Aemcp

AE MCP Bridge · aemcp

Let AI drive After Effects directly — read projects, build comps, add layers, tune animation, and deliver, without a single click.

143 tools · AE 2021–2026

Set up the AE MCP bridge (aemcp) so AI can drive After Effects.

First, read-only check: is aemcp installed, which AE version, existing MCP registrations.

Not installed → run AEMCP-Setup.exe and check the AE versions; then in AE open
"Window > Extensions > AE MCP Bridge" until the banner reads "MCP bridge ready".

Installed → open the panel and click "Copy bridge info" for port + token.

Pick one transport (panel must stay open):
· HTTP: POST http://127.0.0.1:<port>/rpc, header X-AEMCP-Token: <token>
· stdio: node <extension dir>/mcp/aemcp-mcp.js
  extension dir defaults to %APPDATA%\Adobe\CEP\extensions\com.yg.aemcp

Finish with ae_status to verify.

aemcp is a panel that runs inside After Effects and exposes the open project over MCP. Once connected, clients like Claude Desktop and Codex can read the project, build comps, add layers, tune keyframes and expressions, and enqueue renders.

What it does

• Read the real project: project, comps, layers, properties, keyframes, render queue, fonts, XMP — read on demand.
• Run animation operations: build comps and layers, write keyframes and easing, add expressions and effects, masks and shape paths, presets and templates.
• Enqueue / frame / template: enqueue to render queue, export a PNG frame, package a MOGRT template.
• Recover and roll back: save/revert checkpoints so a mistake can be undone.
• Version tiers: tools are gated by AE version; older versions never see tools they can't run.
• Won't stall AE: serial execution + timeout protection + engine-stuck detection.

Quick start

1. Run AEMCP-Setup.exe and check which AE versions to install for
2. In AE open Window > Extensions > AE MCP Bridge, wait for the banner to read "MCP bridge ready"
3. Click "Copy bridge info" on the panel and send the three lines to your AI

The panel can be tiny, but it must stay open — it is the bridge.

Connect AI clients

Claude Desktop (claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "aemcp": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["C:/Users/<you>/AppData/Roaming/Adobe/CEP/extensions/com.yg.aemcp/mcp/aemcp-mcp.js"]
    }
  }
}

Codex CLI (~/.codex/config.toml):

[mcp_servers.aemcp]
command = "node"
args = ["C:/Users/<you>/AppData/Roaming/Adobe/CEP/extensions/com.yg.aemcp/mcp/aemcp-mcp.js"]

The panel has two copy buttons: Copy bridge info (three human-readable lines: port / token / address) and Copy bridge JSON (paste straight into config).

Tools

Basics 29 + masks 6 + timeline 3 + markers 5 + layers 7 + keyframes 10 + expression diagnostics 2 + effects 3 + comps 9 + 3D 5 + footage 13 + paths 5 + render 6 + text 4 + project 10 + viewer 2 + templates 9 + version tiers 2 = 143 (AE 2021 uses 133).

Basics

Masks

Timeline / Work area

Markers

Layers

Keyframes / Properties

Expressions & diagnostics

Effects

Comps & items

3D / Material / Camera / Light

Footage / Proxy / Organize

Paths & shape operators

Render queue

Text

Project management

Viewer / Settings

Templates / Orchestration

Version tiers

Tool descriptions and parameter schemas are standard MCP format (read via tools/list); no extra prompt is needed on the AI side.

How it works

AE 2021 won't accept any external script drive (tested):

So only the panel itself can execute ExtendScript:

MCP client ──stdio──> aemcp-mcp.js ──HTTP──> panel (CEP) ──evalScript──> host.jsx (AE main thread)

The bridge listens on 127.0.0.1 only, with a token — if AE isn't open, nobody can touch your project. When the panel tab is sent to the background, AE reclaims its engine and the bridge disappears; bring the panel back up.

Compatibility

Bridge & files

HTTP routes: GET /health, GET /ping, GET /status, GET /ui (reads the panel DOM to prove it's alive), POST /exec (raw ExtendScript), POST /rpc (MCP JSON-RPC). /rpc, /exec, /ui all require the X-AEMCP-Token header and listen on 127.0.0.1 only.

Development

AEMCP/              extension source (what gets installed into CEP)
  CSXS/             manifest: CSXS 10.0 / AEFT [17.0,99.9]
  index.html        panel UI
  js/panel.js       HTTP bridge + panel logic
  js/mcp.js         MCP service (143 tool definitions and dispatch)
  jsx/host.jsx      ExtendScript execution layer (code that touches app/project)
  mcp/aemcp-mcp.js  stdio ↔ HTTP shim
  lib/              Adobe CEP library
AEMCP-Installer/    installer / uninstaller / payload
Tools/              development and verification scripts

Change → check-extendscript.js + node --check → deploy → reopen panel → run aemcp-live-test.js.

Credits

Three open-source implementations were referenced (all MIT, code written from scratch):

• Dakkshin/after-effects-mcp (MIT) — external MCP server + file polling
• JUNKDOGE-JOE/after-effects-mcp (MIT) — MCP server in CEP Node + HTTP loopback (bridge shape inspired by it)
• ishu86/after-effects-mcp (MIT) — tool-surface coverage reference

None of their code was copied — structure and ideas only. They are MIT, while this project is non-commercial, so there is no conflict.

This project is free for non-commercial use. Commercial use requires prior authorization from the author (see LICENSE).