Squirrel
  • basem alideebbasem alideeb
    what's the difference between this script and Layer Group 2
  • Lloyd AlvarezLloyd Alvarez
    basem alideeb said:
    what's the difference between this script and Layer Group 2
    Tons of differences but the main one is that Squirrel is an extension that uses new UI technology to be fast and dynamic and allow things like drag and drop, etc.
  • Andru PhoenixAndru Phoenix
    Great first release for a useful tool! I'm sure you've considered it already, but how about a filter for layer types? Thanks for writing this, i'm sure i'll get some mileage out of it.

    - day 1 customer 
  • Mike OverbeckMike Overbeck
    Andru Phoenix said:
    Great first release for a useful tool! I'm sure you've considered it already, but how about a filter for layer types? Thanks for writing this, i'm sure i'll get some mileage out of it.

    - day 1 customer 
    Thank you Andru!
    This is an interesting idea! There is this handy tool that could work well in conjunction with Squirrel. Just select a layer type from it, wave your cursor over Squirrel and it should have all layers of that type highlighted.

  • David JoloskyDavid Jolosky
    Great tool. I seem to be having issues with the refresh on mouse over. Seems like the script loads incorrectly when i start up with it in AE. If i close the panel and re-initiate it, it seems to work fine. Thoughts. Should i submit a ticket so that i can send you screen shots of the error?
  • Lloyd AlvarezLloyd Alvarez
    David Jolosky said:

    Should i submit a ticket so that i can send you screen shots of the error?

    Yes please.
  • Luke LetellierLuke Letellier
    Looks like a great toolset! Is it possible to group objects in the Squirrel browser without simultaneously parenting them in the timeline? 
  • Mike OverbeckMike Overbeck
    Luke Letellier said:
    Looks like a great toolset! Is it possible to group objects in the Squirrel browser without simultaneously parenting them in the timeline? 
    I'm afraid not. All grouping and heirarchies you see in Squirrel represent parenting relationships in your timeline
  • Lars JandelLars Jandel
    Hey Mike!
    Squirrel is damn fantastic! :)
    Q: When using the search function, is or will there be an option to select all found layers with one click?   ;)
    Thanks, Lars
  • Mike OverbeckMike Overbeck
    Lars Jandel said:
    Hey Mike!
    Squirrel is damn fantastic! :)
    Q: When using the search function, is or will there be an option to select all found layers with one click?   ;)
    Thanks, Lars
    Thanks Lars.
    This is a very good idea for a feature request. 
  • youngduk kimyoungduk kim
    Hi,
    This is very usful tool!

    But, when I run the demo version (in after effects cc 2019), several error windows pop up.

    "Unable to execute script at line 6.defaultHexArray is undefined"
    "Unable to execute script at line 6.JSON is undefined"
    "Unable to execute script at line 6.undefined is not an object"

    What is the problem?
  • Lloyd AlvarezLloyd Alvarez
    youngduk kim said:

    What is the problem?

    open a support ticket https://aescripts.com/contact/?direct=1
  • Christian AaltonenChristian Aaltonen
    Hello Mate,

    First of all — huge thanks for your awesome extension…

    I am not sure whether is this really technically possible, but I would like to throw you some idea just in case. It would be massively fantastic, if there would be possilbe to parent layers using Pickwhip from Composition pannel to Squirrel. Maybe from one to antoher composition through Squirrel.

    Thank you. 
  • Mike OverbeckMike Overbeck
    Christian Aaltonen said:
    Hello Mate,

    First of all — huge thanks for your awesome extension…

    I am not sure whether is this really technically possible, but I would like to throw you some idea just in case. It would be massively fantastic, if there would be possilbe to parent layers using Pickwhip from Composition pannel to Squirrel. Maybe from one to antoher composition through Squirrel.

    Thank you. 
    Hi Christian,
    This is an interesting idea. The pick-whip in AE isn't currently accessible to us developers. This is a great idea for a feature request to Adobe.
     If you really want layer parenting across comps, you should check out Layer Stalker.
    Creating relationships across different comps requires writing expressions, and I'm trying to keep Squirrel an expression-free tool, where what it manipulates is very transparent to the user.
    Thanks for your input!
  • Christian AaltonenChristian Aaltonen
    Hello Mike,

    I have just a little feature request: It would be nice, when selecting some layer in the Squirrel window, to see at the same time that layer in the main timeline panel — automatically, without scrolling. 

