r/AfterEffects • • Aug 20 '26

Announcement /r/AfterEffects changes related to extension promotion: Required post structure, promo posts limited to Mondays, AI disclosure required

170 Upvotes

We have heard your calls! Thank you for your patience while we figure out a plan.

While self promotion has always been allowed in r/AfterEffects, the recent influx of AI & vibe coded plugins, extensions, and scripts has been a bit overwhelming. We have very very quickly gone from a few trusted marketplaces with strong vetting and at least some kind of expectation of long term maintenance, to anyone being able to churn out a vibe coded plugin and release it on an increasing number of marketplaces, with no guarantee of support or future updates.

With this in mind, we would like to implement a new set of rules to curb the overwhelming number of posts and give users more transparency when choosing to download and use such tools.

Post structure + flair:

Taking a page from the changes mods made over at r/macapps, we will be introducing a new post structure following a Problem, Comparison, Pricing, Maintenance, AI-Disclosure (PCPMA) format.

  • Problem: What problem your [Extension, Script, Plugin] solves (1 sentence)
  • Compare: Why is your [Extension, Script, Plugin] better than top-named alternatives (1–2 sentences).
  • Pricing + link
  • Maintenance plan + support plan
  • AI Disclaimer: choose from [Vibe Coded], [Human Validated], [Code Completion], or [None]

Extension, script, and plugin posts have always required the (Plugin/Script) flair, this will not change. A sample short post is pinned in the comments.

Other changes:

  • Plugin promotion posts will now be limited to mondays only for the foreseeable future. Plugin posts on other days will be automatically removed and linked to this post
  • Monday self promo posts using the (Plugin/Script) flair must have 50 subreddit karma, from posts or comments.
  • Probing posts will be removed ("Are purpose built motion tools making it into your workflow?" "What's one thing that would save you so much time...")
  • Excessively long posts will be removed (A sample short post is pinned in the comments.)
  • Gumroad links are still banned. This is unfortunately a reddit-wide blacklist, we have no control over this. We can manually approve gumroad links but they will be automatically sent to the spam filter which we rarely check.

Notes on post structure requirements

We're specifically introducing the compare & maintenance points because we have seen an increasing number of plugins that simply replicate the functionality of existing, long standing plugins from developers who have demonstrated more experience, real support, and have proven to maintain their plugins over many years. Show us how yours is better, and prove to your future users how you will be supporting and fixing the plugin in the long-run. How can users who experience bugs get in contact with you in the future?

AI disclosure

Regarding the AI disclosure, here are the definitions of each

  • "Vibe coded" means code written entirely by prompting AI without the user having the skill and knowledge to properly review or validate it. If something is broken, they are prompting AI again to fix it.
  • "Human validated" means AI-generated work that has undergone validation by someone with the necessary skill and knowledge. The developer understands how the code functions and can fix things independently of the AI if necessary.
  • "Code completion" means an experienced developer is using AI for line-completion. They are writing most of the code themselves and have deep understanding of the structure, and are explicitly using AI to eliminate menial, tedious aspects of writing code.
  • "None" means no AI use.

I'm just going to be real, this one is likely going to be easy to skirt. r/macapps actually removed this requirement because everyone was just claiming to have "human reviewed" the code. We're going to try this out and hope folks are honest for the time being.

________

No AI was used in the preparation of this post. We will try this out for a month and see how it goes. Happy animating <3


r/AfterEffects • • May 05 '25

Tutorial If you want to learn After Effects, here's a great place to start

Post image
174 Upvotes

If you're just beginning with After Effects, it's important to get a good foundation - no matter what you want to do with AE!

Here's a great, free place to start from our very own u/Kylasaurus_Rex - and Adobe put it right on the opening screen of After Effects!

Adobe After Effects Introductory Courses for Motion Graphics


r/AfterEffects • • 16h ago

Explain This Effect How could I achive these type of shots in Blender and After Effects?

Thumbnail
gallery
150 Upvotes

About to start on a short film and wanted to see if anyone knew an easy way to do this. I want to achieve this soft, hazy, retro look.


r/AfterEffects • • 12h ago

Plugin/Script GridFlow v3 is here! — more powerful, more robust, Procedural Grid rig tool in AE

34 Upvotes

[Problem] Setting up an animated grid like this in After Effects is possible with Nulls and Expressions, but building the rig manually takes hours and usually means managing a bunch of layers, controls and expressions.

[What it does] GridFlow lets you quickly create and animate procedural grids with:

  • Independent horizontal & vertical spacing
  • Animated spacing and re-arrangement
  • Control over rows, columns and their direction
  • Pin comps to any grid point
  • Customisable intersection markers
  • Multiple grids per comp
  • Edit or delete grids anytime without breaking the setup

[Comparison] There isn’t another After Effects tool that lets you build a grid rig this powerful in such a short amount of time while keeping the setup to such a small number of layers.

GridFlow is designed to give you a powerful, fully editable and animatable grid rig without turning your timeline into a mess of layers and controls.

