SkillFoxx

After Effects MCP

MCP server and panel let an agent read an Adobe After Effects comp and build animation as ordinary editable layers and keyframes.

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MCP server

Broad access

Why this level

  • The agent edits and renders your project, and `run_jsx` runs scripts the agent writes itself.
  • Layer names, text and comp screenshots go to your agent model.
All reasons and checks

engine-room-games/after-effects-mcpAuthor:Engine-Room-Games

Install

In your terminal, with SkillFoxx CLI

npx skillfoxx add mcp/after-effects-mcp

Detects the agents on your machine, shows the access level and pins the version.

Other ways to install

Access and checks

How we review

Broad accessThe tool can change data, run commands or handle secrets.

  • The agent edits and renders your project, and `run_jsx` runs scripts the agent writes itself.
  • Layer names, text and comp screenshots go to your agent model.

This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.

What it does

The MCP server gives an agent 89 tools for Adobe After Effects: comps, layers, keyframes, masks, effects, expressions and text, plus background rendering. The agent reads a comp before editing and can check the result with a screenshot. Everything stays ordinary After Effects work: keyframes can be dragged, effects tuned, and Cmd/Ctrl+Z undoes it. The server can remember a project house style, export Motion Graphics templates for Premiere and place sound cues. Claude Code gets a plugin with skills and commands, Claude Desktop a `.mcpb` bundle, and Cursor, Windsurf and VS Code an MCP configuration.

Who it is for. Motion designers and editors who make titles, infographics and templates in After Effects and want to describe animation in words.

Good fit when

  • A lower third slides in from the left and will be tweaked by hand later
  • Layers need to enter four frames later each, top to bottom
  • A series of dozens of scenes shares one style that the agent remembers
  • A finished comp must be rendered to a folder without tying up the interface
  • A Motion Graphics template is needed for Premiere

Not a fit when

  • You work only in a browser: claude.ai and web ChatGPT cannot reach software on your computer
  • The project is confidential and the agent model is cloud-hosted: layer names, text and screenshots go to it
  • You need an After Effects version older than 2022, which the author has not tested

Example request

Build a lower third saying Chapter One that slides in from the left, then delay each layer four frames after the one above it.

MCP

Transport
stdio
Authentication
not required

Limitations

You need After Effects 2022 or later on macOS or Windows and Node 22 or later to start it through `npx`. It was tested on After Effects 2026, older versions are not verified. The `run_jsx` tool runs scripts the agent writes itself, so turn it off with the setting if the project is valuable. A read-only mode removes every tool that changes anything. Deleting a comp, purging unused footage and reverting ask for confirmation only in apps that support it. Screenshots suit spot checks, and alpha edges can come out imperfect.

How to disable. Remove the `after-effects` MCP entry from the agent config or disable the plugin through `/plugin`. Remove the After Effects panel separately; read-only and no-`run_jsx` modes are set in the extension settings.

FAQ

How do I connect After Effects MCP to Claude Code?

Use `claude mcp add --scope user after-effects -- npx -y @engine-room/after-effects-mcp` or install the plugin through `/plugin`. Node 22 or later is required.

Why does it not work in web Claude or ChatGPT?

Those clients connect only to internet-hosted tools, while the server talks to After Effects on your own computer. You need an app that starts MCP locally.

Who can control After Effects through the panel?

Only your own computer: the panel listens on `127.0.0.1`, and every request carries a key the panel generates each time After Effects starts.

How do I stop the agent from writing its own scripts?

Enable the "Turn off running scripts" switch, which removes the `run_jsx` tool. The rest, rendering included, keeps working.

How many tools does the server have?

The documentation lists 89 tools, plus extras such as an interactive comp timeline in apps that display them.

Discussion

No questions or reviews yet.

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README in short

The README covers installation per app: a `.mcpb` bundle for Claude Desktop, a plugin or command for Claude Code, JSON config for Cursor, Windsurf and VS Code. A separate section covers privacy and two restriction switches.

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