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after-effects-mcp-vision

mcp
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  • License — License: MIT
  • Description — Repository has a description
  • Active repo — Last push 0 days ago
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Code Fail
  • fs module — File system access in cep/client/panel.js
  • network request — Outbound network request in cep/client/panel.js
  • process.env — Environment variable access in cep/client/start-server.js
  • eval() — Dynamic code execution via eval() in cep/host/json-polyfill.jsx
  • exec() — Shell command execution in cep/host/ops-build.jsx
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  • Permissions — No dangerous permissions requested

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SUMMARY

MCP server that builds in a live After Effects session and then looks at what it made. 16 tools addressed by stable Item/Layer id, frame capture so an agent can verify its own work instead of trusting the object tree, and a layout engine that writes baked values plus expression rigs. AE 2022+ on macOS and Windows.

README.md

After Effects MCP Vision

An MCP server that lets an AI agent build and see inside a live Adobe After Effects session.

Most tool integrations let a model change things it cannot look at. This one lets
an agent change your comp, render a frame, look at the pixels, and correct
itself. It drives whatever project you have open; it never needs its own.

Requires After Effects 2022 (22.0) or later, on macOS or Windows. Earlier
versions cannot work: every layer is addressed by Layer.id, which Adobe added
in 22.0.

Quick start

  1. Install. Download the .dmg (macOS) or .exe (Windows) from
    Releases, quit After Effects, and run it. The installer is
    unsigned, so the first run needs one extra step
    (details):

    • macOS 15+: System Settings > Privacy & Security > Open Anyway, then
      an admin password.
    • Windows: at "Windows protected your PC", click More info, then
      Run anyway.

  2. Open After Effects. The server starts by itself on 127.0.0.1:8791,
    about 15 seconds after After Effects finishes loading. No panel needs to be
    open.

  3. Connect your client. Open Window > Extensions > AE MCP Vision, pick
    your client, and copy the config — it has your real token filled in. Or, for
    Claude Code, one command:

    # macOS Terminal, or Git Bash on Windows
claude mcp add --transport http --scope user ae-vision http://127.0.0.1:8791/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer $(cat ~/.ae-mcp-vision/token)"

    # Windows PowerShell
claude mcp add --transport http --scope user ae-vision http://127.0.0.1:8791/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer $(Get-Content ~/.ae-mcp-vision/token)"

  4. Check it. Ask your agent to "run ae_query with sessionInfo". You
    should get your After Effects version back.

Connecting other clients

The server speaks standard MCP over Streamable HTTP with a bearer token, so it
is not tied to any one model or harness.

Client How
Claude Code HTTP, native one-liner above
Claude Desktop stdio bridge (mcp-remote) INSTALL.md
Codex CLI, IDE extension, ChatGPT desktop app HTTP, native, shared ~/.codex/config.toml INSTALL.md
Anything else HTTP if it supports headers, otherwise the stdio bridge INSTALL.md

ChatGPT connectors added on chatgpt.com cannot be used: they are called from
OpenAI's servers, which cannot reach a server on your machine.

The tools

Sixteen verb-dispatching tools. Everything is addressed by stable id (Item.id,
Layer.id) and properties by matchName path, so it survives reordering and
works on localized installs.

Tool What it does
ae_query sessionInfo, tree, find, propertyKeys, propertyValues, selection, bounds, and describe for a tool's live schema
ae_set Batched property and expression writes, with per-item errors
ae_animate Add, remove and read keyframes, with easing
ae_layers Create, delete, duplicate, rename, reorder, reparent, lock, solo
ae_effects List available, apply, remove, inspect parameters
ae_project Create comps, import footage, folders, rename, relink, open, save, and collect files for handoff
ae_capture Vision: one frame, a labelled contact sheet over time, or one layer isolated
ae_masks Rect and freeform masks, feather, modes (add, subtract, …), rename, and a whole animated roto path in one call, read from disk if you like
ae_timing Layer in/out/start, comp settings, markers
ae_shapes Rect, ellipse, polygon, star and path layers; trim paths, repeaters, dashes
ae_compose Precompose, track mattes, blend modes, parenting, 3D, cameras
ae_render Render to a file, batch outputs, or hand off to Media Encoder
ae_layout Measure, align, distribute, stack, pin, fit, stagger — AE has no layout engine
ae_text Text animators and range selectors
ae_template Essential Graphics — expose properties, export a .mogrt
ae_diagnostics Missing footage, font substitutions, broken expressions; reload the host

Mutating calls run inside an undo group, so an agent's whole batch is one Cmd-Z.

Documentation

For
docs/INSTALL.md Every install path, every client, troubleshooting, uninstalling
docs/RECIPES.md How to build things: value shapes, measurement traps, ExtendScript hazards
docs/CAPABILITIES.md A measured pass / fail / needs-review matrix of what AE techniques are reachable
CONTRIBUTING.md Dev setup, architecture, testing, releasing

The first three are also served over MCP as ae-vision://install,
ae-vision://recipes and ae-vision://capabilities, so an agent can read them
without a repo checkout.

Security

The bearer token is the trust boundary: anything holding it can drive After
Effects as you.

  • Listens on 127.0.0.1 only. The token lives in ~/.ae-mcp-vision/token
    (mode 0600) and is required on every request.
  • The Host header is pinned to loopback, which blocks DNS rebinding. Requests
    from web origins are refused, which blocks a web page in your browser from
    reaching it; only the extension's own panel is allowed through.
  • ae_capture writes only inside an app-owned folder. ae_project save
    requires a .aep/.aepx path and will not overwrite without overwrite: true.

Credits

This project started as a fork of
Dakkshin/after-effects-mcp,
which established the idea of driving After Effects from an MCP client. v2
replaced its file-polling transport with a server running inside After Effects,
moved to stable-id addressing, and added ae_capture.

Licence

MIT — see LICENSE. Copyright (c) 2025 Dakkshin, copyright (c) 2026
Nate Ryan. Both notices travel with every copy, including the installers.

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