[v3] GridFlow v3 is now live.

First of all, thank you to everyone who tried GridFlow and took the time to share feedback, report bugs and suggest new features. A lot of that feedback helped shape this version.

Based on that, I decided to rewrite the entire codebase from the ground up. v3 is much more robust and powerful than the previous version, and I’ve also fixed the existing issues and bugs along the way.

There are also some new features and improvements that I’ll be covering in the new tutorial.

[Tutorial] I’ve released a new video covering GridFlow v3 and some of the new features:

[YouTube Link] and Also check the tutorial here - Youtube Link

[Pricing] The old pricing is still available for now — $25 one-time.

If you’ve been thinking about getting GridFlow, you can grab it at the current price before the price increases in 2 days!.

[Product Link] Download the plugin here - Gridflow

Existing users will continue to get v3 and future updates for free.

[Maintenance/Support plan] I’ll continue maintaining GridFlow with bug fixes, improvements and updates. Support is available through Gumroad, along with direct email support.

[AI] AI Disclaimer: Human validated — the final plugin was developed and tested with an experienced ExtendScript developer.


r/AfterEffects • • 16h ago

Plugin/Script New free plugin, Quick Cover Pro

Thumbnail
youtube.com
43 Upvotes

https://elementsupply.co/products/quickcover

Quick Cover and Quick Cover Pro (I'd use pro, but the original is still there too)
gradients that auto sample colors on the boundary where you put them. just mask around an object and it magically vanishes.

[Comparison] there are some AI solutions, but I always thought the work flow and output format was clunky. This is just pure clever gradient creation.

Other core features include:

  • Cover in or extend out.
  • works great with mask tracking
  • mask based so all the familiar mask tools work here too.

[Pricing] Pricing: 
Name your own price.

[Maintenance/Support plan] If you have bugs, please reach out at [contact@elementsupply.co](mailto:contact@elementsupply.co)

All updates are always included, but this one is free anyways, but it's good to know for other products.

[AI] AI Disclaimer: it's complicated but code completion is close.


r/AfterEffects • • 2m ago

Discussion Hi! I made FREE Figma to AE plugin. No tiers n shi, completely FREE.

Thumbnail
nvdreamspace.com
• Upvotes

This is long overdue. There's this AEUX plugin that we all use and it worked fine until it stopped working. Since it's open sourced our team picked it up fixed it error and offer it free to the very community that was made for :D.

Completely freakin free.

Install the plugin on figma .. https://www.figma.com/community/plugin/1686119670265836454/figma-to-ae

Install the plugin on ae .. https://nvdreamspace.com/figma-to-ae#install

Drag drop sum shi on AE CEP folder it's on notepad attached to the AE ..

Then just open the window to the AE extension so it's listening to all your FIGMA PLUGIN transfers!

- improved optimization speed for this one as opposed to old version
- and it now works. the original aeux have been abandoned and stopped working this one works!

I love you AE community. ✨. It's time to animate your SaaS now.


r/AfterEffects • • 2h ago

Explain This Effect Achieving this colourful light leak effect?

Thumbnail pin.it
1 Upvotes

Any ideas how this was achieved?

Essentially it’s 4 shapes overlapping with a blending mode that makes them appear white as they merge, this part is fairly simple.

What I can’t figure out is the way the colours have a glowing ‘film light leak’ quality that moves organically throughout, even as the shapes themselves remain relatively fixed, with these occasional larger flares of light and colour that fill the screen.

I’ve tried a few things using some of the blur fx in motion but I’m not getting close. I imagine it’s a couple of simple things at play (as these things often are).

Any thoughts or ideas on what I could experiment with?


r/AfterEffects • • 2h ago

Explain This Effect How can i make this monster's body effect?

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I have a quick question, how could i recreate the effect on this monster's body? I think this was made in After Effects, so i came here to see if anyone could help me out. I'd really appreciate it! ^ ^


r/AfterEffects • • 1d ago

OC - Stuff I made Recreated the Dune: Part 3 title logo animation entirely in After Effects

60 Upvotes

Built this fully in After Effects. Quick breakdown:

  • BG: 5 zig zag shapes (180 lines) with glow, plus an animated noise solid as a track matte on the strands, Curves for the color tone
  • Text: Dune Rise font with a metal texture as a track matte, custom lens flare on the C
  • Extras: CC Ball Action particles, plus orange and grey-green Optical Flares for the lighting

Lots of small layers and tweaks went into getting this look. If you want the full step-by-step, I made a tutorial here: https://youtu.be/_SAUiOYoPq0

Feedback welcome


r/AfterEffects • • 6h ago

OC - Stuff I made Recent Editing Reel I made cut between DaVinci and After Effects— would love feedback on it!

1 Upvotes

r/AfterEffects • • 15h ago

Discussion Your experiences with PluginPlay

3 Upvotes

What are your experiences with PluginPlay(.app)?

