vfxreview/RenderWorker/VFXReviewWorker/AeSession.cs

using System.Diagnostics;

namespace VFXReviewWorker;

/// <summary>
/// Detects an *interactive* After Effects session on this machine.
///
/// This matters because `AfterFX.com -noui -r script.jsx` is handed to an
/// already-running After Effects instance rather than starting an isolated
/// one — so running the preview build while an artist has AE open would take
/// over their session and quit it, losing unsaved work.
///
/// Deliberately conservative: this matches any After Effects process, the
/// interactive `AfterFX.exe` as well as the `AfterFX.com` render engine that
/// aerender drives. Waiting for either to finish also avoids two AE instances
/// competing for the same box, and the worst case is only that a preview build
/// starts a little later.
/// </summary>
public static class AeSession
{
    public static bool InteractiveRunning()
    {
        try
        {
            return Process.GetProcessesByName("AfterFX").Length > 0;
        }
        catch
        {
            // If we cannot tell, assume an artist is working — never risk their session.
            return true;
        }
    }
}