Apply Effect
Applies an After Effects effect to the selected layers.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Match Name | Yes | The internal match name of the effect (e.g., ADBE Gaussian Blur 2). |
| Display Name | No | A human-readable name shown in the editor’s effect search results. |
The editor includes a searchable list of all effects installed on your system. Select an effect from the list to auto-fill both fields. Click Refresh to re-scan if you have installed new plug-ins.
If the effect is not found in the search, click Manual to type the match name directly.
Apply Preset
Applies an After Effects animation preset file to selected layers.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Preset File | Yes | Absolute file path to a .ffx or .ffxml preset file. |
Click Browse to open a file picker.
Set Expression
Sets an expression on a property of the selected layers.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Expression | Yes | The expression code to apply. |
| Property Path | No | Target a specific property by match-name path (e.g., "ADBE Transform Group" -> "ADBE Position"). If empty, the expression is applied to the first selected property. |
Invoke Menu Item
Triggers an After Effects menu command.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Menu Name | Conditional | The menu command’s display name (e.g., Trim Comp to Work Area). Required if Menu ID is not set. |
| Menu ID | No | The numeric command ID. If both name and ID are provided, the ID takes priority for faster execution. After the first successful invocation by name, the resolved ID is cached automatically. |
Open Extension
Opens a CEP extension panel in After Effects.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Extension ID | Yes | The extension’s unique identifier (e.g., com.adobe.JEFFY). |
Run JSX/JSXBIN File
Runs an ExtendScript file.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Script File | Conditional | Absolute file path to a .jsx, .jsxbin, or .js file. Required if no embedded source is provided. |
| Embedded Source | No | Inline script code. When present, this runs instead of the file. The source is also embedded in .aebar exports for portability. |
Click Browse to select a script file.
Run Scriptlet
Runs inline ExtendScript code directly.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scriptlet Code | Yes | The ExtendScript code to execute. |
Use this for short snippets that do not need a separate file.
Run Shell Command
Runs a shell command on the operating system.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Command | Yes | The executable or command to run. |
| Args | No | Command arguments, one per line. |
Script Safety
By default, AEbar shows a confirmation dialog before running actions that execute scripts or shell commands (Run JSX File, Run Scriptlet, Run Shell Command). This protects against accidentally running untrusted code from imported bars.
To disable the confirmation for your own buttons, turn off Confirm Script Execution in settings. The confirmation still applies during import regardless of this setting.
Modifier Actions
Every button supports up to three modifier actions, one each for Shift, Alt, and Cmd (Ctrl on Windows). Modifier actions are configured independently and can use any action type, even a different type from the primary action.
When a modifier is enabled, its action type and configuration are shown in an expandable section in the button editor. The modifier label appears in the button’s tooltip so users know what each key combination does.