ae-mcp

hodor/ae-mcp

3.3

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AEMCP is a server that allows control of Adobe After Effects through Claude using the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

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AEMCP - After Effects MCP Server

MCP After Effects Node

Control Adobe After Effects through AI assistants via Model Context Protocol (MCP).

Overview

AEMCP enables AI assistants like Claude to control After Effects by providing a bridge between MCP and Adobe's CEP (Common Extensibility Platform). This allows AI to create compositions, automate tasks, build custom tools, and debug complex projects - all through natural conversation.

Architecture

AI Assistant (Claude) → MCP Server (Node.js) → WebSocket → CEP Panel (in AE) → ExtendScript

Features

Core Tools Available to AI

  • run_script - Execute any ExtendScript code in After Effects
  • create_scriptui_tool - Create floating ScriptUI tool windows with full UI controls
  • append_html_to_panel - Add HTML/CSS/JS content to the AEMCP panel
  • clear_panel_html - Clear the HTML content from the panel

What AI Can Do

Through these tools, AI assistants can:

  • Create and modify compositions, layers, and effects
  • Build custom automation tools with UI
  • Debug complex expressions and time remapping
  • Analyze project structure and properties
  • Generate batch processing scripts
  • Create reusable tool panels
  • Automate repetitive tasks

Installation

Prerequisites

  • After Effects 2020 or later
  • Node.js 14+ installed
  • Administrator privileges (for Windows)

⚠️ IMPORTANT: Before Installing

  1. Close your AI client (Claude Desktop, etc.) completely
  2. Close After Effects if it's running
  3. Ensure you have Administrator privileges

Windows Quick Install

  1. Right-click Install-Windows.bat
  2. Select "Run as administrator"
  3. Follow the prompts

The installer will:

  • Build the MCP server
  • Install the CEP extension
  • Enable debug mode for After Effects
  • Show you the configuration path

Manual Installation

1. Install Dependencies
npm install
2. Build and Install
npm run build
npm run install-extension

This installs the extension to:

  • Windows: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects 2024\Support Files\CEP\extensions\aemcp
  • Mac: /Applications/Adobe After Effects 2024/CEP/extensions/aemcp
3. Enable CEP Debugging (First time only)

Windows: Double-click Enable-Debug.bat

Mac:

defaults write com.adobe.CSXS.11 PlayerDebugMode 1
4. Configure Your AI Client
For Claude Desktop:

Add to your config file:

Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "after-effects": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/ae-mcp/server/build/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

Replace the path with your actual installation path.

For Other MCP Clients:

Configure your client to run:

node /path/to/aemcp/server/build/index.js

5. Start Using

  1. Open After Effects
  2. Go to Window > Extensions > AEMCP
  3. Panel should show "Connected" status
  4. Start chatting with your AI assistant!

Usage Examples

Basic Script Execution

Ask your AI: "Create a new 1920x1080 composition called 'Main' that's 10 seconds long"

The AI will use:

run_script({
  jsx: "app.project.items.addComp('Main', 1920, 1080, 1, 10, 30)"
})

Creating Custom Tools

Ask your AI: "Create a tool that batch renames selected layers"

The AI will create a ScriptUI window with:

  • Input fields for naming patterns
  • Buttons for processing
  • Progress feedback
  • Error handling

Debugging Complex Projects

Ask your AI: "Help me debug why my time-remapped layer shows black at 76 seconds"

The AI can:

  • Analyze layer properties
  • Check time remapping values
  • Inspect expressions
  • Test different solutions
  • Provide step-by-step fixes

Development

Project Structure

ae-mcp/
├── server/           # MCP server (Node.js/TypeScript)
│   ├── src/         # Source files
│   └── build/       # Compiled JavaScript
├── extension/       # CEP panel
│   └── client/      # Panel UI (HTML/JS/CSS)
└── commands/        # (Future) Modular command structure

Build Commands

# Build MCP server
npm run build

# Watch mode for development
npm run dev

# Install extension to After Effects
npm run install-extension

Debug CEP Panel

Open Chrome and navigate to http://localhost:8092

Troubleshooting

Panel doesn't show in After Effects

  • Ensure .debug file exists in the extension folder
  • Check that PlayerDebugMode is enabled
  • Restart After Effects

"CEP panel not connected" error

  • Open the AEMCP panel (Window > Extensions > AEMCP)
  • Check that panel shows "Connected" status
  • Check Activity Log for errors

Scripts not executing

  • Check the Activity Log in the AEMCP panel
  • Open Chrome DevTools at http://localhost:8092
  • Verify WebSocket connection on port 3000

ExtendScript Limitations

  • No native JSON support (use string building)
  • Use explicit return statements for values
  • Wrap code in try-catch for error handling

Roadmap

  • Priority 0: CEP Panel UI overhaul with tabs
  • Priority 1: Visual feedback system (render_frame, preview_layer)
  • Priority 2: Tool persistence and editing
  • Priority 3: Error context and recovery
  • Priority 4: Templates and presets

Contributing

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Create a feature branch
  3. Make your changes
  4. Test with After Effects
  5. Submit a pull request

Security Notes

  • ExtendScript execution is wrapped in undo groups
  • All scripts run with error handling
  • Panel requires local WebSocket connection
  • No external network access

License

MIT

Support

For issues, feature requests, or questions:

  • Open an issue on GitHub
  • Review for architecture details