Resolve Special Path

Category: Files

Resolves `~` and supported special path placeholders such as `::DESKTOP::` into an absolute path string. Windows Desktop, Documents, and Downloads resolve to the current user’s Known Folder locations, including redirection. macOS uses the user-domain folder URLs reported by NSFileManager. Home and tilde retain their home-directory meaning. Resolution does not check existence, create folders, or grant access. Permission checks and file access share the resolved location, retained for the panel session. Unavailable Windows or macOS folder resolution raises an error; update the hybrid addon or use a picker or an absolute path. Reload the panel after changing user-folder locations. Unknown placeholders are left unchanged.

Inputs

Input	Required	Value Kind	Types	Enum Values
path	yes	expression	string	—

Notes

• Read-only expression that resolves ~, ::HOME::, ::DESKTOP::, ::DOCUMENTS::, and ::DOWNLOADS::.
• On Windows, Desktop, Documents, and Downloads use the current user’s Windows Known Folder locations, including OneDrive and other folder redirections. Home and ~ retain their home-directory meaning; ~/Desktop is a literal home subfolder. On macOS, the same three tokens use the user-domain locations reported by NSFileManager, rather than appending folder names to Home.
• Windows and macOS folder resolution requires the updated native hybrid addon. Unavailable resolution raises an error; use a picker or an explicit absolute path. Successful locations are retained for the panel session (reload after changing user-folder locations).
• Native folder lookup preserves the path reported by the OS; it does not generally canonicalize symlinks in arbitrary paths.
• Permission checks and file access use the same resolution. An explicit READ allowlist must cover the actual resolved target; resolving a path does not grant access or create any folder.
• Returns a resolved path string without checking whether that path currently exists.
• Use it at opaque boundaries, especially for filesystem paths passed through runExternalProgram.args. Normal Automation Agent filesystem block inputs expand supported path specs internally.

Examples

Render Active-Sequence Frames At Equal Distances To Fixed Folder

Exports a small evenly spaced set of `.png` frames across the active sequence to a fixed folder path, so visual timeline sampling can be runtime-validated deterministically.

kind: Pattern · format: runtime-dsl · validation: MCP fixture

Topics: frame export, visual probing, timeline sampling, runtime validation

Source: patterns/ex-sequence-render-active-sequence-frames-equal-distances-fixed-folder.json

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Render Frames At Sequence Markers To Fixed Folder

Exports one `.png` frame per active-sequence marker to a fixed folder path, so marker-driven still export can be runtime-validated deterministically.

kind: Pattern · format: runtime-dsl · validation: MCP fixture

Topics: markers, frame export, review stills, runtime validation

Source: patterns/ex-markers-render-active-sequence-frames-fixed-folder.json

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Write Camera Metadata JSON For Python

Serializes the selected item's Camera metadata, writes compact JSON to a flushed per-run randomized file, lets isolated Python read it, and removes the file after normal process completion.

kind: Pattern · format: runtime-dsl · validation: Manual workspace

Topics: json, metadata, files, runtime python, external process

Source: patterns/ex-json-write-camera-metadata-for-python.json

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