aescripts + aeplugins

Ben Tillett

Ah, finally! This is awesome. Thank you Eduardo.

Ben Tillett

Trying it out, it seems to work great. I've got a couple of comments/questions though :-)

When you use the eyedropper to pick a colour, it creates a new solid layer and deletes it from the comp, but it doesn't delete it from the project. That would be a nice feature, instead of having loads of unused solid layers in the project.

Also, how deep does the "get colour" function go? It seems to pull in colours from text layers and solids, but not from effects applied to layers, which could also be useful. Although I guess I'm thinking about it from the perspective of already having set up my project. In the future I can use colorLibrary right from the start, and as I add effects.

Eduardo Iglesias

Thanks for trying it!

I didn't find annoying having all those Solids in the Project Panel and you can always delete them using 'Remove unused media'. However, if more users find your recommendation useful, it can easily be added in future updates.

'Get Colors' does get colors from Effects in layers. All our tests have worked on that feature, which we find really useful. Please, continue trying it and if it doesn't work, tell us again so we can solve this issue.

Ben Tillett

There are just some cases that I don't want to use "remove unused media", for instance when I've got footage that I haven't used, but am going to later. But like you say, it's not a big deal :-)

I have just run into an issue where the "get colours" and "SEL" buttons have stopped working completely (even after restarting AE). Not sure why that is, as all the other buttons are working correctly. 

Eduardo Iglesias

I've been checking the issues you commented and there is something going on with 'SEL' button. It affects 'Get colors' as a collateral damage. I'll fix it asap. Meanwhile, it is possible to restore your previous colors closing and opening the UI Panel. Thanks for reporting!

Eduardo Iglesias

Bug related to 'SEL' Button is now corrected. New version 1.01 is available now.

Paul Gale

Hi, Is this compatible with AE CC?

I just tried the trial version of colorlibrary and it doesn't seem to work very well. I can't delete colours (ctrl click) or rename (nothing happens). Get colors also doesn't do anything.

Thanks.

Paul Gale

I agree with Ben - leaving solids in the solids folder is messy - much better if it cleans then up automatically.

Eduardo Iglesias

Thanks for trying!

We tested colorLibrary on Adobe CC before release, but the issues you report are quite big, so we will check it again and solve any problem.

Paul Gale

thanks

Eduardo Iglesias

colorLibrary works correctly in After Effects CC now. Picking a color with Eyedropper no longer creates new solids. New version 1.02 available now.

Entremundos Filmes

I'm getting this error when start colorlibrary 1.02 in AE CC:

"Unable to execute script at line 1. ui is undefined"

And my last colors doesnt load. Where is the prefs file, how can I reset it?

Oh yeah, and the new version in colorlibrary_v1.02.zip shows 1.01 in about panel (?) button.

Eduardo Iglesias

Please, follow this steps to solve your problem:

- Download colorLibrary script and install it again (it may have been corrupted on download).

- Make sure you check 'Allow Scripts to Write Files and Access Network' in Preferences.

- Delete your Preferences file (Users/Your User/App Data/Roaming/Adobe/After Effects/12.0 on Windows and ~/Library/Preferences on Mac).

If your problem persists, please let us know.

Jeff Klein

Hey there,

Installed the script, and it initially worked fine. Then on my next AE CC restart I get the error:

 "Unable to execute script at line 1. After Effects error: Preference [Settings_colorLibrary] 'saved_libtary' is 2732 bytes, max allowed is 1999 bytes." 

Im on 10.8.4 running AE CC (fully updated). 

I tried deleted my AE prefs. Are there ColorLibrary prefs too? Can't seem to find them.

I've also double checked that my "allow scripts.." is on.

Please advise.

Thanks!

Eduardo Iglesias

Thanks for reporting Jeff.

We've done some testing and had the same problem you mention. It is the very first time that we have this problem, because it is related to using a lot of color swatches (over 40). It generates an error on AE Preferences file, the place where colors are saved when closing the panel. We know it is important for you to use all your swatches with colorLibrary, so we are working on solving it. Unfortunately, it looks like it is an After Effects internal problem, so it may take a while to make it work.

Meanwhile, you can reset your Preferences file by pressing Opt+Cmd+Shift inmediatelly after launching AE or by deleting your Preferences file, located at ~/Library/Preferences. We recommend to reset it after launching better than deleting the file itself. These will delete ALL your preferences.

Try to keep your colorLibrary below 30 swatches to avoid the error and remember that you can save your colors to .ase and .csv files and manage them more appropriately.

S.F. van den Brink

I tend to import my ASE file from Illustrator, then create a solid in AEFX CS6 and while making it, pick the color from colorLibrary. That worked in CS6, but in CC once the create solid window opens, the plugin windows all grey out - my workflow no longer works. How can I still use it to create simple solids in CC? Am I missing something?

Eduardo Iglesias

Thanks for reporting.

