Unfortunately you always need to run the script via the interface. I have been toying around with the idea of allowing the script to run automatically as you are wanting; maybe in the next release.
No way to go directly to media encoder; but if you uncheck auto-render; build your project with the script (comps are created and not rendered); I think you can just drag the new comps and drop on encoder to render within that app.
I’ve been testing (in trial mode) this script for an
upcoming project I’m working on, and so far it’s been great.The user guide and sample project really
helped me to get up and running quickly and getting the results I need.
However, I have run into one problem.In the text column of my spreadsheet, I will need to include
the @ symbol within some of the text.But
when I try to use that character Excel tells me “That function is not valid,”
and prevents me from exiting out of the cell until I remove the @ symbol.
Is there a way of getting the @ symbol in my text, similar
to how a comma is entered with the <c> characters?
Thanks,
Mark.
Edit: I tried using the Insert Symbol in Excel, but the list of symbols didn't include the @ .
EDIT: I just found the problem. I had to change the cell format from General to Text. After that the @ symbol worked fine, even when saving with the normal tab-delimeted text. Thanks for help Michael.
Thanks for the quick reply Michael. Unfortunately Excel won't even let me enter the @ symbol in the field. I can type it in but then when I try to exit the field I get an error and can't exit the field until I delete the @ symbol from it. I think it must be a special character that Excel uses, perhaps in a formula? I don't know enough about Excel to know if that's the problem. I've tried using the Insert Symbol menu in Excel, but the @ symbol isn't available to insert. I might have to explore other spreadsheet programs to see if another one will work for me.
EDIT: I just found the problem. I had to change the cell format from General to Text. After that the @ symbol worked fine, even when saving with the normal tab-delimeted text. Thanks for help Michael.
Thanks for the quick reply Michael. Unfortunately Excel won't even let me enter the @ symbol in the field. I can type it in but then when I try to exit the field I get an error and can't exit the field until I delete the @ symbol from it. I think it must be a special character that Excel uses, perhaps in a formula? I don't know enough about Excel to know if that's the problem. I've tried using the Insert Symbol menu in Excel, but the @ symbol isn't available to insert. I might have to explore other spreadsheet programs to see if another one will work for me.
Hi Michael, I another question for you regarding this script. Is it possible for After Effects to recognize/keep text formatting during the import process? For instance if I have some text in the Excel spreadsheet that is bold and italic, is there a way for that formatting to be passed through to AE?
I'm guessing the answer is no since it's reading a .txt file, but wanted to find out for sure.
Unfortunately there is no way to alter the formatting of the text being updated. It is definitely something I want to add to the script but I am not sure adobe makes it possible to alter portions of source text's formatting through scripting.
Hi Michael, I another question for you regarding this script. Is it possible for After Effects to recognize/keep text formatting during the import process? For instance if I have some text in the Excel spreadsheet that is bold and italic, is there a way for that formatting to be passed through to AE?
I'm guessing the answer is no since it's reading a .txt file, but wanted to find out for sure.
I am having an issue with quotation marks. I am importing quoted content into my graphics, but for some reason, it is converting the quotation marks to ",Äú"
I didn't have this problem before, but now I am.
I checked the .tsv file and it still contains the quotations, so it is happening upon import into AE.
I am having an issue with quotation marks. I am importing quoted content into my graphics, but for some reason, it is converting the quotation marks to ",Äú"
I didn't have this problem before, but now I am.
I checked the .tsv file and it still contains the quotations, so it is happening upon import into AE.
Geoff,
Is the text fine in your tab delimited text file and wrong in your comp; or is it wrong in the tab delimited text doc also?
If it is correct in the text file and wrong in the comp, zip me your text file and I'll take a look.
If it is incorrect in the text file, then that is an issue with whatever spreadsheet program you're using.
I am having an issue with quotation marks. I am importing quoted content into my graphics, but for some reason, it is converting the quotation marks to ",Äú"
I didn't have this problem before, but now I am.
I checked the .tsv file and it still contains the quotations, so it is happening upon import into AE.
Geoff,
Is the text fine in your tab delimited text file and wrong in your comp; or is it wrong in the tab delimited text doc also?
If it is correct in the text file and wrong in the comp, zip me your text file and I'll take a look.
If it is incorrect in the text file, then that is an issue with whatever spreadsheet program you're using.
Let me know.
Looks like it is happening for all special characters - my producer copied the content from a website into a Google Spreadsheet I have set up. Is there a way to change the character set a spreadsheet is using?
