ae-mcp
Click on "Deploy Server".
Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state.
In the chat, type
@followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@ae-mcp create a 1920x1080 comp and animate a text layer saying 'Hello' with a fade in"
That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed.
Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.
ae-mcp
An advanced MCP server for Adobe After Effects. It gives an assistant an editor's toolkit: read a project, create and rig layers, set keyframes with real speed curves, animate text, build vector shapes, apply effects and expressions, drive native menus — and see the result through snapshots returned right into the conversation.
Architecture
Assistant (MCP)
│ stdio
┌─────▼──────────────────────────────┐
│ ae-mcp server (Node/TypeScript) │ easing, SVG, presets, schemas
└─────┬──────────────────────────────┘
│ 1. HTTP 127.0.0.1:9782 (CEP transport, primary)
│ 2. watched JSON files (ScriptUI transport, fallback)
┌─────▼──────────────────────────────┐
│ bridge inside After Effects │ CEP panel or ScriptUI panel
└─────┬──────────────────────────────┘
│ $.evalFile + AEMCP.runFile()
┌─────▼──────────────────────────────┐
│ ExtendScript kernel (AEMCP) │ ~4,000 lines, 60+ commands
└────────────────────────────────────┘Three principles:
Heavy lifting stays in Node. SVG conversion, easing math, animation presets — all prepared server-side; the ExtendScript kernel just executes.
Exchanges go through files. Requests and responses travel as JSON on disk, avoiding
evalScript's escaping and size limits. HTTP only triggers the run.Everything is atomic. Each request — even a batch of 50 operations — runs inside a single undo group: one
Ctrl+Zreverts it all.
Bridge auth token
The CEP panel's HTTP server listens on 127.0.0.1 and triggers commands in After Effects
(including ae_eval, which runs arbitrary ExtendScript). To stop a web page open in the
browser while AE is running from driving the bridge via a plain fetch(), the panel
generates a random token on first launch, stored in Documents/ae-mcp/bridge/token.txt and
republished in bridge.json (token field). Every POST /run or POST /reload must carry
the X-AE-MCP-Token header; without it the server returns 401. The MCP client
(src/bridge/client.ts) reads the token from bridge.json and sends it automatically — no
manual setup needed. The token persists as long as token.txt exists; delete it to force
regeneration on the next panel launch.
The fallback file transport (req//res/) has no token: it relies on the OS permissions of
the user's Documents folder, which already block access from another account.
Related MCP server: After Effects MCP Server
Install
npm install
npm run build
npm run install-bridge # installs the CEP extension + ScriptUI panel + kernelThen, in After Effects:
CEP transport (recommended) — restart After Effects. The bridge starts on its own, no window.
Window > Extensions > AE MCP Bridgeshows status, port, and log.ScriptUI transport (no restart) —
File > Scripts > Run Script File…, then pickDocuments/ae-mcp/AE MCP Bridge.jsx. The panel starts polling immediately.
Register the server with your MCP client:
claude mcp add ae-mcp -- node "/path/to/ae-mcp/build/index.js"
npm run install-bridgealso copies the panel intoScripts/ScriptUI Panelsof any detected After Effects install, making it dockable. That copy lives underProgram Filesand needs admin rights; if it fails, nothing else is affected.
Tools
Tool | Role |
| Bridge state, AE version, project, comps |
| Docs: property paths, matchNames, easings, shapes, animators |
| Inventory, import (images, video, PSD/AI as comp), folders, save |
| Create, read, adjust, duplicate, precompose, markers |
| Every layer type, every attribute, deep read |
| Read/write any property by path; expressions |
| Keyframes with named curves, relative values, hold, offset |
| Text content and formatting, text animators, fonts |
| Native vector trees, Bézier paths, SVG conversion |
| Find, apply, adjust, and animate effects |
| Rect/ellipse/Bézier masks, modes, feather |
| Ready-made animation presets, staggered sequencing |
| Controls, expression links, alignment, parenting, Essential Graphics |
| Snapshot returned into the conversation, render queue |
| Native menu commands, playhead, selection |
| Raw access to every kernel command, batched with references |
| Arbitrary ExtendScript (last resort) |
What sets this apart
Real speed curves. ease: "expo.out" doesn't just apply Easy Ease — the Bézier curve
is converted into per-dimension influence and speed, computed from the segment's average
velocity, exactly like hand-tuning the Graph Editor.
Relative values. A slideIn uses mode: "offset": the animation builds on the layer's
existing position instead of overwriting it. Same idea for scale with mode: "multiply".
SVG becomes real shapes. ae_shape action=svg converts path, rect, circle,
ellipse, line, polyline, polygon, groups and their transforms into native, editable
shape layers, with fills, strokes, dashes, and arcs approximated in Bézier.
A visual feedback loop. ae_render action=snapshot renders the comp and returns the
image directly: the assistant compares its output to the reference and corrects, instead of
working blind.
Atomic batches with references. A whole scene builds in one round trip, each step able
to reuse the previous one's result via {{0.index}} or {{prev.id}}.
