of how to access properties in layers, see PropertyBase object.
Example¶
If the first item in the project is a CompItem, this example disables the first layer in that composition and renames it. This might, for example, turn an icon off in the composition.
var firstLayer = app.project.item(1).layer(1);
firstLayer.enabled = false;
firstLayer.name = "DisabledLayer";
Attributes¶
Layer.autoOrient¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).autoOrient
Description¶
The type of automatic orientation to perform for the layer.
Type¶
An AutoOrientType
enumerated value; read/write. One of:
AutoOrientType.ALONG_PATH
Layer faces in the direction of the motion path.AutoOrientType.CAMERA_OR_POINT_OF_INTEREST
Layer always faces the active camera or points at its point of interest.AutoOrientType.CHARACTERS_TOWARD_CAMERA
Each character in a per-character 3D text layer automatically faces the active camera.AutoOrientType.NO_AUTO_ORIENT
Layer rotates freely, independent of any motion path, point of interest, or other layers.
Layer.comment¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).comment
Description¶
A descriptive comment for the layer.
Type¶
String; read/write.
Layer.containingComp¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).containingComp
Description¶
The composition that contains this layer.
Type¶
CompItem object; read-only.
Layer.hasVideo¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).hasVideo
Description¶
When true
, the layer has a video switch (the eyeball icon) in the Timeline panel; otherwise false
.
Type¶
Boolean; read-only.
Layer.id¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).id
Note
This functionality was added in After Effects 22.0 (2022)
Description¶
Instance property on Layer which returns a unique and persistent identification number used internally to identify a Layer between sessions.
The value of the ID remains the same when the project is saved to a file and later reloaded.
However, when you import this project into another project, new IDs are assigned to all Layers in the imported project. The ID is not displayed anywhere in the user interface..
Type¶
Integer; read-only.
Layer.index¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).index
Description¶
The index position of the layer.
Type¶
Integer, in the range [1..numLayers]
; read-only.
Layer.inPoint¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).inPoint
Description¶
The "in" point of the layer, expressed in composition time (seconds).
Type¶
Floating-point value, in the range [-10800.0..10800.0]
(minus or plus three hours); read/write.
Layer.isNameSet¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).isNameSet
Description¶
true
if the value of the name attribute has been set explicitly, rather than automatically from the source.
Tip
This always returns true
for layers that do not have a AVLayer.source
Type¶
Boolean; read-only.
Layer.label¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).label
Description¶
The label color for the item. Colors are represented by their number (0 for None, or 1 to 16 for one of the preset colors in the Labels preferences).
Tip
Custom label colors cannot be set programmatically.
Type¶
Integer (0 to 16); read/write.
Layer.locked¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).locked
Description¶
When true
, the layer is locked; otherwise false
. This corresponds to the lock toggle in the Layer panel.
Type¶
Boolean; read/write.
Layer.marker¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).marker
Description¶
A PropertyGroup object that contains all a layer's markers. Layer marker scripting has the same functionality as Comp markers.
See MarkerValue object.
Type¶
PropertyGroup object or null
; read-only.
Example¶
The following sample code creates two layer markers with different properties
var solidLayer = comp.layers.addSolid([1, 1, 1], "mylayer", 1920, 1080, 1.0);
var layerMarker = new MarkerValue("This is a layer marker!");
layerMarker.duration = 1;
var layerMarker2 = new MarkerValue("Another comp marker!");
layerMarker2.duration = 1;
solidLayer.marker.setValueAtTime(1, layerMarker);
solidLayer.marker.setValueAtTime(3, layerMarker2);
Layer.nullLayer¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).nullLayer
Description¶
When true
, the layer was created as a null object; otherwise false
.
Type¶
Boolean; read-only.
Layer.outPoint¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).outPoint
Description¶
The "out" point of the layer, expressed in composition time (seconds).
Type¶
Floating-point value, in the range [-10800.0..10800.0]
(minus or plus three hours); read/write.
Layer.parent¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).parent
Description¶
The parent of this layer; can be null
.
Offset values are calculated to counterbalance any transforms above this layer in the hierarchy, so that when you set the parent there is no apparent jump in the layer's transform.
For example, if the new parent has a rotation of 30 degrees, the child layer is assigned a rotation of -30 degrees.
To set the parent without changing the child layer's transform values, use the setParentWithJump method.
Type¶
Layer object or null
; read/write.
Layer.selectedProperties¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).selectedProperties
Description¶
An array containing all of the currently selected Property and PropertyGroup objects in the layer.
Type¶
Array of PropertyBase objects; read-only.
Layer.shy¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).shy
Description¶
When true
, the layer is "shy", meaning that it is hidden in the Layer panel if the composition's "Hide all shy layers" option is toggled on.
Type¶
Boolean; read/write.
Layer.solo¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).solo
Description¶
When true
, the layer is soloed, otherwise false
.
Type¶
Boolean; read/write.
Layer.startTime¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).startTime
Description¶
The start time of the layer, expressed in composition time (seconds).