Looks like it is happening for all special characters - my producer copied the content from a website into a Google Spreadsheet I have set up. Is there a way to change the character set a spreadsheet is using?
Geoff, In your text doc replace any " with <qq> the script will convert your <qq> to a " when it runs
is there a function I can have in my Google Spreadsheets document to replace all " with <qq>?
This is going to be an on going project as it is part of a daily tv program we have running.
I don't know about in google sheets; but you can easily do it to the tab delimited text file. If you open it with notepad on windows (im sure macs text editor has similar features);
hit cntrl-h for replace;
put " in the find what box and put <qq> in the replace with box and click replace all;
save and now all the " in the tab text file will be <qq>
Can you please solve. Also is it a problem if file names have spaces?
Wen can you support auto sequence creation
Hi Avinash,
What version of the script are you running, and what version of after effects.
As for spaces in filenames, they probably need to be replaced with %20 to find out, click on the "get file path" button in the compsFromSpreadsheet window and navigate to a file with a space in the filename and double click it to see the proper path.
Can you explain what you mean by auto sequence creation.
Is there a limit to the number of import values? It looks like I'm having trouble beyond 20 as the screen doesn't show the 21st value
Hey Mitchel,
go into settings and click on the misc tab. what is max columns per row set to? if it is higher than 20 try putting in a number below 20.
If this setting is already below 20 let me know and I'll work with you to get it going. There should be no limit to the amount of columns your spreadsheet can have
This plugin absolutely rocks! Saved me so many workhours, and loving structure and automation, this is just a bliss to work with. Thank you for creating this amazing piece of work.
It has been mentioned in the comments before, and you have said you would consider implementing it, but I just wanted to voice my desire for Google Sheets integration! This is the only real frustration I have with this plugin. Having to save out a tab delimited file every time I make an update, and not being able to overwrite the latest version, because the plugin locks the file, is very cumbersome! I would love to see it work with Google Sheets in a coming update.
...It has been mentioned in the comments before, and you have said you would consider implementing it, but I just wanted to voice my desire for Google Sheets integration!
Hi Torben,
Thank you for the kind words; glad it's keeping you from having to do monkey work.
Yes, docs integration is definitely something I am trying to get working for the next release. One of the big problems is, the sockets that adobe uses to communicate with other computers doesn't support encrypted transmission(unless I'm missing something, which may well be). So aside from just figuring out how to connect/be authenticated and remembered; I need to figure out how to encrypt and decrypt the communication.
I am working on it; I know it's been a long time since you first mentioned it. I'll get there eventually, I promise!
thank you for this Script. It is exactly what i need.
but i got a Problem with the naming function of the script. It does not rename the new comps after the original comp correctly.
I have a spreadsheet where i have the names of the comps in the comp column. The script works fine and all layers are correctly filled. But the Comps are all named after the last comp in the project (with the line numbering). Regardless if the comp is in the spreadsheet or not.
I have set the option to the original comp name option. Do i miss something?
thank you for this Script. It is exactly what i need.
but i got a Problem with the naming function of the script. It does not rename the new comps after the original comp correctly.
I have a spreadsheet where i have the names of the comps in the comp column. The script works fine and all layers are correctly filled. But the Comps are all named after the last comp in the project (with the line numbering). Regardless if the comp is in the spreadsheet or not.
I have set the option to the original comp name option. Do i miss something?
Best, Gunnar
Hi Gunnar,
When you set "New Composition Name" to comp name it takes the original comp name and appends a number after it.
If you click the drop down below comp name, then there is a list of all the columns from your spreadsheet (they appear as "FROM SPREADSHEET | columnName). Select the appropriate column and ae will name the new comp based on the value of that column
When you set "New Composition Name" to comp name it takes the original comp name and appends a number after it.
If you click the drop down below comp name, then there is a list of all the columns from your spreadsheet (they appear as "FROM SPREADSHEET | columnName). Select the appropriate column and ae will name the new comp based on the value of that column
Oh Boy, sorry for that. I did not see that. That worked as it should. Thank you for your fast reply.
Hello, just want to say this script was worth every penny! It has saved me loads of time. I am having a small issue though... When connecting columns to the objects in the script via your dropdown I can see "ghost" text box options... One of the options doesn't even exist in the comp, and another seems to have been duplicated. I tried selecting both of the duplicated on different attempts, one just leaves my text box blank, where the other option fills the text box correctly but then changes the justification from right to left. kinda odd. I can't figure it out. I am on a mac using AE 2017.1 and CompsFromSpreadsheet 5.14. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks again for the awesome script.
