After Effects MCP Server

Cinema-Quality Motion Graphics Director - MCP Server for Agentic After Effects Control

Overview

This MCP server exposes 50+ After Effects tools through the Model Context Protocol, enabling Kiro to act as a senior motion graphics director through conversational commands.

Features

• 50+ Professional Tools: Composition management, layer creation, animation, effects, particles, cameras, export
• Cinema-Quality Templates: Logo reveals, text animations, kinetic typography, transitions
• Professional Animation Library: Disney's 12 principles, physics-based motion, professional easing curves
• WebSocket Bridge: Real-time communication with After Effects extension
• Conversational Control: Multi-step workflow orchestration through natural language

Installation

cd mcp-server
npm install

Configuration

Edit config/default.json to configure:

• WebSocket port and host
• Execution timeouts and queue sizes
• Logging levels and file rotation
• Security settings (safe directories, allowed extensions)

Usage

Start the Server

npm start

Development Mode (with auto-reload)

npm dev

Configure in Kiro

Add to your ~/.kiro/settings/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "after-effects": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/mcp-server/src/server.js"],
      "disabled": false
    }
  }
}

Architecture

Kiro (Chat) → MCP Protocol → MCP Server → WebSocket → AE Extension → After Effects

Available Tools

Composition Management

• ae_create_composition - Create new composition
• ae_get_composition_info - Get active composition details
• ae_set_composition_settings - Update composition settings

Layer Management

• ae_create_layer - Create solid, shape, text, or null layers
• ae_import_file - Import assets
• ae_duplicate_layer - Duplicate layers
• ae_delete_layer - Remove layers
• ae_get_layer_info - Get layer properties
• ae_select_layers - Select layers
• ae_parent_layer - Set up parenting

Animation

• ae_add_keyframe - Add keyframes
• ae_set_keyframe_easing - Apply easing curves
• ae_animate_property - Complete property animation
• ae_add_expression - Add expressions
• ae_create_null_controller - Create animation rigs

Effects

• ae_apply_effect - Apply effects (blur, glow, color correction)
• ae_set_effect_parameters - Configure effect parameters
• ae_remove_effect - Remove effects

Advanced

• ae_create_particle_system - Generate particle animations
• ae_animate_camera - Camera movement
• ae_add_text_animator - Kinetic typography

Professional Polish

• ae_enable_motion_blur - Enable motion blur
• ae_apply_color_grading - Cinematic color looks
• ae_add_audio_markers - Audio synchronization markers

Export

• ae_render_preview - Render RAM preview
• ae_export_video - Export final video
• ae_save_project - Save AE project

Example Workflows

Logo Reveal

User: "Create a cinematic logo reveal"
Kiro: *Uses ae_create_composition, ae_import_file, ae_animate_property (scale, rotation), 
       ae_apply_effect (glow), ae_enable_motion_blur*

Kinetic Typography

User: "Create kinetic typography animation"
Kiro: *Uses ae_create_composition, ae_create_layer (text), ae_add_text_animator, 
       ae_animate_property (position, opacity)*

Development

Project Structure

mcp-server/
├── src/
│   ├── server.js              # MCP server initialization
│   ├── websocket.js           # WebSocket server management
│   ├── tools/                 # Tool implementations
│   ├── codegen/               # ExtendScript generation
│   ├── validation/            # Parameter validation
│   ├── library/               # Animation library
│   └── utils/                 # Utilities (logging, errors, config)
├── config/
│   └── default.json           # Configuration
└── package.json

Adding New Tools

1. Create tool handler in src/tools/
2. Define JSON schema in src/validation/schemas.js
3. Register tool in src/tools/registry.js
4. Add ExtendScript template in src/codegen/templates.js

License

MIT