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Altar Bridge

Connect ChatGPT and Codex.

Use the ChatGPT desktop app or Codex. ChatGPT in the browser can't connect.

2 minmacOSAfter Effects with Altar open

Connect

  1. Open a composition

    In After Effects, open the composition you want to work on. The check at the end reads its name.

  2. Connect from Altar Chat

    In After Effects, open Window → Extensions → Altar Chat, choose Connect your AI, pick ChatGPT / Codex, then press Connect ChatGPT / Codex. Altar adds itself to Codex for you.

    Optional: press Install skills so Codex knows how to work with Altar.

    Prefer to set it up from Codex?

    Paste this into Codex:

    Codex

    Add the Altar Bridge MCP server for me. Run: codex mcp add altar -- "$HOME/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CEP/extensions/com.sidequestplugins.altar.cep/mcp/altar-mcp". Confirm it was added, then stop. I will start a new session to check the connection.

    Or run the command in Terminal yourself:

    TerminalCode
    codex mcp add altar -- "$HOME/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CEP/extensions/com.sidequestplugins.altar.cep/mcp/altar-mcp"

    Then in Altar Chat, pick ChatGPT / Codex and press Already installed? to get the check message. Connect ChatGPT / Codex doesn’t recognise a connection you added yourself.

  3. Copy the check message

    Altar Chat shows a check message. Copy it with Copy check message. It looks like this:

    ChatGPT or Codex

    Using Altar, can you read my composition?

  4. Paste it into a new session

    Start a new Codex session so it loads Altar, then paste the message. It replies with the name of your composition, and Altar Chat shows that it is connected.

You don’t need an API key. ChatGPT or Codex does the thinking, on your own plan.

Try it

ChatGPT or Codex

Use Altar to describe my active composition and suggest one improvement. Do not change anything yet.

ChatGPT or Codex

Find every comp in this project that uses the logo and list them.

If it didn’t work

“Install ChatGPT or Codex, then try again.”

Fix. Altar couldn’t find Codex. Install the ChatGPT desktop app or Codex, open it once, then press Connect ChatGPT / Codex again.

“An Altar connection already exists with different settings.”

Fix. Codex already has a server called altar pointing somewhere else. Run codex mcp remove altar in Terminal, then connect again.

“Altar bridge not running.”

Fix. After Effects is closed or Altar’s connection stopped. Open After Effects; if it stays down, press Reconnect in Altar Chat’s Settings.

More fixes on Troubleshooting.

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