After Effects MCP Server

A standalone, local-first Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables AI assistants (such as Claude Desktop, Cursor, ChatGPT MCP clients, and Antigravity) to directly command and automate Adobe After Effects 2026 (with support for 2025/2024) through validated, type-safe tools.

Architecture Overview

AI Client (Claude / Cursor / MCP Client)
               │ (Standard MCP stdio Transport)
               ▼
       MCP Server Protocol Layer
               │ (Zod Schema Validation & Permission Policy)
               ▼
       Application Services Layer
               │ (Sequential FIFO Command Queue)
               ▼
       ExtendScript Bridge Adapter
               │ (Atomic JSX Execution via AfterFX.exe -r)
               ▼
      Adobe After Effects 2026

Related MCP server: after-effects-mcp

Key Highlights

• Standard MCP Protocol: Exposes 34 production-ready tools, 8 resources, and 6 prompts via standard stdio transport using the official @modelcontextprotocol/sdk.

• ExtendScript Execution Bridge: Dispatches commands directly to Adobe After Effects (AfterFX.exe -r) with atomic JSON result reading and app.beginUndoGroup() undo protection.

• Dual Mode (Host + Simulation): Automatically detects AfterFX.exe in standard Windows installations. If After Effects is not installed or AE_MOCK_MODE=true is set, runs in high-fidelity simulation mode for testing and CI/CD pipelines.

• Defensive Security:

  • Path traversal protection and path normalization.

  • Risk classification (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH).

  • Explicit approvalToken required for destructive operations (composition.delete, project.close, layer.delete).

  • No arbitrary JSX execution tool exposed; only predefined, strictly validated domain operations are permitted.

• Reliable Lifecycle Management: Sequential FIFO execution queue, unique UUIDv4 command tracking, result verification, and structured error responses.

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js >= 18 (Node 22 or 26 recommended)

• Adobe After Effects 2026, 2025, or 2024 (Windows 11 / 10)

Clone & Build

git clone https://github.com/Narendhiran17/After-Effects-MCP.git
cd After-Effects-MCP
npm install
npm run build

Configuration

Copy .env.example to .env:

cp .env.example .env

Connecting with AI Clients

Add the server to your MCP client configuration file (e.g. claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "after-effects": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["<PATH_TO_REPO>/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "AE_MOCK_MODE": "false"
      }
    }
  }
}

Available Tools (34 Tools)

1. System & Diagnostics

• ae.system.status - Check After Effects installation, version, and bridge availability.

2. Project Management

• ae.project.create - Create a new project.

• ae.project.open - Open an existing .aep project file.

• ae.project.save - Save current project (or Save As).

• ae.project.close - Close project (high-risk; requires confirmation approval).

• ae.project.inspect - Inspect project hierarchy, active compositions, and total items.

• ae.project.validate - Validate project integrity and detect missing footage.

3. Composition Management

• ae.composition.create - Create composition with custom dimensions, framerate, and duration.

• ae.composition.update - Update dimensions, duration, or framerate of existing composition.

• ae.composition.delete - Delete composition (high-risk; requires approval).

• ae.composition.inspect - Inspect composition properties and list all layers.

4. Layer Management

• ae.layer.create - Create solid, text, shape, camera, light, or null layers.

• ae.layer.delete - Delete layer from composition.

• ae.layer.duplicate - Duplicate layer.

• ae.layer.transform - Set/animate position, scale, rotation, opacity, and anchor point.

• ae.layer.inspect - Inspect layer properties, transform coordinates, and timing.

5. Text & Typography

• ae.text.create - Create text layer with custom typography formatting and position.

• ae.text.update - Update text content.

• ae.text.style - Set font, size, fill/stroke colors, tracking, and alignment.

6. Animation & Keyframes

• ae.animation.keyframe.create - Create a keyframe on any transform/effect property at a timestamp.

• ae.animation.keyframe.update - Modify keyframe time or value.

• ae.animation.easing.set - Set temporal easing (speed and influence) and interpolation.

7. Effects & Presets

• ae.effects.apply - Apply an effect by match name or display name.

• ae.effects.configure - Set property parameters of an applied effect.

8. Assets & Media

• ae.assets.import - Import video, image, or audio footage.

• ae.assets.inspect - List and inspect imported footage items.

9. Audio Operations

• ae.audio.add - Add audio track to timeline.

• ae.audio.volume.set - Set audio levels in decibels (dB).

• ae.audio.fade.create - Create audio fade-in or fade-out.

10. Rendering & Output

• ae.render.queue - Add composition to the render queue with output path and template.

• ae.render.start - Start background rendering.

• ae.render.status - Check status of render queue jobs.

• ae.render.cancel - Pause or cancel active render.

11. Timeline

• ae.timeline.inspect - Inspect composition timeline structure, layer timing, and parent hierarchy.

Resources & Prompts

Resources

• ae://system/status - Current system status and bridge health.

• ae://system/version - Target After Effects version.

• ae://project/current - Active project metadata.

• ae://project/compositions - Compositions in current project.

• ae://project/assets - Imported footage items.

• ae://composition/{id} - Detailed composition settings.

• ae://composition/{id}/layers - Layers within a composition.

• ae://render/jobs - Active and queued render jobs.

Prompts

• create-motion-graphics-intro - Create a motion graphics introduction sequence.

• create-animated-title - Create an animated title card with easing.

• build-social-media-composition - Create 9:16 vertical composition for social media.

• create-logo-animation - Create a logo reveal animation sequence.

• prepare-render - Validate and queue a composition for rendering.

• diagnose-project - Diagnose active project structure and missing files.

Testing

Run unit, integration, and bridge tests with Vitest:

npm test

Build TypeScript to dist/:

npm run build

Documentation

• Tools Reference

• Bridge Protocol Specification

• Security Architecture

• Technical Architecture Baseline

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.