Layer

Layer ¶

Layer(
    enabled: bool,
    match_name: str,
    name: str,
    property_depth: int,
    properties: list[Property | PropertyGroup],
    auto_orient: AutoOrientType,
    comment: str,
    containing_comp: CompItem,
    frame_in_point: int,
    frame_out_point: int,
    frame_start_time: int,
    id: int,
    in_point: float,
    label: Label,
    layer_type: str,
    locked: bool,
    null_layer: bool,
    out_point: float,
    _parent_id: int,
    start_time: float,
    shy: bool,
    solo: bool,
    stretch: float,
    time: float,
)

Bases: PropertyGroup

The Layer object provides access to layers within compositions.

Info

Layer is a subclass of PropertyGroup, which is a subclass of PropertyBase. All methods and attributes of PropertyGroup, in addition to those listed below, are available when working with Layer objects.

Info

Layer is the base class for CameraLayer object, LightLayer object and AVLayer object, so Layer attributes and methods are available when working with all layer types.

See: https://ae-scripting.docsforadobe.dev/layer/layer/

Attributes¶

active ¶

active: bool

When True, the layer is active at the current time.

Overrides PropertyBase.active to evaluate active_at_time at time.

auto_orient ¶

auto_orient: AutoOrientType

The type of automatic orientation to perform for the layer.

can_set_enabled ¶

can_set_enabled: bool

True if the enabled attribute value can be set.

This is True for all layers, effect property groups, shape vector groups, and text path options.

comment ¶

comment: str

A descriptive comment for the layer.

containing_comp ¶

containing_comp: CompItem = field(repr=False)

The composition that contains this layer. Set after parsing when the full project structure is available.

effects ¶

effects: PropertyGroup | None

Contains a layer's effects.

This is the Effects PropertyGroup (match name ADBE Effect Parade). Each child in properties is itself a PropertyGroup representing one effect. None when the layer has no effects.

elided ¶

elided: bool = field(init=False, default=False)

When True, the property is not shown in the UI. An elided property is still present in the timeline but hidden from view.

enabled ¶

enabled: bool

Corresponds to the setting of the eyeball icon.

frame_in_point ¶

frame_in_point: int

The "in" point of the layer, expressed in composition time (frames). This is the first frame where the layer becomes visible. The binary format stores this relative to start_time; parsed value is absolute composition time.

frame_out_point ¶

frame_out_point: int

The "out" point of the layer, expressed in composition time (frames). This is the first frame where the layer is no longer visible. Clamped to composition duration to match ExtendScript behavior.

frame_start_time ¶

frame_start_time: int

The start time of the layer, expressed in composition time (frames). This determines where the layer's first frame of content appears in the composition timeline.

has_video ¶

has_video: bool

True if the layer has a video switch in the Timeline panel.

Always False for CameraLayer and LightLayer objects.

id ¶

id: int

Unique and persistent identification number used internally to identify a Layer between sessions.

in_point ¶

in_point: float

The "in" point of the layer, expressed in composition time (seconds). This is the time at which the layer starts being visible in the composition. The binary format stores this relative to start_time as a signed integer; parsed value is absolute composition time.

index ¶

index: int

The 0-based index position of the layer in its containing comp.

Warning

Unlike ExtendScript (1-based), this uses Python's 0-based convention so that comp.layers[layer.index] works directly.

is_effect ¶

is_effect: bool = field(init=False, default=False)

When True, this property is an effect PropertyGroup.

is_mask ¶

is_mask: bool = field(init=False, default=False)

When True, this property is a mask PropertyGroup.

is_modified ¶

is_modified: bool

True if any child property is modified.

For indexed groups (such as Effects or Masks parades), the group is considered modified when it has any children - adding items to an indexed group is itself a modification.

is_name_set ¶

is_name_set: bool = field(init=False)

label ¶

label: Label

The label color. Colors are represented by their number (0 for None, or 1 to 16 for one of the preset colors in the Labels preferences).

layer_type ¶

layer_type: str

The type of layer. Matches ExtendScript layerType values: "AVLayer", "LightLayer", "CameraLayer", or "Layer".

locked ¶

locked: bool

When True, the layer is locked. This corresponds to the lock toggle in the Layer panel.

marker ¶

marker: Property | None

The layer's marker property.

