[PPRO] Apply custom LUT as effect

[SultanDino]

We have developed a Premiere Pro extension with which we fetch a custom lut file and apply it as a effect in Lumetri Color (Creative or Basic).

Starting from Premiere pro 23.4, the functionality to apply a custom lut programmatically has stopped working and I can't figure out why. I already tried various settings and changes, but I am running out of ideas. Something have changed in Adobes API and the way it applies custom LUT files.

Here is a list of PPRO versions with which the extension worked fine:
22.5 | Working
23.0 | Working
23.1 | Working
23.2 | Working
23.3 | Working
23.4 | Not working
23.5 | Not working
23.6 | Not working
24.0 | Not working

I already wrote about it in the Adobe forum.
Maybe someone can help me and give me some information on how to get this to work?

[SultanDino]

Here is the code sample from ExtendScript with which I loop through the Effect's properties to apply a custom LUT as Basic Correction

for (var i = 0; i < effect.properties.numItems; i++) {
  if (effect.properties[i].displayName == "Basic Correction") {
      effect.properties[i + 1].setValue(1, true); // Enable effect
      effect.properties[i + 2].setValue(LUTPath, true); // Set LUT Path
      effect.properties[i + 4].setValue(1, true); // Update LUT selection dropdown
  }
}

[tristancgardner]

agreed, and it's terribly aggravating.

[ErinFinnegan]

@tristancgardner so it's still happening, I take it?

@bbb999 and @justintaylor-dev investigated it in the forum thread...

[justintaylor-dev]

@SultanDino @tristancgardner @ErinFinnegan

I just tested in PPRO 25.1.0 and it's still working. Here's an example of how to set the LUT path for the Input LUT on a clip and a project item / master clip

// Clip Example
var clip = app.project.activeSequence.videoTracks[1].clips[0];
var pathToLut = 'C:\\Program Files\\Adobe\\Adobe Premiere Pro 2024\\Lumetri\\LUTs\\Technical\\Phantom_Rec709_Gamma.cube';
var lumetri = clip.components[2];
var lutPath = lumetri.properties[4];
var input = lumetri.properties[6];
lutPath.setValue(pathToLut);
input.setValue(1);

// Project item / Master Clip Example
var projectItem = app.project.activeSequence.videoTracks[0].clips[0].projectItem;
var pathToLut = 'C:\\Program Files\\Adobe\\Adobe Premiere Pro 2024\\Lumetri\\LUTs\\Technical\\Phantom_Rec709_Gamma.cube';
var lumetri = projectItem.videoComponents()[0];
var lutPath = lumetri.properties[4];
var input = lumetri.properties[6];
lutPath.setValue(pathToLut);
input.setValue(1);

If you're still having issues, maybe try different path formats, they seem to be picky per OS.

[sir-editor]

I've tested on macOS and Windows.
It works technically: if I will test values with getValue I will get correct results.
However, visually media is not affected by an applied LUT.

PPRO 22.6.4 [mac] - works
PPRO 24.0.0 [win] - doesn't work visually
PPRO 25.1.0 [mac] - doesn't work visually

@justintaylor-dev do you see media being affected by LUT?

[SultanDino]

@SultanDino @tristancgardner @ErinFinnegan

I just tested in PPRO 25.1.0 and it's still working. Here's an example of how to set the LUT path for the Input LUT on a clip and a project item / master clip

// Clip Example
var clip = app.project.activeSequence.videoTracks[1].clips[0];
var pathToLut = 'C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Premiere Pro 2024\Lumetri\LUTs\Technical\Phantom_Rec709_Gamma.cube';
var lumetri = clip.components[2];
var lutPath = lumetri.properties[4];
var input = lumetri.properties[6];
lutPath.setValue(pathToLut);
input.setValue(1);
// Project item / Master Clip Example
var projectItem = app.project.activeSequence.videoTracks[0].clips[0].projectItem;
var pathToLut = 'C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Premiere Pro 2024\Lumetri\LUTs\Technical\Phantom_Rec709_Gamma.cube';
var lumetri = projectItem.videoComponents()[0];
var lutPath = lumetri.properties[4];
var input = lumetri.properties[6];
lutPath.setValue(pathToLut);
input.setValue(1);
If you're still having issues, maybe try different path formats, they seem to be picky per OS.

I can confirm the statement from @sir-editor that this still does not apply a lut in PPRO 25.1.0 on Mac.
I have tried with different path combinations, but no luck.

/Users/sultandino/Documents/Adobe/Premiere Pro/24.0/LUTs/1072/wildRed-1738419394628.cube
//Users//sultandino//Documents//Adobe//Premiere Pro//24.0//LUTs//1072//wildRed-1738419394628.cube
\\Users\\sultandino\\Documents\\Adobe\\Premiere Pro\\24.0\\LUTs\\1072\\wildRed-1738419394628.cube

[sir-editor]

@SultanDino I read your post on Adobe forum and found a solution provided by you in 2022: to add path separator at the end of LUT path.

That seems to be working for me both on Windows and macOS.
I add platform specific separator:

/  - mac
\\ - win

And I do this for 23.4+ versions of Premiere Pro (below it won't work).

I've just pushed an update to my extension, so I will gather data from users, if it is working for everyone.

[SultanDino]

@SultanDino I read your post on Adobe forum and found a solution provided by you in 2022: to add path separator at the end of LUT path.

That seems to be working for me both on Windows and macOS. I add platform specific separator:

/  - mac
\\ - win

And I do this for 23.4+ versions of Premiere Pro (below it won't work).

I've just pushed an update to my extension, so I will gather data from users, if it is working for everyone.

I totally forgot to test this out - Thanks for reminding me.

It works for me too on Mac (25.1.0)

[f5-rahm]

@SultanDino can you share your working example for this with the Mac path separator? I am on 25.1.0 but not getting this working yet.

[adamwhitney651]

You guys need a custom LUT api via ADOBE premiere?
Just curious..

...I see the version update: what was the release date?