How to get indiviual access to images within a sequence?

[Tigerfog]

Hi again!

Would it be possible by scripting to refer to a specific image within an image sequence (as a footage) imported into AE?

The thing is, I am aiming to bring an image sequence into after effects, check for missing images that were automatically replaced with palceholders and take note of them in a log file.

Since there is a function in AE scripting to detect whether or not a footage has been replaced with a placeholder, all I need is a way to be able to refer to each individual frame/image of an image sequence...

Any suggestions?

[Paul Tuersley]

If you want to check for missing frames in an image sequence, I think you'd have to do that by checking if the files actually exist on the hard drive.

To get started, each item's file object will return the path of the first image. You'll need the Bridge Javascript Ref.pdf. You may also want to check the built-in smartImport.jsx script. It has a "testForSequence" function, although it uses regular expressions which I've yet to get my head around.

[Tigerfog]

Ah, then I'll do it old fashioned/ the iterative way then.
I'll do as you say and check for the existence of each frame on my hard drive. It shouldn't be so hard.

Thanks a lot, Paul!

[Tigerfog]

Ah, I'm having small problems, after all.
Can you please just give me the bit of code that gives the full path of an object?
I've tried many things, but my object is always seen as undefined... and still no paths.

The objects are already imported into the project at the start of script, so the objects' paths are not stored beforehand...
I tried the following and I never really got a path...

Code: Select all

var myCompItem = app.project.selection;
alert(myCompItem[0].name);
alert(myCompItem[0].parentFolder.name);
alert(myCompItem[0].absoluteURI);

[Paul Tuersley]

Try this:

Code: Select all

var myCompItem = app.project.selection; 
alert(myCompItem[0].file.name); 
alert(myCompItem[0].file.absoluteURI);

The parentFolder thing was a bit misleading. At the level of myCompItem[0] you're referring to the item in the project window, so "name" was returning the name as shown in the PW and "parentFolder" was giving your "Root" because it's at the base level of the project window.

"myComp[0].file" refers to the actual file object and gives you access to all the functions and properties described in the Bridge Javascript Reference.

[Tigerfog]

And there I was, trying all kinds of things like file(myCompItem[0]).name before I saw your code...

Your code worked wonderfully, thank you very much, Paul!