After Effects Motion Control Panel (MCP)

A robust solution for fixing and improving the After Effects Motion Control Panel system, ensuring reliable command processing between web UI and After Effects.

🚀 Features

• Real-time command monitoring and processing

• WebSocket-based status updates

• AI-powered command processing

• Comprehensive logging and error handling

• Permission management for Windows systems

• Direct After Effects integration

Related MCP server: layercake

📋 Prerequisites

• Python 3.8 or higher

• After Effects CC or later

• Windows 10 or later

• Administrator access (for initial setup)

🛠️ Installation

1. Clone this repository:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/after-effects-mcp.git
cd after-effects-mcp

2. Create and activate a virtual environment:

python -m venv venv
.\venv\Scripts\activate

3. Install dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

🚀 Quick Start

1. Run the permissions fix script as administrator:

.\fix_permissions.bat

2. Start the server:

.\start_server.bat

3. In After Effects:

   • Go to File > Scripts > Run Script File...

   • Select after_effects_script/ae_command_fix.jsx

📁 Project Structure

after-effects-mcp/
├── after_effects_script/    # After Effects JSX scripts
├── server/                  # Python server code
├── learning_data/          # AI training data
├── requirements.txt        # Python dependencies
├── fix_permissions.bat     # Windows permission setup
├── start_server.bat        # Server launcher
└── README.md              # This file

🔧 Usage

Sending Commands

Commands can be sent through:

1. Web UI interface

2. Direct command file creation

3. AI-powered natural language processing

Command format:

{
  "action": "create_text_layer",
  "params": {
    "text": "Example Text",
    "fontSize": 72,
    "color": "#00AAFF"
  }
}

Monitoring

• Use the MCP Status Monitor for real-time command tracking

• Check logs in the After Effects script panel

• Monitor server status through WebSocket connection

🔍 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. "No command file found" in After Effects:

   • Verify C:\ae_temp directory exists

   • Check file permissions

   • Ensure server is running

2. Web UI shows success but nothing happens:

   • Check server status

   • Verify WebSocket connection

   • Check After Effects script panel logs

3. Permission errors:

   • Run fix_permissions.bat as administrator

   • Verify C:\ae_temp directory permissions

   • Check user account access rights

🤝 Contributing

1. Fork the repository

2. Create a feature branch

3. Commit your changes

4. Push to the branch

5. Create a Pull Request

📝 License

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

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Adobe After Effects team for the scripting API

• Contributors and testers

• Open source community

📞 Support

For support:

1. Check the troubleshooting guide

2. Review the logs

3. Open an issue with:

   • Detailed error description

   • Steps to reproduce

   • System information

   • Log files