EffectCraft

Operate EffectCraft through its structured automation interfaces, using the user's intended project and session.

References

Read the relevant sections of references/control-protocol.md before constructing desktop calls. This is an unmodified snapshot downloaded on 2026-10-08 from the upstream control protocol. The upstream MIT license is included in references/LICENSE-MIT.

Search the reference for Engine, UI state, Input, Locating things, or Screenshots. Relative documentation links resolve against https://github.com/storytold/effectcraft/blob/main/docs/.

For MCP tool schemas, CLI syntax, scripting, tracking, rotoscoping, and export workflows, consult the upstream agent guide when needed. Discover schemas from the installed application if behavior differs; do not reuse parameters from other ArtCraft applications or assume complete After Effects compatibility.

Choose the session

Discover available EffectCraft tools, installed executables, and existing sessions. Prefer an available MCP connection targeting the intended session.

• For a running desktop project, use its control channel or effectcraft-cli mcp --bridge 9877. A needed desktop session can be started with effectcraft --control 9877 or EFFECTCRAFT_CONTROL_PORT=9877; adapt executable paths and port to the environment.
• For independent work, effectcraft-cli mcp --project /absolute/path/project.ecproj opens a headless session; effectcraft-cli mcp starts without content, while --demo loads demonstration content. Headless rendering defaults to CPU; --gpu requests a separate GPU compositor and fails if no adapter is usable.
• One-shot CLI invocations use separate headless engines and default to the demo project. Supply the intended project or --empty, and use --save or --save-as to persist edits. A CLI call supports --bridge 9877 when it should act on the live app instead.