Server facts
After Effects MCP Server
Project
- Author
- Dakkshin
- Repository
- github.com/Dakkshin/after-effects-mcp
- License
- MIT
- Category
- Design & Creative
Tech
- Runtime / language
- nodeTypeScript
- Transports
- stdio
- Remote available
- No
- Authentication
- Not specified
Activity
- GitHub stars
- 754
- Last commit
- Data as of
Tags
- After Effects
- Animation Controls
- Composition Editing
- Desktop Bridge
- Typescript
Overview
The desktop bridge is essential to this integration. After building the local server, users install its After Effects scripts and activate the application's MCP Bridge Auto panel. The panel polls periodically for commands, and its automatic execution checkbox must remain enabled. A client connects to the compiled Node entry point; the bridge handles the application-side command flow. This arrangement operates an After Effects session rather than replacing the application. The documented prerequisites are After Effects from 2022 onward and Node.js from version 14 onward, with npm or yarn used to prepare the checkout.
Within that session, assistants can create compositions with chosen timing, dimensions, and background settings, and retrieve composition or project information. Layer operations combine creation and modification: text and shape content, solids and adjustment layers, cameras, and null objects are described. Existing layers can receive transform or opacity changes, different blend modes, track mattes, and a switch between two-dimensional and three-dimensional behavior. Masks can be created or adjusted, while duplication and deletion support revising the composition. For animation, tools set keyframes or add and remove expressions on properties. Batch property updates reduce the need to change each layer separately. JavaScript execution offers another route for application commands, with result retrieval and help exposed as distinct tools. MIT is the license specified for this project.
Install & configure
Requirements
- Adobe After Effects version 2022 or above
- Node.js version 14 or above
- npm or yarn for dependencies and build steps
- Installed bridge scripts and an open MCP Bridge Auto panel
node PATH/TO/after-effects-mcp/build/index.jsThe placeholder entry-point path comes from the README and must be replaced with your built checkout's location. Prepare the checkout by installing dependencies with npm install, compiling with npm run build, then copying the bridge through npm run install-bridge. The README also supplies yarn variants. In After Effects, open mcp-bridge-auto.jsx from Window and enable the panel's Auto-run commands option.
Examples are translated from the published configuration. Supply your own credentials and verify requirements in the upstream README. Remote connectors are shown only where a supported configuration format is known.
Config file · macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
Use Settings → Developer → Edit Config when available. Do not assume a Linux configuration path; check the client documentation for your platform. Remote servers use the app’s connector flow when supported, not the local stdio file shown here. Merge this example with existing settings; do not overwrite unrelated servers.
{
"mcpServers": {
"after-effects-mcp": {
"command": "node",
"args": [
"PATH/TO/after-effects-mcp/build/index.js"
],
"env": {}
}
}
}Config file · Project: .cursor/mcp.json
User: ~/.cursor/mcp.json
The project path is relative to the workspace root. The tilde denotes your user home directory. Use Cursor’s MCP settings to confirm which configuration and scope your installed version is reading. Merge this example with existing settings; do not overwrite unrelated servers.
{
"mcpServers": {
"after-effects-mcp": {
"command": "node",
"args": [
"PATH/TO/after-effects-mcp/build/index.js"
],
"env": {}
}
}
}Config file · Workspace: .vscode/mcp.json
For user scope, use the “MCP: Open User Configuration” command if available. Do not guess a user configuration path across operating systems, profiles, containers, or remote workspaces; check the client documentation. Merge this example with existing settings; do not overwrite unrelated servers.
{
"servers": {
"after-effects-mcp": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "node",
"args": [
"PATH/TO/after-effects-mcp/build/index.js"
],
"env": {}
}
}
}Config file · macOS/Linux: ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json
Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.codeium\windsurf\mcp_config.json
Open the MCP configuration through Windsurf’s settings when possible to confirm the active file. Paths can differ in managed or future releases; check the client documentation if this location is not present. Merge this example with existing settings; do not overwrite unrelated servers.
{
"mcpServers": {
"after-effects-mcp": {
"command": "node",
"args": [
"PATH/TO/after-effects-mcp/build/index.js"
],
"env": {}
}
}
}Config file · Project scope: .mcp.json at the repository root
The project file uses mcpServers. For user scope, use claude mcp add --scope user rather than assuming .mcp.json in your home directory is the user configuration. Check the client documentation for managed settings and storage details. Merge this example with existing settings; do not overwrite unrelated servers.
{
"mcpServers": {
"after-effects-mcp": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "node",
"args": [
"PATH/TO/after-effects-mcp/build/index.js"
],
"env": {}
}
}
}Examples are translated from the published configuration. Supply your own credentials and verify requirements in the upstream README. Remote connectors are shown only where a supported configuration format is known.
Tools
Source: repository README. Tool descriptions are a documented snapshot, not a live capability check.
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| get-help | Look up guidance for commands exposed by the integration. |
| create-composition | Set up an After Effects composition using supplied settings. |
| getLayerInfo | Inspect a layer, including its position and whether it is three-dimensional. |
| batchSetLayerProperties | Update property settings across a group of layers. |
| setLayerProperties | Update one layer's transforms, compositing options, visibility, and related attributes. |
| setLayerMask | Add a mask or revise an existing layer mask. |
| setLayerExpression | Change whether a property uses an expression and supply the expression when needed. |
| setLayerKeyframe | Assign a property value at an animation time through a keyframe. |
| createNullObject | Add a null object that can be used for animation control. |
| createCamera | Add a camera as a composition layer. |
| duplicateLayer | Make a layer copy, optionally assigning a new name. |
| deleteLayer | Take the selected layer out of its composition. |
| run-script | Submit JavaScript for execution in the After Effects application. |
| get-results | Read back the results produced by a submitted script. |
Names, permissions, and defaults can change. Check the current upstream documentation before granting access.
Use cases
- Set up a composition with the requested image dimensions and animation timing.
- Revise multiple layers together through a batch property update.
- Animate a property with keyframes or connect its behavior to an expression.
- Adjust masking, track mattes, or layer dimensionality from an assistant.
- Run an application-side JavaScript task and retrieve its results.
Strengths
- Combines composition setup with detailed changes to existing layers.
- Exposes both keyframe-driven and expression-driven animation controls.
- Includes batch editing alongside a script-and-results workflow.
Limitations
- Requires a compatible installed After Effects application, not only the MCP package.
- Bridge installation and an active panel with automatic execution are necessary desktop-side steps.
Frequently asked questions
Independent listing, not an affiliation or security review. Grant the least access needed and verify the upstream instructions before running code.
