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Altar Bridge

Connect Claude Desktop.

Let Claude read and edit your After Effects comps through Altar Bridge.

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 Claude Desktop, then press Connect Claude Desktop. Claude opens and asks you to install the Altar extension. Install it.

    Altar Chat · Connect your AI

    The Connect your AI screen in Altar Chat with Claude Desktop selected and the Connect Claude Desktop button.

    Pick the app you use. Altar Chat sets up the connection for you.
    Prefer to add it by hand?

    Open Claude’s config file at ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (Claude: Settings > Developer > Edit Config) and add Altar under mcpServers. Replace YOUR-NAME with your Mac user name:

    claude_desktop_config.jsonCode
    {
  "mcpServers": {
    "altar": {
      "command": "/Users/YOUR-NAME/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CEP/extensions/com.sidequestplugins.altar.cep/mcp/altar-mcp"
    }
  }
}

    Quit and reopen Claude. Then in Altar Chat, pick Claude Desktop and press Already installed? to get the check message.

  3. Copy the check message

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

    Claude Desktop

    Using Altar, can you read my composition?

  4. Paste it into a new Claude conversation

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

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

Try it

Claude Desktop

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

Claude Desktop

Bring the title layer in over 12 frames with a soft overshoot.

If it didn’t work

Claude doesn’t list Altar.

Fix. Finish the install prompt in Claude, then start a new conversation. Claude only loads new connections in new conversations.

“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.

“This Altar install is missing its AI connection.”

Fix. Reinstall Altar from the download page, restart After Effects and connect again.

More fixes on Troubleshooting.

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