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Export Frame

export_frame

Export a file-verified still image at a chosen time position to a path you specify. Use PNG output to preserve sequence transparency when checking a frame or comparing it with a video render.

Instructions

Export a file-verified still image. PNG stills keep the sequence's transparency (straight alpha, reported as hasAlpha); composite them over black before measuring brightness or comparing with a video render. A single still does not verify motion over time, playback or audio. After a linked After Effects composition changes, Premiere can return its cached frame for a time it already rendered; to check the change, export a time not exported since the change.

Tool call template

Replace each placeholder with a value matching the input schema. Only required parameters are included; add optional parameters as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "output_path": "<output_path>"
    },
    "name": "export_frame"
  }
}

Input Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
output_pathYesFull output file path (e.g., '/Users/me/frame.png'). Extension determines format.
time_secondsNoTime position in seconds to export. Uses current playhead if omitted.
idempotency_keyNoOptional client-chosen key (1-128 chars of A-Z a-z 0-9 . _ : -) for this intended edit. Pass a fresh key per edit and reuse it only when retrying that same edit, for example after a client-side timeout. A repeat with the same tool, key and arguments is not run again: while the first call is running it fails with IDEMPOTENCY_IN_PROGRESS (poll get_last_operations); after it finished it returns the original outcome marked replayed. A definite failure with nothing applied (receipt outcome not_applied) may be retried with the same key. Reusing a key with different arguments fails with IDEMPOTENCY_KEY_REUSED. Scoped to this MCP session (the stdio server process, or the HTTP server process when Streamable HTTP is stateless per request) and held in memory only (200 keys, 1 hour); it does not survive a restart or reconnect. Read-only invocations are never deduplicated.
expected_cep_targetNoOptional reviewed CEP sequence/clip identity and exact tick ranges. Checked before every generated command; UXP refuses this CEP-only guard.
expected_project_pathNoOptional absolute saved-project path. Every generated CEP command refuses before its body when the active project differs or is unsaved. UXP commands refuse this CEP-only guard; local-only tools do not inspect Premiere. Omit to keep existing behavior.

Output Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
okYesWhether the tool completed successfully.
dataNoTool-specific result data when ok is true; on failure, diagnostic detail when the tool provides it.
toolYesThe registered MCP tool name.
errorNoFailure detail when ok is false.
receiptNoVersioned common mutation receipt; success never implies rendered verification.
idempotencyNoPresent when idempotency_key deduplicated this call: replayed is true when the original outcome was returned instead of running again.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. First observedv1.30.0

TDQS

A4.3/5.0
Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Adds substantial behavior beyond the annotations: PNG straight-alpha handling and the hasAlpha report, the brightness-measurement pitfall, and a concrete Premiere caching gotcha with After Effects-linked comps plus the workaround (export a time not exported since the change). These are non-obvious operational traits an agent could not derive from readOnlyHint/destructiveHint/idempotentHint.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Three front-loaded sentences, each carrying distinct information (verification claim, alpha/compositing guidance, cache caveat). Dense but not padded; slightly compressed phrasing around the alpha/brightness advice costs some readability.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Complete enough for a 5-parameter tool with an output schema and fully documented params: the description covers what is produced, how to interpret it, and the main failure mode. The CEP identity guards and project-path preconditions are left entirely to the schema, which is acceptable but leaves the refusal behavior undiscussed.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so output_path, time_seconds, idempotency_key and the CEP guard objects are already documented in the schema. The description only indirectly touches time_seconds via the cache advice about exporting a different time; it adds no syntax or constraint detail beyond the schema.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource ('Export a file-verified still image') and immediately scopes it as a single still rather than a sequence or video render. An agent can tell this apart from sequence/AFX/XML export siblings without opening any schema.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Gives explicit boundaries: a single still 'does not verify motion over time, playback or audio,' and instructs compositing PNG stills over black before brightness comparison. Missing is any routing to alternative tools (e.g., a viewer-capture or review-frames export) when motion verification is needed, so usage context is clear but not fully disambiguated.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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