We apologize because our testing in Adobe CC wasn't comprehensive enough. There has been a lot of changes on how scripts works in CC and we developers are discovering unexpected issues. The one you report is very important. We have confirmed that overlaping windows make colorLibrary swatches fade to grey. This problem also affects other scripts which uses similar functionalities, so we are quite sure it is a problem caused by changes in Adobe CC.

However, it is our responsability to solve it, so we are working for it and are trying to have a solution by the end of this week. We will inform when a new and stable version is available. Meanwhile, you can use Shape Layers instead of Solids or use eyedropper in Character window as an intermediate swatch.

nicolas lichtle

Hello i've just updated the script to 1.0.2 and i've got this error message when i launch After Effects CC (mac OS X)

Unable to execute script at line 1. After Effects error: preference [Settings_colorLibrary] ‘saved_library’ is 3514 bytes, max allowed is 1999 bytes.

Any help, please ?

Kevin Schires

Eduardo, I sent you a PM about the "grey panel" CC bug.

Eduardo Iglesias

New version 1.1 available now.

Solved several important issues related to Adobe CC:

• Fixed problem in CC when savind more than 20 swatches to Preferences file.
• Alt + click over a color swatch now creates a New Solid (Deals with Swatches going grey when creating a New Solid in CC).

Thanks to anyone who reported errors. They're fixed now. You can download the update from  'My Downloads & Licenses'  

nicolas lichtle

Hello i've updated the script to the new version 1.1 and i've got exactly the same message as before... 

Unable to execute script at line 1. After Effects error: preference [Settings_colorLibrary] ‘saved_library’ is 3514 bytes, max allowed is 1999 bytes.

I'm really disappointed now!

Eduardo Iglesias

If you have experienced this error before, although you have installed version 1.10, AE CC may be 'stuck' in it. To solve it, please reset Preferences as shown in previous comments and it will work.

Hello i've updated the script to the new version 1.1 and i've got exactly the same message as before... Unable to execute script at line 1. After Effects error: preference [Settings_colorLibrary] ‘saved_library’ is 3514 bytes, max allowed is 1999 bytes.I'm really disappointed now!

Brian Maffitt

Just downloaded and installed colorLibrary today, AE CC, Windows 8.1. I am experienceing the same bug reported elsewhere, where the colors in the palette disappear when I choose "new solid", limiting the value of the panel a great deal for me. I only have 13 swatches in there, though... nowhere near the 30 or more swatches that are otherwise identifies with causing this error. Any ideas?

Eduardo Iglesias

That issue can we solved using a shortcut. If you press Alt+click on a swatch, it creates a New Solid from that color. You can read the full explanation in FAQ under the Description tab. If it doesn't work , please report. And don't forget to download lastest version.

Brian Maffitt

Ah, that helps, thanks. And I assume it is the newest version, since I just purchased it.

Brian Maffitt

I take it back... it worked the first time, but now doesn't seem to be working anymore.

Brian Maffitt

Just updated to 12.1 and shift-click to make a solid still isn't working, and the colors don't show up when I make a new solid.

Eduardo Iglesias

If it is working for the first time, it means that it is not reading AE Preferences file properly. I think I may be related to Windows 8.1, because the script has not been comprehensively tested in that OS. I am currently on holidays, so I cannot solve it in the next 10 days. I sincerely apologize for this.

Please, also create a support ticket with this info so we can help you in a better way.

mac bb

would be nice to have smaller buttons or icons so that it feets nicely in AE. Right now all these text buttons make the window to big and either have to loose working space or hide some buttons

Eduardo Iglesias

Thanks for your opinion, mac bb.

colorLibrary is designed for working in a 1920x1080 or bigger screen. If you use it in a laptop, it may be a little big, but it is the same problem you will find with other palettes. We will consider using smaller buttons or icons in future versions.

Eduardo Iglesias

New colorLibrary version available (v1.11). There is a brand new 'Color Name' dialog and some problems involving Click + modifiers (rename color, new solid) are solved.

Please remember that the ONLY way to create solids using colorLibrary should be using Alt/Option + Click over a color swatch. Using regular AE's 'New Solid' dialog will hide color swatches due to changes in Adobe CC.

Bill Busse

Hi, I'm trying this script before deciding to purchase and have a couple questions. (I'm using AE CC on Windows 7)

- Can this script only create solids from Swatches or can I add the colors from the loaded swatches to other things like text, shape objects etc..? If this is possible, how do I do it?

- When I select get colors, it doesn't seem to get the colors from the selected comp. It just loads the same 4 swatches every time (black, yellow, white, red). Is this a bug?

Cheers....

Eduardo Iglesias

Thanks for trying colorLibrary!

- You can create Solids within colorLibrary, but not Text or Shape Layers. The way to do this is the usual one: create it and use Eyedropper to select the color from colorLibrary swatches. You can have them stored in a palette and don't need to look for them or write them down.

- Clicking on 'Get colors' retrieves the colors either from the Active Comp or from the selected Comp in the Project palette. But in case of doubt, colorLibrary chooses colors from selected Comp in the Project palette.

ajo alm

Bought this plugin and I have two questions for you.  

1) Is it possible in future revisions to allow us to reorder the colors?

