PropertyBase object¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).propertySpec
Description¶
Properties are accessed by name through layers, using various kinds of expression syntax, as controlled by application preferences. For example, the following are all ways of access properties in the Effects group
var effect1 = app.project.item(1).layer(1).effect("AddGrain")("Viewing Mode");
var effect1again = app.project.item(1).layer(1).effect.addGrain.viewingMode;
var effect1againtoo = app.project.item(1).layer(1)("Effects").addGrain.viewingMode;
var effect1againtoo2 = app.project.item(1).layer(1)("Effects")("Add Grain")("Viewing Mode");
See also PropertyGroup.property().
Info
PropertyBase is the base class for both Property and PropertyGroup, so PropertyBase attributes and methods are available when working with properties and property groups.
Reference invalidation¶
When something occurs that changes an object sufficiently for the reference to become invalid, script references to that object can generate errors. In simple cases this is straightforward. For example, if you delete anobject, a reference to the deleted object generates the warning "Object is Invalid":
var layer1 = app.project.item(1).layer(1);
layer1.remove();
alert(layer1.name); // invalid reference to deleted object
Similarly, if you reference an AE property in a deleted object, the warning occurs
var layer1 = app.project.item(1).layer(1);
var layer1position = layer1.transform.position;
layer1.remove();
alert(layer1position.value); // invalid reference to property inselected object
A less straightforward case is when a property is removed from a property group. In this case, After Effectsgenerates the "Object is Invalid" error when you subsequently reference that item or other items in the group,because their index positions have changed. For example:
var effect1 = app.project.item(1).layer(1).effect(1);
var effect2 = app.project.item(1).layer(1).effect(2);
var effect2param = app.project.item(1).layer(1).effect(2).blendWithOriginal;
effect1.remove();
alert(effect2.name); // invalid reference because group index positions have changed
Attributes¶
PropertyBase.active¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).active
app.project.item(index).layer(index).propertySpec.active
Description¶
For a layer, this corresponds to the setting of the eyeball icon. When true, the layer's video is active at the current time. For this to be 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.
This value is never true in an audio layer; there is a separate audioActive attribute in the AVLayer object AVLayer.audioActive.
For an effect and all properties, it is the same as the enabled attribute, except that it's read-only.
Type¶
Boolean; read-only.
PropertyBase.canSetEnabled¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).propertySpec.canSetEnabled
Description¶
When true, you can set the enabled attribute value. Generally, this is true if the user interface displays an eyeball icon for this property; it is true for all layers.
Type¶
Boolean; read-only.
PropertyBase.elided¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).propertySpec.elided
Description¶
When true, this property is a group used to organize other properties. The property is not displayed in the user interface and its child properties are not indented in the Timeline panel.For example, for a text layer with two animators and no properties twirled down, you might see:
TextPathOptionsMoreOptionsAnimator1Animator2
In this example, "Animator 1" and "Animator 2" are contained in a PropertyBase called "Text Animators." This parent group is not displayed in the user interface, and so the two child properties are not indented in the Timeline panel.
Type¶
Boolean; read-only.
PropertyBase.enabled¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).enabled
app.project.item(index).layer(index).propertySpec.enabled
Description¶
For layer, this corresponds to the video switch state of the layer in the Timeline panel. For an effect and all properties, it corresponds to the setting of the eyeball icon, if there is one.
When true, the layer or property is enabled; otherwise false.
Type¶
Boolean; read/write if canSetEnabled is true, read-only if canSetEnabled is false.
PropertyBase.isEffect¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).propertySpec.isEffect
Description¶
When true, this property is an effect PropertyGroup.
Type¶
Boolean; read-only.
PropertyBase.isMask¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).propertySpec.isMask
Description¶
When true, this property is a mask PropertyGroup.
Type¶
Boolean; read-only.
PropertyBase.isModified¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).propertySpec.isModified
Description¶
When true, this property has been changed since its creation.
Type¶
Boolean; read-only.
PropertyBase.matchName¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).propertySpec.matchName
Description¶
A special name for the property used to build unique naming paths. The match name is not displayed, but you can refer to it in scripts. Every property has a unique match-name identifier. Match names are stable from version to version regardless of the display name (the name attribute value) or any changes to the application. Unlike the display name, it is not localized. An indexed group may not have a name value, but always has a matchName value. (An indexed group has the type PropertyType.INDEXED_GROUP; see PropertyBase.propertyType.)