Development
npm run build # kernel + TypeScript
npm run build:kernel # kernel only (also checks its syntax)
node scripts/ae.mjs status # bridge status
node scripts/ae.mjs layer.list '{"comp":"My Comp"}'
node scripts/selftest.mjs # full validation against AE
node scripts/selftest.mjs --keep --only=shape # subset, keeps the compThe kernel is split into modules under host/kernel/ and concatenated into
host/aemcp-kernel.jsx by scripts/build-kernel.mjs. It must stay ES3-compatible: no
let/const, no Array.prototype.map, no native JSON (a polyfill is provided in the
prelude).
Folder | Contents |
| MCP server: tools, transport, easing, SVG, presets |
| ExtendScript kernel source |
| CEP extension (HTTP panel) |
| ScriptUI panel (fallback bridge) |
| Build, install, diagnostic CLI, tests |
Troubleshooting
Symptom | Likely cause |
| Panel isn't open, or AE is closed. |
CEP panel missing from the menu |
|
|
|
File writes refused | Preferences > Scripts & Expressions > Allow Scripts to Write Files. |
Effect name not found | AE's UI isn't in English: use |
Available Tools
17 toolsae_animateAnimations pretes a l'emploi et sequencageA
Applique des animations completes en une commande (apparitions, sorties, effets de titre) et etale des calques dans le temps. Les valeurs sont relatives a l'etat actuel du calque : un slideIn ne detruit pas la position existante. action=list detaille les presets et leurs parametres.
Inputs: action (required), to, cps, comp, +25 more.
ae_compCompositionsB
Creer, lire, modifier, dupliquer, precomposer et ouvrir des compositions ; poser des marqueurs de compo ; deplacer la tete de lecture. Pour lire le contenu detaille d'une compo, utilisez deep:true (attention au volume).
Inputs: action (required), comp, deep, keys, +26 more.
ae_effectEffetsA
Chercher, appliquer, regler et retirer des effets. action=list sert a retrouver le matchName exact d'un effet (indispensable si l'interface d'AE n'est pas en anglais). Les parametres se donnent par nom affiche ou par matchName.
Inputs: action (required), comp, name, layer, +9 more.
ae_evalExtendScript brut (dernier recours)A
Execute du code ExtendScript arbitraire dans After Effects, dans un groupe d'annulation. A utiliser uniquement quand aucun autre outil ne couvre le besoin. Le code a acces a 'app', et aux utilitaires du kernel via AEMCP (AEMCP.r.comp, AEMCP.read.layer, ...). La derniere expression evaluee est renvoyee ; renvoyez des donnees JSON-serialisables.
Inputs: code (required), timeoutMs, undoGroup.
ae_helpDocumentation du serveur AEB
Reference interne : liste des commandes kernel, chemins de proprietes, matchNames utiles, courbes d'easing, recettes d'expressions, types d'items vectoriels, animateurs de texte.
Inputs: topic, search.
ae_keyframesKeyframes et courbes d'animationA
Poser, lire, supprimer et decaler des keyframes avec de vraies courbes de vitesse. Le champ 'ease' d'un keyframe decrit la courbe du segment qui le suit ('expo.out', 'back.out', 'quad.inOut', 'linear', 'hold', 'easyEase', 'cubic-bezier(...)'). Les influences et vitesses After Effects sont calculees automatiquement, comme un reglage manuel de l'editeur de graphe.
Inputs: action (required), comp, ease, keys, +8 more.
ae_layerCalquesC
Creer, lister, lire et modifier des calques. Types : text, boxText, shape, solid, null, adjustment, camera, light, footage/precomp. action=list est leger (a privilegier pour explorer), action=get deep:true renvoie tout le detail.
Inputs: action (required), shy, comp, deep, +60 more.
ae_maskMasquesB
Creer et regler des masques : rectangle, ellipse ou trace Bezier libre, avec mode, contour progressif, expansion et opacite. Le trace d'un masque s'anime ensuite via ae_keyframes sur 'masks/Mask 1/Mask Path'.
Inputs: action (required), comp, mask, mode, +16 more.
ae_projectProjet After EffectsB
Lecture et gestion du projet : inventaire des items, import de fichiers (images, videos, PSD/AI en compo), dossiers, enregistrement, suppression, reglages projet.
Inputs: action (required), name, path, type, +9 more.
ae_propertyProprietes et expressionsC
Lire et ecrire n'importe quelle propriete d'un calque via son chemin, y compris les parametres d'effets, les contenus vectoriels et les masques. Gere aussi les expressions (code brut ou recette parametree) et l'exploration de l'arbre de proprietes.
Inputs: action (required), comp, keys, only, +11 more.
ae_renderRendu : capture d'image et file d'attenteA
action=snapshot rend une image de la composition a un instant donne et la renvoie directement dans la conversation : c'est la boucle de verification visuelle. Une image coute cher en contexte et y reste pour toute la suite de la conversation : faites une verification apres un bloc d'operations, pas apres chaque keyframe, et gardez maxDimension bas (defaut 700) sauf pour inspecter un detail (typo, bord de masque). action=queue / start pilotent la file de rendu d'After Effects.