    To explain myself more clearly: 
    I use Squirrel mainly in the cases when I work with comps containing large stacks of layers. In those cases I find the desired layer in Sqirrel panel easily, but to get his layer focused in the main timeline window, I have to:
    1. Read its index-number in the squirrel.
    2. Click to the main timeline panel.
    3. By scrolling find that layer based on the number I remember from the step 1. (It is already selected, which is nice, but the manual scrolling part means a few lost seconds.) 

    It would be nice, in my opinion, if that option of autoscrolling or autofocus could be available.

    Thank you.
  • Mike OverbeckMike Overbeck

    Christian Aaltonen said:
    Hello Mike,

    I have just a little feature request: It would be nice, when selecting some layer in the Squirrel window, to see at the same time that layer in the main timeline panel — automatically, without scrolling. 

    To explain myself more clearly: 
    I use Squirrel mainly in the cases when I work with comps containing large stacks of layers. In those cases I find the desired layer in Sqirrel panel easily, but to get his layer focused in the main timeline window, I have to:
    1. Read its index-number in the squirrel.
    2. Click to the main timeline panel.
    3. By scrolling find that layer based on the number I remember from the step 1. (It is already selected, which is nice, but the manual scrolling part means a few lost seconds.) 

    It would be nice, in my opinion, if that option of autoscrolling or autofocus could be available.

    Thank you.
    This is something I would love to implement, however Adobe's API doesn't allow control of timeline scrolling. To speed you along, here are a few native AE keyboard shortcuts:
    the '\' key will bring focus to your timeline. The 'x' key will reframe your timeline window so that your selected layer is visible. Pressing these two keys after selecting something in Squirrel gets me to my layer in the timeline right away.
  • Christian AaltonenChristian Aaltonen
    Mike Overbeck said:

    Christian Aaltonen said:
    Hello Mike,

    I have just a little feature request: It would be nice, when selecting some layer in the Squirrel window, to see at the same time that layer in the main timeline panel — automatically, without scrolling. 

    To explain myself more clearly: 
    I use Squirrel mainly in the cases when I work with comps containing large stacks of layers. In those cases I find the desired layer in Sqirrel panel easily, but to get his layer focused in the main timeline window, I have to:
    1. Read its index-number in the squirrel.
    2. Click to the main timeline panel.
    3. By scrolling find that layer based on the number I remember from the step 1. (It is already selected, which is nice, but the manual scrolling part means a few lost seconds.) 

    It would be nice, in my opinion, if that option of autoscrolling or autofocus could be available.

    Thank you.
    This is something I would love to implement, however Adobe's API doesn't allow control of timeline scrolling. To speed you along, here are a few native AE keyboard shortcuts:
    the '\' key will bring focus to your timeline. The 'x' key will reframe your timeline window so that your selected layer is visible. Pressing these two keys after selecting something in Squirrel gets me to my layer in the timeline right away.
    Huge thanks for your tip Mike!
  • Valentin KirilovValentin Kirilov
    I like your products, man, thank you!
  • Zach BeggsZach Beggs
    I thought this product would be a perfect solution for me: grouping layers into subjects and toggling those subjects on/off as needed.

    All works well, however I wasn't sure if I was doing something wrong: are Pre-Comps not supported? For example, sometimes I need to turn off all my FXs. A pre-comp might contain a render-heavy FX. I cannot create a group at the parent level, and add a pre-comp containing a child adjustment layer where my FX is located, can I? In short, pre-comp contents are not supported?
  • Mike OverbeckMike Overbeck
    Zach Beggs said:
    I thought this product would be a perfect solution for me: grouping layers into subjects and toggling those subjects on/off as needed.

    All works well, however I wasn't sure if I was doing something wrong: are Pre-Comps not supported? For example, sometimes I need to turn off all my FXs. A pre-comp might contain a render-heavy FX. I cannot create a group at the parent level, and add a pre-comp containing a child adjustment layer where my FX is located, can I? In short, pre-comp contents are not supported?
    Pre-comp contents are supported. A precomp in Squirrel will have a plus sign next to it which you can click to get access to its layers. Going into your preferences, you can make visibility switches available. From there, you can turn on or off any heavy adjustment layers in your precomp from its parent comp.
  • Zach BeggsZach Beggs
    Thanks for your response, Mike. I think I was not clear in the first post:

    I want to create at the highest level composition a group called "EFFECTS". By selecting this group + "Select Children", i've been toggling groups on/off. This is useful to be able to group text, effects, etc, into groups and toggle groups on/off.

