after-effects-automation

After Effects Automation

A unified video automation platform for Adobe After Effects. Define compositions in JSON, drive them from Python or the command line, and render at scale.

PyPI Package: pypi.org/project/after-effects-automation

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Why This Tool?

Most After Effects scripting workflows involve running individual scripts from a menu, managing files by hand, and manually triggering renders. After Effects Automation takes a different approach: you describe what you want in a JSON configuration, and the platform handles everything else — launching AE, building compositions, updating properties, and rendering the final video — in a single automated pipeline.

The entire workflow is configuration-driven. A JSON config file defines your project structure, timeline, scenes, and custom actions. Python reads that config and orchestrates every step through a JavaScript bridge into After Effects. No manual AE interaction required.

You get three ways to work: a Python API for full programmatic control, a CLI for running configs and managing projects from the terminal, and a built-in Web Editor for visually editing configurations without touching JSON directly.

Under the hood, the platform provides intelligent process management — automatic AE launching, window readiness detection, crash dialog handling, and responsiveness verification — so your automation runs reliably from start to finish without babysitting.

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Table of Contents

• Quick Start
• Capabilities
• Documentation
• Examples
• How It Works
• Compatibility
• CLI & Web Editor
• Troubleshooting

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Quick Start

# 1. Install from PyPI
pip install after-effects-automation

# 2. Setup After Effects integration
python install_ae_runner.py

# 3. Run an example
cd examples/basic_composition
python run.py

That's it! A 10-second video will be created automatically.

PyPI: pypi.org/project/after-effects-automation Need more help? See the Quick Start Guide

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Capabilities

Python API

Full programmatic control over the automation pipeline:

from ae_automation import Client

client = Client()
client.startBot("config.json")

• Build AE templates programmatically
• Update text layers with dynamic content
• Assemble complex timelines from template compositions
• Access all After Effects features via ExtendScript
• Render final video output

CLI

Run automation, launch the editor, and diagnose issues from the terminal:

# Run automation from a config file
ae-automation run config.json

# Launch the visual config editor
ae-automation editor config.json

# Test your setup
ae-automation test --verbose

# Run diagnostics
ae-automation diagnose

Web Editor

A built-in browser-based interface for editing JSON configurations visually — no manual JSON editing required:

ae-automation editor config.json

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Documentation

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Examples

Basic Composition

Create a video with intro and outro in ~2 minutes:

cd examples/basic_composition
python run.py

Text Animation

Multi-layer text with dynamic content:

cd examples/text_animation
python run.py

Render Only

Quickly render existing .aep files:

cd examples/render_only
python render.py

More Examples: See examples/README.md

[!TIP] Starring this repo helps more developers discover after-effects-automation

Also check out my other project RepoGif – the tool I used to generate the GIF above!

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Compatibility

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How It Works

Your Python code (or a JSON config) describes the desired video. The platform translates that into ExtendScript commands, sends them to After Effects through a file-based command queue, and renders the final output — all without manual intervention.

graph LR
    A[Python Script] -->|JSON Commands| B(JS Bridge)
    B -->|ExtendScript| C{After Effects}
    C -->|Builds| D[Composition]
    D -->|aerender| E[Final Video]

1. Python defines what you want to create
2. JavaScript bridge sends commands to After Effects via a file-based queue
3. After Effects builds the composition
4. aerender renders the final video

Technical Details: See Process Management Guide

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CLI Tools

Automation

Run automation from a config file using the command line:

ae-automation config.json

Web Editor (Visual Interface)

Prefer a GUI? Launch the visual editor to modify your configs without touching JSON.

ae-editor config.json

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Troubleshooting

Common Issues

After Effects won't start?

• Check .env has correct AE path
• Verify AE version matches path (2024 vs 2025)

Scripts not executing?

• Enable scripting: Edit > Preferences > Scripting & Expressions
• Install startup script: python install_ae_runner.py

Empty/black video?

• Update to latest version: pip install --upgrade after-effects-automation
• This was a bug in the batch system (now fixed)

More Solutions: See Troubleshooting Guide

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Contributing

Contributions welcome! Here's how:

1. Report bugs - GitHub Issues
2. Share examples - Add to examples/ folder
3. Improve docs - All .md files in repo
4. Submit PRs - Bug fixes and features

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License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for full details.

Adobe After Effects is a trademark of Adobe Inc. This project is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Adobe Inc.

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Disclaimer

This project is an automation and middleware tool for Adobe After Effects. It requires a valid Adobe Creative Cloud license to use.

The tool works by translating Python commands into Adobe-supported ExtendScript (JavaScript) instructions that After Effects already supports natively.

• It does not modify, crack, patch, or bypass Adobe software
• It does not distribute Adobe assets or binaries
• It does not enable use of After Effects without a license

We do not support or condone software piracy in any form.

By using this project, you confirm that you have obtained Adobe After Effects through official channels at https://www.adobe.com/products/aftereffects.html.

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Get Help

• PyPI Package - pypi.org/project/after-effects-automation
• Documentation - Guides in the repository root (see Documentation table above)
• Examples - Working code in examples/ folder
• Issues - GitHub Issues
• Discussions - GitHub Discussions

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Made with care by the After Effects Automation community