A Property with match_name="ADBE Marker" whose keyframes hold marker values. None when the layer has no markers.

markers ¶

markers: list[MarkerValue]

A flat list of MarkerValue objects for this layer.

Shortcut for accessing marker data without navigating the property tree. Returns an empty list when the layer has no markers.

Example

for marker in layer.markers:
    print(marker.comment)

masks ¶

masks: PropertyGroup | None

Contains a layer's masks.

This is the Masks PropertyGroup (match name ADBE Mask Parade). Each child in properties is itself a PropertyGroup representing one mask. None when the layer has no masks.

match_name ¶

match_name: str

A special name for the property used to build unique naming paths. The match name is not displayed, but you can refer to it in scripts. Every property has a unique match-name identifier.

name ¶

name: str

Display name of the property.

null_layer ¶

null_layer: bool

When True, the layer was created as a null object.

num_properties ¶

num_properties: int

The number of child properties in this group.

Equivalent to ExtendScript PropertyGroup.numProperties.

out_point ¶

out_point: float

The "out" point of the layer, expressed in composition time (seconds). This is the time at which the layer stops being visible in the composition. Clamped to composition duration to match ExtendScript API behavior (a layer's out_point cannot exceed its containing composition's duration). The binary format stores this relative to start_time.

parent ¶

parent: Layer | None

The parent layer for layer parenting. None if no parent.

parent_property ¶

parent_property: PropertyGroup | None = field(
    init=False, default=None, repr=False
)

The parent PropertyGroup of this property, or None for top-level layer property groups.

properties ¶

properties: list[Property | PropertyGroup]

List of properties in this group.

property_depth ¶

property_depth: int

The number of levels of parent groups between this property and the containing layer. The value is 0 for a layer.

property_index ¶

property_index: int | None

The 0-based position of this property within its parent group.

Returns None for layers (property depth 0).

Warning

Unlike ExtendScript (1-based), this uses Python's 0-based convention so that group.properties[prop.property_index] works directly.

property_type ¶

property_type: PropertyType = field(
    init=False, default=NAMED_GROUP
)

The type of this property. One of PropertyType.PROPERTY, PropertyType.NAMED_GROUP, or PropertyType.INDEXED_GROUP.

selected ¶

selected: bool = field(init=False, default=False)

When True, the property is selected.

shy ¶

shy: bool

When True, the layer is "shy", meaning that it is hidden in the Layer panel if the composition's "Hide all shy layers" option is toggled on.

solo ¶

solo: bool

When True, the layer is soloed.

start_time ¶

start_time: float

The start time of the layer, expressed in composition time (seconds).

stretch ¶

stretch: float

The layer's time stretch, expressed as a percentage. A value of 100 means no stretch. Values between 0 and 1 are set to 1, and values between -1 and 0 (not including 0) are set to -1.

text ¶

text: PropertyGroup | None

Contains a layer's text properties (if any).

time ¶

time: float

The current time of the layer, expressed in composition time (seconds).

transform ¶

transform: PropertyGroup

Contains a layer's transform properties.

This is the Transform PropertyGroup (match name ADBE Transform Group). Individual transform properties (Position, Scale, Rotation, etc.) are accessible via properties.

Functions¶

active_at_time ¶

active_at_time(time: float) -> bool

Return whether the layer is active at the given time.

For this method to return True, three conditions must be met:

The layer must be enabled.
No other layer in the containing_comp may be soloed unless this layer is also solo.
time must fall between in_point (inclusive) and out_point (exclusive).

Parameters:

time ¶
(float) –

The time in seconds.

property ¶

property(
    index: int | None = None, name: str | None = None
) -> Property | PropertyGroup

Find and return a child property of this group.

The property can be specified by either its index or name (match name or display name).

Parameters:

index ¶
(int | None, default: None ) –

The index of the property to return.
name ¶
(str | None, default: None ) –

The name of the property to return.