After Effects MCP Server for VS Code: Setup & Config

What you can do with After Effects in VS Code

Bring assistant commands into an existing After Effects session for composition and animation edits.

• 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.

Before you start: After Effects in VS Code

• 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

The 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.

After Effects VS Code configuration

1. Choose VS Code configuration scope

   For After Effects MCP Server, open Workspace: .vscode/mcp.json. Merge into servers; preserve existing inputs.

2. Add After Effects MCP Server to VS Code

   Use the after-effects-mcp entry below in servers. Keep After Effects MCP Server's documented stdio connection fields and your other VS Code entries.

3. Check After Effects MCP Server in VS Code

   After Effects MCP Server: Start in VS Code’s MCP controls; inspect output and trust prompts.

{
  "servers": {
    "after-effects-mcp": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "PATH/TO/after-effects-mcp/build/index.js"
      ],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

After Effects tools available to VS Code

After Effects's stored tool list documents 14 tools; compare it with VS Code's connected tool list, because the stored list is not a live check.

get-help

Look for get-help among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting After Effects through the MCP controls.

Look up guidance for commands exposed by the integration.

create-composition

Look for create-composition among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting After Effects through the MCP controls.

Set up an After Effects composition using supplied settings.

getLayerInfo

Look for getLayerInfo among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting After Effects through the MCP controls.

Inspect a layer, including its position and whether it is three-dimensional.

batchSetLayerProperties

Look for batchSetLayerProperties among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting After Effects through the MCP controls.

Update property settings across a group of layers.

setLayerProperties

Look for setLayerProperties among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting After Effects through the MCP controls.

setLayerMask

Look for setLayerMask among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting After Effects through the MCP controls.

setLayerExpression

Look for setLayerExpression among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting After Effects through the MCP controls.

setLayerKeyframe

Look for setLayerKeyframe among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting After Effects through the MCP controls.

Assign a property value at an animation time through a keyframe.

createNullObject

Look for createNullObject among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting After Effects through the MCP controls.

Add a null object that can be used for animation control.

createCamera

Look for createCamera among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting After Effects through the MCP controls.

Add a camera as a composition layer.

duplicateLayer

Look for duplicateLayer among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting After Effects through the MCP controls.

deleteLayer

Look for deleteLayer among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting After Effects through the MCP controls.

run-script

Look for run-script among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting After Effects through the MCP controls.

get-results

Look for get-results among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting After Effects through the MCP controls.

After Effects: full stored tool descriptions

Troubleshooting After Effects in VS Code

• Make node (Node.js) available in the workspace, container, or remote environment hosting After Effects MCP Server. Start through VS Code's MCP controls; inspect output and trust prompts.
• After Effects MCP Server uses stdio here: VS Code must keep the configured process running; protocol output belongs on stdout and diagnostics on stderr.
• Known limitation: Requires a compatible installed After Effects application, not only the MCP package.
• Known limitation: Bridge installation and an active panel with automatic execution are necessary desktop-side steps.
• General VS Code troubleshooting lives in the /clients/vscode guide.

Frequently asked questions