Type¶
String; read-only.
PropertyBase.name¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).name
app.project.item(index).layer(index).propertySpec.name
Description¶
For a layer, the name of the layer. By default, this is the same as the Source name, unless Layer.isNameSet returns false.
For an effect and all properties - the display name of the property. (Compare PropertyBase.matchName.) It is an error to set the name value if the property is not a child of an indexed group (that is, a property group that has the type PropertyType.INDEXED_GROUP; see PropertyBase.propertyType).
Type¶
String; read/write for a child of an indexed group; otherwise read-only.
PropertyBase.parentProperty¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).propertySpec.parentProperty
Description¶
The property group that is the immediate parent of this property, or null if this PropertyBase is a layer.
Type¶
PropertyGroup object or null; read-only.
PropertyBase.propertyDepth¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).propertySpec.propertyDepth
Description¶
The number of levels of parent groups between this property and the containing layer. The value 0 for a layer.
Type¶
Integer; read-only.
PropertyBase.propertyIndex¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).propertySpec.propertyIndex
Description¶
The position index of this property within its parent group, if it is a child of an indexed group (a property group that has the type PropertyType.INDEXED_GROUP; see PropertyBase.propertyType).
Type¶
Integer; read-only.
PropertyBase.propertyType¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).propertySpec.propertyType
Description¶
The type of this property.
Type¶
A PropertyType enumerated value; read/write. One of:
PropertyType.PROPERTY: A single property such as position or zoom.PropertyType.INDEXED_GROUP: A property group whose members have an editable name and an index. Effects and masks are indexed groups. For example, the masks property of a layer refers to a variable number of individual masks by index number.PropertyType.NAMED_GROUP: A property group in which the member names are not editable. Layers are named groups.
PropertyBase.selected¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).propertySpec.selected
Description¶
When true, this property is selected. Set to true to select the property, or to false to deselect it. Sampling this attribute repeatedly for a large number of properties can slow down system performance. To read the full set of selected properties of a composition or layer, use either CompItem.selectedProperties or Layer.selectedProperties.
Type¶
Boolean; read/write.
Methods¶
PropertyBase.duplicate()¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).propertySpec.duplicate()
Description¶
If this property is a child of an indexed group, creates and returns a new PropertyBase object with the same attribute values as this one. If this property is not a child of an indexed group, the method generates an exception and displays an error. An indexed group has the type PropertyType.INDEXED_GROUP; see PropertyBase.propertyType.
Parameters¶
None.
Returns¶
PropertyBase object.
PropertyBase.moveTo()¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).propertySpec.moveTo(newIndex)
Description¶
Moves this property to a new position in its parent property group. This method is valid only for children of indexed groups; if it is not, or if the index value is not valid, the method generates an exception and displays an error. (An indexed group has the type PropertyType.INDEXED_GROUP; see PropertyBase.propertyType.)
Warning
Using this method invalidates existing references to other children in the same indexed group. For example, if you have three effects on a layer, each effect assigned to a different variable, moving one of the effects invalidates the references for all of these variables. You will need to reassign them.
Parameters¶
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
newIndex |
Integer | The new index position at which to place this property in its group. |
Returns¶
Nothing.
PropertyBase.propertyGroup()¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).propertySpec.propertyGroup([countUp])
Description¶
Gets the PropertyGroup object for an ancestor group of this property at a specified level of the parent-child hierarchy.
Parameters¶
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
countUp |
Integer, in the range [1..propertyDepth] |
Optional. The number of levels to ascend within the parent-child hierarchy. Default is 1, which gets the immediate parent. |
Returns¶
PropertyGroup object, or Layer object if the count reaches the containing layer.
Example¶
var containing_layer = my_property.propertyGroup(my_property.propertyDepth);
PropertyBase.remove()¶
app.project.item(index).layer(index).propertySpec.remove()
Description¶
Removes this property from its parent group. If this is a property group, it removes the child properties as well. This method is valid only for children of indexed groups; if it is not, or if the index value is not valid, the method generates an exception and displays an error. (An indexed group has the type PropertyType.INDEXED_GROUP; see PropertyBase.propertyType.) This method can be called on a text animation property (that is, any animator that has been set to a text layer).
Parameters¶
None.
Returns¶
Nothing.