How do I install the Use After Effects skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add higgsfield-ai/use-after-effects in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Use After Effects safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Use After Effects?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Use After Effects free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Use After Effects?

Higgsfield AI (@higgsfield-ai) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Use After Effects by higgsfield-ai — Agent Skill

Name: Use After Effects
Author: Higgsfield AI

File contents

Higgsfield use After Effects

Connect the desktop MCP client to the local Node server, which runs bundled ExtendScript inside After Effects through OS scripting and a local file mailbox. No cloud bridge, Higgsfield login, or installed AE panel is required. Adobe licensing and OS Automation permissions remain separate requirements.

Use Higgsfield use After Effects as the user-facing integration name. fnf-after-effects-mcp and fnf-after-effects are package/CLI identifiers, not display names. Register the server as higgsfield-use-after-effects. When migrating an existing fnf-after-effects registration, preserve its command, arguments, environment and other client settings before replacing it; refresh the connection afterward.

Setup

Locate the fnf-local-pluging-bridge-mcp checkout (or the legacy fnf-after-effects-mcp checkout) from the current workspace or user-provided path. Do not assume another user's home directory. Require Node 24+ and macOS or Windows with After Effects installed.
In that checkout run npm ci --ignore-scripts, then npm run build and node dist/cli.js doctor. This checks files and installation without launching AE; it does not prove live connectivity.
For Codex, run node dist/cli.js install-codex. It registers the absolute Node and server paths as higgsfield-use-after-effects; a conflicting existing entry must be resolved explicitly. For another desktop MCP client, use the configuration printed by node dist/cli.js config. A remote web client cannot directly launch this local stdio process.
Refresh the client's MCP connection if needed. Call ae_get_skill with no arguments, then with name: "ae-clean-rig". These calls work even with AE closed.
Call ae_project_info to test real communication. Let the OS present any Automation permission prompt. If AE reports file/network scripting disabled, enable the corresponding AE Scripting & Expressions preference as part of the requested installation. Do not silently modify unrelated preferences or close an unsaved project.
Only report connected after a successful live response. Distinguish missing app, permission denial, startup timeout and a working MCP with disconnected AE.

Work

Discover categories with ae_catalog, inspect the current project, load only relevant companion skills through ae_get_skill, and execute documented operations through ae_do. Preserve existing work. Use a small isolated comp for a user-authorized smoke test. Check returned errors and rendered frames before claiming success. A skill supplies instructions; it cannot create an unavailable MCP tool in the current session.

---name: use-after-effectsdescription: Set up and use the local Higgsfield use After Effects MCP when the user asks to connect After Effects, install its local integration, or create and edit native AE projects.---# Higgsfield use After EffectsConnect the desktop MCP client to the local Node server, which runs bundled ExtendScript inside After Effects through OS scripting and a local file mailbox. No cloud bridge, Higgsfield login, or installed AE panel is required. Adobe licensing and OS Automation permissions remain separate requirements.Use **Higgsfield use After Effects** as the user-facing integration name. `fnf-after-effects-mcp` and `fnf-after-effects` are package/CLI identifiers, not display names. Register the server as `higgsfield-use-after-effects`. When migrating an existing `fnf-after-effects` registration, preserve its command, arguments, environment and other client settings before replacing it; refresh the connection afterward.## Setup1. Locate the `fnf-local-pluging-bridge-mcp` checkout (or the legacy `fnf-after-effects-mcp` checkout) from the current workspace or user-provided path. Do not assume another user's home directory. Require Node 24+ and macOS or Windows with After Effects installed.2. In that checkout run `npm ci --ignore-scripts`, then `npm run build` and `node dist/cli.js doctor`. This checks files and installation without launching AE; it does not prove live connectivity.3. For Codex, run `node dist/cli.js install-codex`. It registers the absolute Node and server paths as `higgsfield-use-after-effects`; a conflicting existing entry must be resolved explicitly. For another desktop MCP client, use the configuration printed by `node dist/cli.js config`. A remote web client cannot directly launch this local stdio process.4. Refresh the client's MCP connection if needed. Call `ae_get_skill` with no arguments, then with `name: "ae-clean-rig"`. These calls work even with AE closed.5. Call `ae_project_info` to test real communication. Let the OS present any Automation permission prompt. If AE reports file/network scripting disabled, enable the corresponding AE Scripting & Expressions preference as part of the requested installation. Do not silently modify unrelated preferences or close an unsaved project.6. Only report connected after a successful live response. Distinguish missing app, permission denial, startup timeout and a working MCP with disconnected AE.## WorkDiscover categories with `ae_catalog`, inspect the current project, load only relevant companion skills through `ae_get_skill`, and execute documented operations through `ae_do`. Preserve existing work. Use a small isolated comp for a user-authorized smoke test. Check returned errors and rendered frames before claiming success. A skill supplies instructions; it cannot create an unavailable MCP tool in the current session.

Frequently asked questions

Use After Effects