CEP hello world returns "EvalScript error"

[activepixels]

Hello all

This is my first CEP panel and I'm struggling with the EvalScript call.

Here are my index.html, manifest.xml, .debug contents CEP AE Hello World issue — Bitbucket

The panel is visible in Windows > Extensions. It loads fine and displays the initial alert();

This block

var csInterface = new CSInterface();

   csInterface.evalScript('app.project.file.displayName', function (result) {

   alert(result);

  });

returns "EvalScript error."

Using the debug console via a browser on the debug port shows no message.

I'm aware that app.project is null when project has not been saved, so I launch the panel after a dummy project is loaded.

I'm using After Effects 2017.2, CSInterface - v6.1.0 and my core.jsx is empty

I've followed the guide to allow unsigned panels to be launched in CC apps

What newbie task have I not completed?

Thanks

[Mathias Moehl]

Maybe your currently open Ae project is not yet saved? In this case

app.project.file

is null and trying to access displayName of null causes an error.

I recommend to run app.project.file.displayName directly from ESTK (with Ae choosen as host app) and test whether this also gives an error or not.

Cheers,

Mathias

[activepixels]

Hi Mathias, thanks for replying

I have just run

alert(app.project.file.displayName);

in the extendscript toolkit editor window, and it correctly returns the file name of the current project. I then launched the hello world panel again and saw the same "EvalScript error."

[Mathias Moehl]

I just saw that your script is executed immediately when the CEP panel starts. Does it work if you run the code when a button of your panel is clicked? I guess at the point in time when the html of the CEP panel is loaded, the panel is not yet properly initialized and ready to eval scripts.

[activepixels]

<button onclick="displayProjectFileName()">Click me</button>
   <script src="lib/CSInterface.js"></script>
   <script>
   alert('hello');
   function displayProjectFileName(){
   var csInterface = new CSInterface();
   csInterface.evalScript('app.project.file.displayName', function (result) {
   alert(result);
   });
   } 
   </script>

I've moved the call to evalScript to a click event handler - same error message

[activepixels]

Hi Mathias,

I've created a repo with the panel contents and tried the panel on a different mac with the same error message

activepixels / CEPHelloWorld — Bitbucket

Could it be versioning between CSInterface, After Effects, CEP engine?

Thanks

Sean

[activepixels · Accepted solution]

The issue is solved. I was browsing non related questions on the forum and spotted this reply Re: Re: Create a Trial Extension?  by DBarranca​ saying "be aware that with HTML Panels a typo in the JSX makes the whole thing fail silently".

So I removed the manifest reference to my empty jsx file and the panel now functions. Have updated the repo in case it helps anyone else starting out

Thanks for helping out!

[default3v9v3oprgxxc]

May i know what helped you fix the issue?  can you give me a sample of the rewritten code?

[Goldgraeber]

adding to an old thread:I just faced the same problem, the log file mentioned a decode error. The solution was to save the file as utf8 rather than ascii