Pydobe

A Python wrapper allowing developers to communicate with adobe applications

This package is based upon Pymiere - created by Quentin Masingarbe (https://github.com/qmasingarbe/pymiere)

Installation

Windows:

pip install pydobe

Use cases and examples

Snippets and examples for potential uses within After Effects

Working with projects

# Retrieve project object
project = pydobe.objects.app.project

# Set project settings
project.bits_per_channel = 8
project.working_space = "ACEScg ACES Working Space AMPAS S-2014-004"
project.time_display_type = "Frames"
project.frames_use_feet_frames = False
project.frames_count_type = "Start at 0"

app = pydobe.objects.app

# Open a Project
project_path = "path/to/my/project.aep"
app.open(project_path)

# Get path of current project
current_project = app.project.file
print(current_project)

# Save a Project
app.project.save()

# Save a Project to a new path
new_path = "path/to/my/new/project.aep"
app.project.save(new_path)

# Make some changes to your project

# Check if scene has been modified
print(app.project.dirty)

# # Close a Project
app.project.close()  # This will display a user prompt
# app.project.close(save=True)  # This will save before opening a new project
# app.project.close(save=False)  # This will not save before opening a new project


# Create a new Project
app.new_project()  # This will display a user prompt
# app.new_project(save=True)  # This will save before opening a new project
# app.new_project(save=False)  # This will not save before opening a new project

Working with items

project = pydobe.objects.app.project

# Check how many items are in the project
print(project.num_items)

# Get the names of all the items in the project
for item in project.items:
    print(item.name)
    # check which items are selected
    if item.selected:
        print(f'{item.name} is selected')

# Get the active item
my_item = project.active_item  # This attribute requires precisely 1 item to be selected

# Find out what type of item it is
print(my_item.type_name)

# Find the parent folder of the item
print(my_item.parent_folder)

# Get the names of all the compositions
for comp in project.compositions:
    print(comp.name)

# Get item by name
footage_folder = project.item_by_name("My Footage")

# Remove items from the scene:
for child in footage_folder.items:
    child.remove()

Adding items to a project

project = pydobe.objects.app.project

# Create some folders
# Add a comment and set a label colour
footage_folder = project.items.add_folder("Footage")
footage_folder.comment = "This is where we keep our footage"
footage_folder.label = "Fuchsia"

comps_folder = project.items.add_folder("Compositions")
comps_folder.comment = "This is where we keep our comps"
comps_folder.label = "Blue"

# Create a composition
my_comp = project.items.add_comp("My New Comp", 1920, 1080, 1, 100, 25)
my_comp.parent_folder = comps_folder
# duration is set using frames, to set duration using seconds
# ("My New Comp", 1920, 1080, 1, 4, 25, duration_as_frames=False)

# Add some footage
list_of_paths = [
    "path/to/my/file_01_v001_0000.png",
    "path/to/my/file_02_v001_0000.png",
    "path/to/my/file_03_v001_0000.png",
]

for path in list_of_paths:
    footage = project.import_file(path)
    # Set the frame rate
    footage.main_source.conform_frame_rate = 24
    # Set the parent
    footage.parent_folder = footage_folder

# Replace the footage with a new version
list_of_replacement_paths = [
    "path/to/my/file_01_v002_0000.png",
    "path/to/my/file_02_v002_0000.png",
    "path/to/my/file_03_v002_0000.png",
]

for footage in footage_folder.items:
    for new_path in list_of_replacement_paths:
        file_name = new_path.split("/")[-1]
        unique_file = file_name.rsplit("_", 2)[0]
        unique_footage = footage.name.rsplit("_", 2)[0]
        if unique_file == unique_footage:
            footage.replace(new_path)

Working with Layers

project = pydobe.objects.app.project

# Create a new composition

my_comp = project.item_by_name("My Comp")
footage_folder = project.item_by_name("My Footage")

# Check the settings of the composition

print(my_comp.width)
print(my_comp.height)
print(my_comp.duration)
print(my_comp.bg_colour)

# Adjust the settings of the composition

my_comp.width = 1920
my_comp.height = 1080
my_comp.duration = 50
my_comp.bg_colour = [0.1, 0.7, 0.8]

# Create a new layer within your composition using your footage
for footage in footage_folder.items:
    my_comp.layers.add(footage)

# Check which compositions your footage is used in
for footage in footage_folder.items:
    print(footage.used_in)

# Check number of layers in the composition
print(my_comp.num_layers)

# Set the work area duration in your comp

my_comp.work_area_start = 0
my_comp.work_area_duration = 2

# Hide the shy layers in your composition

my_comp.hide_shy_layers = True

# Check if motion Blur is turned on
print(my_comp.motion_blur)

Thanks

Thank you to Quentin Masingarbe for his Pymiere repository, as well as sharing his knowledge with me.

Thank you to Corentin Charron for constant mentoring.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details. Copy it, steal it, modify it, share it!

Contact

For support, questions, or interest, please contact me at lisa.gg89@gmail.com

LisaGG89/pydobe