... When connecting columns to the objects in the script via your dropdown I can see "ghost" text box options... One of the options doesn't even exist in the comp, and another seems to have been duplicated. I tried selecting both of the duplicated on different attempts, one just leaves my text box blank
Hey Thomas, Can you zip your text file and ae file (no assets, just the ae file), and your excel file and send it to me at [email protected] so I can figure out what's happening?
So I would just like to make it know/confirm that from version 4.5 to version 5.14 the way that the script renames layers(text) is different.
Meaning that in version 4.5 "^textlayer" name would become "textlayer" and now in the new version "^textlayer" stays "^textlayer". So the ^/carrot thing stays.
My scenario for this was I'm importing color values from a spreadsheet in various parts of my project but because things are linked all over the place with expressions and I need to have 50-60 projects in one file I couldn't just import things directly other wise the colors wouldn't match and things blew up(this took me a while to figure out...). Just figuring out how to import colors took me a bit of time to figure out.
This issue had me really boggled at work especially since we were ready or getting ready to upgrade to 5.14 mainly for the import set folder feature and I thought every thing worked until I tried to setup 100 comps and my colors were not linking.
So I'm sure this is a special use case but if anyone ever has this issue now you know.
So I would just like to make it know/confirm that from version 4.5 to version 5.14 the way that the script renames layers(text) is different.
Meaning that in version 4.5 "^textlayer" name would become "textlayer" and now in the new version "^textlayer" stays "^textlayer". So the ^/carrot thing stays.
My scenario for this was I'm importing color values from a spreadsheet in various parts of my project but because things are linked all over the place with expressions and I need to have 50-60 projects in one file I couldn't just import things directly other wise the colors wouldn't match and things blew up(this took me a while to figure out...). Just figuring out how to import colors took me a bit of time to figure out.
Hey Gregory,
Sorry for the issues you are having.
Going forward, your best bet when using expressions with this script is to reference the layer number and not the name.
so if ^textlayer is the 3rd layer in your comp, reference it as
thisComp.layer(3) //correct
instead of
thisComp.layer("^textlayer") //can unlink if name changes
that way all your expressions will remain linked even if the name changes. Sorry for the headache, hope this helps.
Hi, Upon launching Compfromspreadsheet 5, I get a script alert : "you need to select a field with the template name"...
Interstingly enough : any New composition Name option gives me the same Alert.
Hi Pierre,
You need a column in your spreadsheet named comp to to hold the name of the comp to duplicate and use as a base for that line of the spreadsheet (if you are only using a comp named comp1 for every line, then each line of the spreadsheet will have comp1 in the comp column).
The New Composition Name option does not have anything to do with this part of the script. This option tells the script what to name the new comp after it duplicates the comp from the comp column. The default is line number. So if you left this option as line number and ran the script, it would read comp1 from the comp column for your first row. it would rename the duplicated comp to 2 beacuse it is the second line of the spreadsheet (the first line is column names).
Is there a way to adjust the text box width before running the script? I have long lines of text that I would like to 'break' instead of running all across the screen.
Is there a way to adjust the text box width before running the script? I have long lines of text that I would like to 'break' instead of running all across the screen.
HI Erlinda,
You can do one of two things.
1. create a text layer by selecting the text tool option, then click and drah in your timeline making an area the width you want. make the layer a target (use ^ in the name), the textt from the speadsheet will fill in to the width you made.
2. You can put <br> in your text where you want a newline. The script will replace the <br> with a newline when run
Can you email me your text file and project (no assets, just the ae file) and I'll check out what's happening.
Hey Michael,
I could detect two fx-comps in my project that were responsible for the error. Both were overlay comps. One had multiple alpha-movs in it, the other just one solid with "fractal noise", colorama" and "hue/saturation" on it.
After deleting them, everything worked fine.
On monday I will be setting up a simple project and insert those comps. If the error occurs there aswell, I will mail them to you.
Best regards
Dennis
--
Update Monday:
I just tried the combination of the problematic overlays and a new simple project.
The Error didnt occur. My conclusion is, that it was simply a bad combination of event and hopefully wont come up again :-)
Unfortunately you always need to run the script via the interface. I have been toying around with the idea of allowing the script to run automatically as you are wanting; maybe in the next release.
