What problem does it solve? Writing and debugging Python automation for Adobe After Effects is difficult because PyShiftAE differs from ExtendScript in indexing, threading, and object lifetimes, and installation failures (wheel mismatches, missing runtime files) are hard to diagnose. This Skill provides expert guidance on the PyShiftAE API, production-safe patterns, and troubleshooting so scripts work reliably against the native PyShiftAE.aex / PyFx bridge. ## Core Features & Use Cases - AE Object Automation: Manipulate projects, comps, layers, properties, effects, and masks through high-level classes like Project, CompItem, Layer, Effect, and Mask. - Production-Safe Patterns: Apply undo groups, quiet error handling, main-thread scheduling rules, and pointer-lifetime practices to avoid crashes and invalid references. - Hybrid 2.0 CEP Bridge: Design single-daemon, multi-panel architectures using named pipes with mailbox JSON fallback for CEP-to-Python communication. - Use Case: A motion designer needs to batch-set opacity on selected layers and apply Gaussian Blur by matchName; the Skill provides the exact PyShiftAE calls wrapped in an UndoGroup so the operation is atomic and undoable. ## Quick Start Ask the assistant to write a PyShiftAE script that gets the active layer, applies an effect by matchName, and sets its opacity inside an undo group.