Type¶
Floating-point value, in the range [-10800.0..10800.0]
(minus or plus three hours); read/write.
Layer.stretch¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).stretch
Description¶
The layer's time stretch, expressed as a percentage. A value of 100 means no stretch. Values between 0 and 1 are set to 1, and values between -1 and 0 (not including 0) are set to -1.
Type¶
Floating-point value, in the range [-9900.0..9900.0]
; read/write.
Layer.time¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).time
Description¶
The current time of the layer, expressed in composition time (seconds).
Type¶
Floating-point value; read-only.
Methods¶
Layer.activeAtTime()¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).activeAtTime(time)
Description¶
Returns true
if this layer will be active at the specified time.
To return true
, the layer must be enabled, no other layer may be soloing unless this layer is soloed too, and the time must be between the inPoint
and outPoint
values of this layer.
Parameters¶
Parameter | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
time |
Floating-point value | The time in seconds. |
Returns¶
Boolean.
Layer.applyPreset()¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).applyPreset(presetName);
Description¶
Applies the specified collection of animation settings (an animation preset) to all the currently selected layers of the comp to which the layer belongs. If no layer is selected, it applies the animation preset to a new solid layer.
Predefined animation preset files are installed in the Presets folder, and users can create new animation presets through the user interface.
Warning
The animation preset is applied to the the selected layer(s) of the comp, not to the layer whose applyPreset function is called. Hence, the layer whose applyPreset function is called effectively just determines the comp whose layers are processed.
Parameters¶
Parameter | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
presetName |
Extendscript File object | The file containing the animation preset. |
Returns¶
Nothing.
Layer.copyToComp()¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).copyToComp(intoComp)
Description¶
Copies the layer into the specified composition. The original layer remains unchanged.
Creates a new Layer object with the same values as this one, and prepends the new object to the LayerCollection object in the target CompItem. Retrieve the copy using into Comp.layer(1)
.
Copying in a layer changes the index positions of previously existing layers in the target composition.
This is the same as copying and pasting a layer through the user interface.
Note
As of After Effects 13.6, this method no longer causes After Effects to crash when the layer has a parent.
Warning
As of After Effects 13.7 (13.6, has not been tested), if the copied layer has an effect on it and the user undoes the action, After Effects will Crash.
Parameters¶
Parameter | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
intoComp |
CompItem object | The target composition. |
Returns¶
Nothing.
Layer.doSceneEditDetection()¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).doSceneEditDetection(applyOptions)
Note
This functionality was added in After Effects 22.3 (2022)
Description¶
Runs Scene Edit Detection on the layer that the method is called on and returns an array containing the times of any detected scenes. This is the same as selecting a layer in the Timeline and choosing "Layer > Scene Edit Detection" with the single argument determining whether the edits are applied as markers, layer splits, pre-comps, or are not applied to the layer.
Just as in the UI, doSceneEditDetection
will fail and error if called on a non-video layer or a video layer with Time Remapping enabled.
Parameters¶
Parameter |
Type |
Description |
---|---|---|
|
|
How the detected edits will be applied. One of:
|
Returns¶
Array of floating-point values; the times of the detected edit points expressed in composition time.
Layer.duplicate()¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).duplicate()
Description¶
Duplicates the layer. Creates a new Layer object in which all values are the same as in this one. This has the same effect as selecting a layer in the user interface and choosing Edit > Duplicate, except the selection in the user interface does not change when you call this method.
Parameters¶
None.
Returns¶
Layer object.
Layer.moveAfter()¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).moveAfter(layer)
Description¶
Moves this layer to a position immediately after (below) the specified layer.
Parameters¶
Parameter | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
layer |
Layer object | The target layer in the same composition. |
Returns¶
Nothing.
Layer.moveBefore()¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).moveBefore(layer)
Description¶
Moves this layer to a position immediately before (above) the specified layer.
Parameters¶
Parameter | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
layer |
Layer object | The target layer in the same composition. |
Returns¶
Nothing.
Layer.moveToBeginning()¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).moveToBeginning()
Description¶
Moves this layer to the topmost position of the layer stack (the first layer).
Parameters¶
None.
Returns¶
Nothing.
Layer.moveToEnd()¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).moveToEnd()
Description¶
Moves this layer to the bottom position of the layer stack (the last layer).
Parameters¶
None.
Returns¶
Nothing.
Layer.remove()¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).remove()
Description¶
Deletes the specified layer from the composition.
Parameters¶
None.
Returns¶
Nothing.
Layer.setParentWithJump()¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).setParentWithJump([newParent])
Description¶
Sets the parent of this layer to the specified layer, without changing the transform values of the child layer.
There may be an apparent jump in the rotation, translation, or scale of the child layer, as this layer's transform values are combined with those of its ancestors.
If you do not want the child layer to jump, set the parent attribute directly. In this case, an offset is calculated and set in the child layer's transform fields, to prevent the jump from occurring.
Parameters¶
Parameter | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
newParent |
Layer object | Optional. A layer in the same composition. If not specified, it sets the parent to None. |
Returns¶
Nothing.