    However, if I hope to use the above function with any contents that exist within a pre-comp, say a heavy effect, or text, I cannot add pre-comp layers to my master layer groups. The only alternative I can see if to have a seperate text and effects group, within every pre-comp which could become unwieldy. Am I doing anything wrong? I cannot add pre-comp layers to my groups at a higher level, correct?
  • Mike OverbeckMike Overbeck
    Zach Beggs said:
    Thanks for your response, Mike. I think I was not clear in the first post:

    I want to create at the highest level composition a group called "EFFECTS". By selecting this group + "Select Children", i've been toggling groups on/off. This is useful to be able to group text, effects, etc, into groups and toggle groups on/off.

    However, if I hope to use the above function with any contents that exist within a pre-comp, say a heavy effect, or text, I cannot add pre-comp layers to my master layer groups. The only alternative I can see if to have a seperate text and effects group, within every pre-comp which could become unwieldy. Am I doing anything wrong? I cannot add pre-comp layers to my groups at a higher level, correct?
    Ah, I think I understand what you're going for. When you create a group, you are creating a null and parenting your selected layers to it. But there is no way to make a nested precomp layer a child of a layer in your parent comp with Squirrel. This is a use case that I hadn't considered.
    If you do find yourself toggling all child layers on and off, you can hold shift when you click on your eye icon on your parent layer, and it will toggle all child layers.
  • Zach BeggsZach Beggs
    @mike

    The script Layer Storage works like this, but it hasn’t been updated in a few years. I’ve been finding edge cases where later storage will crash my AE. I was hoping squirrel could fill the gap. My goal was to use squirrel to create groups at my parent comp: “Effects”, “E3D”, “Lights”, “Text”, etc. By creating these groups, I was hoping to toggle the eyeball on all pre comp layers & layers at the root level. This way I could composite in real time, or I could solo specific groups and create a pre render, or just move around the app more efficiently than having a “Force Motion Blur” and other heavy render time effects or layers bogging down the animation stage.
  • Mike OverbeckMike Overbeck
    Zach Beggs said:
    @mike The script Layer Storage works like this, but it hasn’t been updated in a few years. I’ve been finding edge cases where later storage will crash my AE. I was hoping squirrel could fill the gap. My goal was to use squirrel to create groups at my parent comp: “Effects”, “E3D”, “Lights”, “Text”, etc. By creating these groups, I was hoping to toggle the eyeball on all pre comp layers & layers at the root level. This way I could composite in real time, or I could solo specific groups and create a pre render, or just move around the app more efficiently than having a “Force Motion Blur” and other heavy render time effects or layers bogging down the animation stage.
    I have used DUGR for these purposes in the past, which is a terrific script from Rainbox. One thing that these types of scripts to is write data to your layer comments to store the tags that you apply to them. While effective, this can cause conflicts with other tools and I wanted Squirrel to never pollute your scene with any data, but act as a direct translation of your compositions' parenting structure.
  • Jorge LosillaJorge Losilla
    Any reason why this has stopped working on the latest version of After Effects?

  • Lloyd AlvarezLloyd Alvarez
    Jorge Losilla said:
    Any reason why this has stopped working on the latest version of After Effects?

    Please open a support ticket here for technical assistance:  
  • Edward BurnsEdward Burns
    Does anyone know what the pound (#) sign switch does? I can't find any info on it.

    image
  • Mike OverbeckMike Overbeck
    Edward Burns said:

    Does anyone know what the pound (#) sign switch does? I can't find any info on it.


    image
    That is the guide layer toggle.
  • Scott SimmonsScott Simmons
    On my Mac, in AE 2021, I set up a simple comp with 2 layers and Squirrel worked fine.  I saved the project, shutdown AE, then restarted AE and opened the same project.  Squirrel could not see the active comp whether I hovered or clicked on the Squirrel interface.  Does squirrel need to be updated...? Or am I missing something?  I love this idea and really want to see it work.
  • Mike OverbeckMike Overbeck
    Scott Simmons said:
    On my Mac, in AE 2021, I set up a simple comp with 2 layers and Squirrel worked fine.  I saved the project, shutdown AE, then restarted AE and opened the same project.  Squirrel could not see the active comp whether I hovered or clicked on the Squirrel interface.  Does squirrel need to be updated...? Or am I missing something?  I love this idea and really want to see it work.
    I am not seeing any problems with AE 2021 and Squirrel. In the Squirrel interface just below the icons, there is a comp icon that displays the name of your active comp. Does this say 'no active comp' or does it display the name of the comp you are trying to load? You may be trying to refresh squirrel without a comp in your project selected.
  • oliver farnesoliver farnes
    Would it be possible to add a property in settings to set "dont hide if shy is active"?

    I want to hide layers in the composition, but I'd like to still see the whole tree in Squirrel
  • Jack LightJack Light
    It's not being upgraded anymore, is it? Why hide the tree when 'shy' them? ^^
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