No way to go directly to media encoder; but if you uncheck auto-render; build your project with the script (comps are created and not rendered); I think you can just drag the new comps and drop on encoder to render within that app.
Hi Michael,
I’ve been testing (in trial mode) this script for an upcoming project I’m working on, and so far it’s been great. The user guide and sample project really helped me to get up and running quickly and getting the results I need.
However, I have run into one problem. In the text column of my spreadsheet, I will need to include the @ symbol within some of the text. But when I try to use that character Excel tells me “That function is not valid,” and prevents me from exiting out of the cell until I remove the @ symbol.
Is there a way of getting the @ symbol in my text, similar to how a comma is entered with the <c> characters?
Thanks,
Mark.
Edit: I tried using the Insert Symbol in Excel, but the list of symbols didn't include the @ .
I'm using Excel for Mac 2011.
Mark,
Thanks for the quick reply Michael.
Unfortunately Excel won't even let me enter the @ symbol in the field. I can type it in but then when I try to exit the field I get an error and can't exit the field until I delete the @ symbol from it. I think it must be a special character that Excel uses, perhaps in a formula? I don't know enough about Excel to know if that's the problem.
I've tried using the Insert Symbol menu in Excel, but the @ symbol isn't available to insert. I might have to explore other spreadsheet programs to see if another one will work for me.
Thanks again,
Mark
I another question for you regarding this script.
Is it possible for After Effects to recognize/keep text formatting during the import process?
For instance if I have some text in the Excel spreadsheet that is bold and italic, is there a way for that formatting to be passed through to AE?
I'm guessing the answer is no since it's reading a .txt file, but wanted to find out for sure.
Thanks for your help.
Mark
Unfortunately there is no way to alter the formatting of the text being updated. It is definitely something I want to add to the script but I am not sure adobe makes it possible to alter portions of source text's formatting through scripting.
Is this going to work with the new CC 2017?
I just tried the sample project in 2017 and it worked fine. Are you having an issue with it?
Hey Guillaume
Q1:
10,000 columns seems like an awful lot. The best thing to do is download the fully functional demo and see if it can handle that.
Q2:
yes, any blank text in your spreadsheet will be blank in your comp.
Q3:
yes, as long as all your precomps have a !, compsFromSpreadsheet will search that precomp, and any layers within it that start with !
Is the text fine in your tab delimited text file and wrong in your comp; or is it wrong in the tab delimited text doc also?
If it is correct in the text file and wrong in the comp, zip me your text file and I'll take a look.
If it is incorrect in the text file, then that is an issue with whatever spreadsheet program you're using.
Let me know.
In your text doc replace any " with <qq>
the script will convert your <qq> to a " when it runs
hit cntrl-h for replace;
put " in the find what box and put <qq> in the replace with box and click replace all;
save and now all the " in the tab text file will be <qq>
This plugin absolutely rocks! Saved me so many workhours, and loving structure and automation, this is just a bliss to work with. Thank you for creating this amazing piece of work.
It has been mentioned in the comments before, and you have said you would consider implementing it, but I just wanted to voice my desire for Google Sheets integration! This is the only real frustration I have with this plugin. Having to save out a tab delimited file every time I make an update, and not being able to overwrite the latest version, because the plugin locks the file, is very cumbersome! I would love to see it work with Google Sheets in a coming update.
Can you zip your text file and ae file (no assets, just the ae file), and your excel file and send it to me at [email protected] so I can figure out what's happening?
Sorry for the issues you are having.
Going forward, your best bet when using expressions with this script is to reference the layer number and not the name.
so if ^textlayer is the 3rd layer in your comp, reference it as
thisComp.layer(3) //correct
instead of
thisComp.layer("^textlayer") //can unlink if name changes
that way all your expressions will remain linked even if the name changes. Sorry for the headache, hope this helps.
Any clue ?
Thank you in advance, Pierre
Hi Pierre,
You need a column in your spreadsheet named comp to to hold the name of the comp to duplicate and use as a base for that line of the spreadsheet (if you are only using a comp named comp1 for every line, then each line of the spreadsheet will have comp1 in the comp column).
The New Composition Name option does not have anything to do with this part of the script. This option tells the script what to name the new comp after it duplicates the comp from the comp column. The default is line number. So if you left this option as line number and ran the script, it would read comp1 from the comp column for your first row. it would rename the duplicated comp to 2 beacuse it is the second line of the spreadsheet (the first line is column names).
Let me know if this doesn't make sense,
Mike