2) When I use the AE color picker and click on one of my colors in ColorLibrary, the values are way off from the original RGB values. Iʻve been researching online for color picker issues in AE but havenʻt found any solutions. Any ideas or workarounds for this?

joris cool

Adriel,

Do you work in linear mode (gamma 1.0) or gamma 2.2 ?

- j

ajo alm

Adriel,

Do you work in linear mode (gamma 1.0) or gamma 2.2 ?

- j

Hi Joris, I work in gamma 2.2

Eduardo Iglesias

Hello Adriel,

1) We are thinking of different ways of arranging colors for version 2.0, maybe a Favourite option, but reordering them is a really good idea. We don't know if it is possible, but we are going to try it.

2) We have not detected any issue related to the one you mention. Would you mind adding a new ticket so we can check this problem you mention properly, please?

Paul Gale

The issue in CC where the ColorLibrary UI greys out, renders this script pretty pointless a lot of the time. Any work arounds to this? Is it likely that Adobe will change this behaviour?

How about a way to copy the RGB web values into the clipboard by simply clicking on the colour swatch first - then I can paste this into the web colour box after - that would help A LOT.

Eduardo Iglesias

Hello Paul,

colorLibrary UI greys out when some AE panels are opened. We know this is a problem, but it depends totally on Adobe development and Scripting guide has not been updated since CS6. We work on solutions and that's why we created an alternative Color Solid window, for example. If you know of other situations where an alternative panel is needed, you can tell us and that will help a lot.

We are currently working on colorLibrary v2.0 and adding some user requested features, so any opinion is very helpful.

Paul Gale

Hi Eduardo,

Sorry for the delay getting back to you.

Yes I realise the issue is down to Adobe - I raised a bug/feature request on that to add my voice. I see from the various blogs recently that a colour swatch feature is showing reasonably highly on their list of feature requests - maybe we'll get built in colour swatches eventually.

Where I find I need to select a colour mostly is in the solid settings box and also colour settings in the shape settings areas for fill and stroke colours.

Not sure if there's anything that can be done - as a short term help as I mentioned before - at least the ability to quickly and easily select the web hex values from your panel, copied into the system clipboard and that could then be easily pasted into the colour picker box would help. Not ideal as you'd have to do this before selecting the item to set the colour but it'd still be a lot quicker than writing the value down or hunting around for RGB values etc.

Wonder if there's any other way to do it like creating a new comp window and having the script populate coloured squares from your palette that can then be used with the colour picker? Maybe a complex solution though.

Cheers,

Paul.

Eduardo Iglesias

Hello Paul,

First of all, thank you for your contribution.

I've been checking what you said and it's true that colorLibrary doesn't help if you use shape settings areas or you try to change a solid's color. It may depend on the way you work: some people use or don't use different palettes.

The solution you suggest - click on a swatch to copy its Hex values to clipboard - is a very interesting one. I've been doing some research and it looks like it is possible to do that via scripting, althought it is still not working for me. I'm developing colorLibrary 2.0, but I'm also busy with other projects, so this is going slower than I'd want. I'll try to complete v2.0 soon, but if I can't, I may develop v1.12 to add the click-copy to clipboard option. It would be a good improvement.

Thanks.

Paul Gale

OK many thanks Eduardo.

The other way I think is to ensure nothing is selected, sample the colour from the swatch by using the adobe colour picker - and then sample that from the relevant place. If that makes sense? Not sure if that wouldn't work in some cases though.

Jeff openshaw

Eduardo.......I would take a look at the script Chameleon which allows you to keep the color swatch open when using the eye dropper. Whatever he has done in that script you should correct in this script.

Paul Gale

Hi Eduardo,

I'm using ColorLibrary in AE CC 2014 and every time I open AE (or open ColorLibrary UI) I get an error saying that a script "cannot display this colour". I've deleted (cleared all colours in the UI) but it's still saying it - is that something you've seen or can work out why it's doing it?

Thanks,

Paul.

Eduardo Iglesias

Hi Paul,

I haven't tested colorLibrary with Adobe CC latest version. I will try it the next days and give you an answer asap.

Thanks.

Tom Munday

Hi Eduardo,

Having exactly the same problem as Paul below - "cannot display this color" - worked fine for me in CS6 and very useful script, but having this problem in CC

Thanks,

Tom

Tom Munday

Also - when I go into solid settings on a layer (so as to change the colour of that solid) - when the pop-up window appears, the colorlibrary window greys out so I can't eyedrop the correct colour from that palette...  

Thanks

Tom Munday

And apologies for the multiple posts but I'm now having all kinds of glitches in CC - pressing 'EYE' sometimes completely clears the library and no longer creates a swatch, instead just a solid...  there seems to be some kind of conflict between colorlibrary and the solid settings window....

Paul Gale

Would be great to see how the new HTML5 panels could revolutionise the colour palette. I'm still very surprised that Adobe haven't included any kind of colour library (apart from Kuler). It seems such an obvious thing to have.

Paul Gale

Yes. I have lots of problems too. Shame as it's such a useful thing to have.