Load Project or Template at Startup
Version: 1.0 Sign up to be notified by email when a new version of this script is posted
Based on a request over at the creative cow, this script will launch a project or template every time your start After Effects. For example, if you have a certain folder/file structure you like to keep for your AE projects, you can setup a virgin project the way you like it and save it as a template by giving it a .aet extension. Now every time you launch AE your custom setup will be automatically loaded.
This script package consists of 2 separate script files: loadProjectSetup.jsx and loadProject.jsx. Install loadProjectSetup.jsx in the Scripts folder first, then loadProject.jsx in the Startup folder inside the Scripts folder. Click on the image below to see the proper placement for both script files:
Restart AE and run loadProjectSetup.jsx first from the File->Scripts menu to choose which project or template you would like loaded at startup. After running the setup, whichever project or template was chosen will be loaded everytime AE starts as long as loadProject.jsx is in the Startup folder.
You can change the project to be loaded at any time by running loadProjectSetup.jsx again. To stop the project from loading at startup, simply remove loadProject.jsx from the Startup folder.
You can convert any after effects project to be a template by changing the file extension from .aep to .aet
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Hey Llyod Great stuff here! Thanks a lot for all the scripts.
However the loadProject script wont work, it just keeps crashing AE CS3
Any thoughts?
thanks
Jon
After following up with Jon we realized that the crash was due to the fact that he did not have permissions set properly for the Scripts folder.
I had to change my permissions owner from “system” to “admin” to be able to add a new folder in my scripts folder. This caused the loadProject script to not work properly.
So if you have to change your permissions to add a new folder to your scripts folder make sure you set it back before restarting AE.
Hey Llyod, I ran into and issue while loading this script. I just keep getting the message telling me to loadprojectsetup over and over again, even after I run the script. Any Suggestions?
On a side note is there a way to make it load this template every time i hit new project?
It was a permissions issue with admin vs user rights.
wont work, what did you exactly do with permissions in order to fix it?
I´ve change my permissions on both folders (scripts and startup) for anyone to write&read, but stills not working
thanks
Very good work!
It would be really nice (if possible) to have a choise to open a template when AE starts (as if it was a project recently opened) and select it from there or from recently opened projects.
Again thanks for all your scripts!
Nice work Lloyd, once again.
I am not shure, but I thought I read a long time ago in Marc Christiansens AE Studio techniques how to setup an autoload without scripting, but I cant find it again… Was I dreaming, or does somebody agree with that?
illd I have his 2005 AE book, he says why to set up a template but not how to save it as a official template, just a project.
Hi there,
The script that u have given is amazing
Can we have the same for opening a new project while we r exiting the initial one
Thanks
Here’s an alternate way to do this:
Open the “1_startup.jsx” file in the “Startup” folder and add the following line:
new_project = app.openTemplate(new File("/Applications/Adobe%20After%20Effects%20CS4/Templates/ae_template.aet"));
…where “ae_template” is the name of your template in the Templates folder. You could also change this entire string to be a location elsewhere.
As stated by others, you’ll probably need to grant r/w privileges to admin or other user.
i am running cs4. on window xp as an Adim, but however i’m still getting a Error.
ModName: scripting.aex
ModVer: 9.0.0.346
Offest:00006068
if all that helps.
i applied the script to cs2 and it worked find,
when it crashes AFX still runs fin, if i click the ” don’t send” button.
Upgrade to 9.0.2. Adobe fixed the crashing bug. http://bit.ly/AE902Update
WOuld love to hear your main project structure you use.
I’m trying to get some organization into all my projects!
Thank you for the script!
I’ve tried changing permissions, but AE (CS3) still crashes on startup… Which sucks because this is a really cool script and I’ve wanted to be able to start with a certain folder structure for a long time.
Great script! I’m in a department of 15 designers, and we already use an AE template file but you have to open it, save a new version, etc. People often forget or save over the template so this will be really useful for consistency, thank you.
I do have to echo Lendl’s request though- I’ve been digging high and low to see if there’s a way to recognize the template when you select File>New Project but can’t find anything. Is there even a way to override the existing New Project command, or do you always have to manually run a script?
Unfortunately there is not way to modify the menus through scripting. The best I’ve been able to come up with is to run a script at startup as this script does.
Ah too bad. Thanks anyway Lloyd!