Checkpoints

Checkpoints

A checkpoint is a safety copy of your project, saved before a large or risky change. Your project file is never overwritten by a restore.

Saving one

• Ask the AI: "Save a checkpoint labelled before-cleanup." (ae_checkpoint with action: "save")
• In the panel: ☰ › Checkpoints… › Save one now.
• Before a batch: ae_batch or a proof run with checkpoint: true.

Saving a checkpoint saves the open project first, then keeps a timestamped copy of the .aep. So the project must have been saved once (it needs a file), and your current changes are written to it.

In 1.4 each checkpoint also stores a project history snapshot, so you can see what changed since.

Where they live

~/.surehand/ae/checkpoints/<project name>-<short id>/, one folder per project, with an index.json. 50 checkpoints are kept per project; the oldest are removed first.

Uninstalling keeps your checkpoints. See Installing.

The Checkpoints screen

☰ › Checkpoints… lists the checkpoints of the project open in After Effects, newest first, with their label and time.

Button	What it does
Save one now	Saves the project and makes a checkpoint labelled "saved in the panel". Works while the AI is paused.
Compare with now	Shows what changed between that checkpoint and the open project. Only for checkpoints with a history snapshot; others say "no history snapshot".
Open a copy	Copies the checkpoint next to your project as <project> (restored <id>).aep and opens it. Asks you to save first if the project has unsaved changes.

Restoring

ae_checkpoint with action: "restore" (or Open a copy in the panel) never touches the original:

1. The checkpoint is copied next to your project under a new name, <project> (restored <id>).aep, numbered if that name is taken.
2. After Effects opens that copy.

The AI refuses to restore over unsaved changes unless you tell it to discard them (discardChanges: true).

Permissions

• Saving and restoring are refused in Read-only mode. Listing works.
• In Ask mode, saving through the AI waits for approval like any other change.

From a terminal

node ~/.surehand/ae/server/surehand-ae.mjs checkpoints [--project /path/to/project.aep]
node ~/.surehand/ae/server/surehand-ae.mjs checkpoint-diff <id> [--project /path/to/project.aep]

Without --project, the project open in After Effects. checkpoint-diff needs After Effects running: it compares with the open project.

Checkpoints from 1.3

Checkpoints saved with 1.3 carry over when you update and can still be restored, but not compared (1.3 kept no history snapshots).