Inputs: action (required), comp, save, time, +11 more.
ae_rigRigging : controles, liens, alignement, parentageC
Construit des rigs comme un monteur : nul de controle avec sliders/couleurs/cases a cocher, liens par expression entre proprietes (pickwhip), alignement et distribution de calques, parentage. action=essential expose une propriete dans le panneau Graphismes essentiels.
Inputs: action (required), comp, name, path, +19 more.
ae_runExecuter des commandes kernel (brut / lot)A
Acces direct a toutes les commandes du kernel, en une fois ou en lot atomique (un seul undo). C'est l'outil le plus puissant : il couvre tout ce que les autres outils font, plus les cas non prevus. Utilisez ae_help({topic:'commands'}) pour la liste des commandes et leurs arguments.
Un lot peut referencer les resultats des etapes precedentes avec la syntaxe {{index.chemin}} : [{command:"layer.create",args:{...}},{command:"prop.set",args:{layer:"{{0.index}}",path:"opacity",value:50}}]. '{{prev.xxx}}' cible l'etape precedente.
Inputs: args, batch, command, timeoutMs, +2 more.
ae_shapeFormes vectorielles et SVGA
Construire des calques de forme natifs (groupes, chemins, fills, strokes, trim paths, repeater...), modifier un trace Bezier, ou convertir un SVG en formes AE editables. action=svg est la bonne porte d'entree pour recreer un design vectoriel : elle produit de vrais chemins, pas une image importee. Voir ae_help topic='shapes' pour la syntaxe des items.
Inputs: action (required), comp, ease, file, +25 more.
ae_statusEtat du pont After EffectsA
Verifie la connexion a After Effects et renvoie la version, le projet ouvert, la composition active et la liste des compositions. A appeler en premier en cas de doute sur la connexion.
Inputs: no named parameters.
ae_textTexte et animateurs de texteB
Modifier le contenu et la mise en forme d'un calque texte, animer le texte source, et creer des animateurs de texte complets (proprietes + selecteur de plage) : c'est l'outil des titrages et des typographies animees. action=fonts liste les polices installees.
Inputs: action (required), comp, ease, keys, +7 more.
ae_uiInterface native After EffectsA
Pilote l'application comme un utilisateur : execution de n'importe quelle commande de menu (par nom en anglais ou en francais, ou par identifiant), deplacement de la tete de lecture, selection de calques, ouverture d'une composition. Utile pour les operations sans equivalent scripte : 'Create Shapes from Text', 'Convert Audio to Keyframes', 'Center Anchor Point in Layer Content', 'Track Camera'...
Inputs: action (required), id, comp, time, +4 more.
Tool Schema Changelog
Recent tool additions, removals, and schema changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
Loading tool schema changelog…
TDQS
Scored across 17 tools
Most tools map to distinct After Effects domains (project, comp, layer, property, keyframes, text, shape, mask, effect, rig, render), so an agent can usually tell them apart. However, ae_run explicitly covers everything the other tools do, and ae_property overlaps with ae_effect, ae_shape, and ae_mask for property-level manipulation. The descriptions help by positioning ae_run as low-level kernel access and ae_eval/ae_ui as fallbacks, but the boundaries are not always crystal clear.
All tool names share a consistent ae_ prefix and lowercase snake_case style, which gives the set a strong visual and structural identity. The pattern is not uniformly verb_noun—most names are resource nouns like ae_comp or ae_layer, while a few are action verbs like ae_run or ae_render—but this deviation is minor and the naming remains readable and predictable.
At 17 tools, the server sits slightly above the ideal 3-15 range, but After Effects automation genuinely requires coverage across project, composition, layer, properties, keyframes, effects, rendering, and UI control. Each tool covers a substantial functional area, so the count feels justified rather than padded.
The tool surface is remarkably complete: it covers project/comp/layer lifecycle, property and expression editing, keyframes and animation presets, text/shape/mask/effect manipulation, rigging, rendering, and even arbitrary menu/script fallbacks. ae_run, ae_ui, and ae_eval seal any remaining gaps, leaving no obvious dead ends for AE automation workflows.
Related MCP Connectors
One sentence to a finished animation: your AI writes motion graphics as code and checks real frames.
Video production studio for AI agents: AI media, motion graphics as code, timeline and export.
AI editor to build, animate & export layered short-form video projects via one tool catalog.
Build and run visual creative-production workflows from your AI agent.
Related MCP Servers
- AlicenseCqualityDmaintenanceEnables AI assistants to control Adobe After Effects for composition, layer, effect, preset, marker, and audio automation through a bridge panel.30182 npm24MIT
- AlicenseCqualityDmaintenanceEnables AI assistants to control Adobe After Effects through the MCP protocol, including composition creation, layer management, and animation.13182 npmMIT
- -licenseNot gradedqualityNot gradedmaintenanceEnables AI assistants to control Adobe After Effects through a standardized MCP protocol, providing tools for composition creation, layer management, and animation.-
- FlicenseNot gradedqualityCmaintenanceEnables AI agents to control Adobe After Effects for project inspection, composition creation, and layer manipulation via a hardened bridge panel.-