I tried them out for one script that wasn't available at aescripts and wondered if they might be a good alternative sometimes if developers don't offer their own way of distribution.

So far I'm not impressed at all, quite the contrary.

First problem: the invoice. I didn't get a proper invoice. So I asked support for it. I was asked for the invoice information, answered... and never did get an answer, nor an invoice. That was almost two weeks ago and even after asking about the invoice one week ago... no answer.

While using that script, I noticed if taking unusually long to load (around 5sec). The panel showed up white, then a powershell window popped up, AE shows a loading screen, another powershell popup, then finally I can use it.
Seems like the license check but I never ever had any similar experiences with other scripts or plugins when they checked their licenses.

Then, I wanted to issue a refund, partly because of the invoice, partly because of the loading time, partly because the script wasn't really what I expected.
PluginPlay doesn't offer a trial (it was a one time purchase btw) but they offer a money‑back guarantee... or so I thought. Because after opening another ticket, guess what, no answer so far.
Their FAQ does offer no real information about the refund policies. It only links to the TOS that has no info about that topic whatsoever or you are expected to ask the support... the one that doesn't answer.

So far I'm not sure if I just caught them during some bad days or if they are really that dubious.

What are your experiences so far? Did or do you use their subscription and have better things to say about them?


r/AfterEffects • • 10h ago

Explain This Effect Resident Evil title card effect

Post image
0 Upvotes

Alrighty my fellow After Effects nerds. For the past few weeks I've been trying to replicate the effect done for Resident Evil's title card and for the life of me can't figure it out. I don't think it was done practically but it looks so fluid in it's animation. I've tried displacement maps and I just can't match this effect. I've also tried googling how they done it and can't find anything. So with very few straws left I come here, hoping maybe some of you would know. Any ideas??


r/AfterEffects • • 16h ago

OC - Stuff I made Faceless Explainer motion graphics

3 Upvotes

Made this for a potential client, used effects that saved me time
"transform" and " Basic 3D "

i used to use a camera and turn layers to 3D and then suddenly i got this idea to search for "3d" in effects and turned out to be great.
if you know something that saved you time, share it!


r/AfterEffects • • 12h ago

OC - Stuff I made First project with AE in motion graphic

0 Upvotes

r/AfterEffects • • 12h ago

Beginner Help I need help with Roto Brush. Rendering etc.

0 Upvotes

Hi guys so I have got an issue I don't know how to solve and it involves Roto Brush.

Basically I want to remove the background of a car clip with Rotobrush. The clip consists of the camera beginning very close to the cars headlight to the point where the light lens take up the whole screen and it slowly zooms out untill it shows the full car. I want to remove the background of the car but my issue is that the car is fully shown only at the end of the clip so when I rotobrush it, only the next frames of the clip render and yes I did try rendering the rest by rewinding the time stick thingy and it did work for some while untill it stopped.

My question is: How can I rotobrush the car so it is tracked all from the headlight (meaning that at the beginning no background is removed because everything that takes up the screen is the car which I want to keep) to the car. How can I make sure that when the clip zooms out and starts progressively showing the background enviorment, the car stays but the enviorment is automatically removed.

Also I did think if one solution which I am yet to try which is reversing the clip and starting on the end frame so the rotobrush automatically tracks everything back and once it's done I'd just reverse the clip back.


r/AfterEffects • • 16h ago

Workflow Question Where would I find tutorials that cover the kinds of things going on in the video on this page?

Thumbnail netapp.com
0 Upvotes

I know AE pretty well but I'm totally self taught and have never done any comprehensive tutorials on how to use it. I want to learn more about how to do simple motion graphics like this in a more efficient way, as I just got into AE by moving random stuff around and I still don't really feel comfortable using it, because when I want to do something, I don't really know enough of the ways it's possible to accomplish those things.

I end up having to make very clunky files that are hacked together, and I'd rather start out with a decent streamlined process before having to hack things in a more advanced way


r/AfterEffects • • 16h ago

Plugin/Script Atmos 3D Pro emulates the look of 3D film from 1 image

0 Upvotes

Atmos 3D Pro generates authentic depth and parallax in 2 clicks without rotoscoping, warping, or cloud processing.

Creating realistic 3D movement/wigglegrams, depth parallax, or camera sweeps from a single flat image usually requires tedious manual rotoscoping, complex displacement mapping, or sending files off to slow cloud processing services.

Atmos 3D Pro goes beyond traditional displacement mapping and manual masking workflows because it performs deep-level spatial analysis directly inside After Effects to intelligently separate foreground, subject, and background without unnatural edge warping or cloud uploads.

Other core features include:

• Dual motion engines (Cinematic orbital sweeps and vintage 3D camera Wigglegram mode)

• Fully local processing with non-destructive control over parallax strength, speed, and edge refinement

• Interactive preview window clicking to manually define complex subject boundaries

Pricing: $29 lifetime license on aescripts

If you encounter any bugs, please reach out via Aescripts support tickets or DM. Bug fixes and version updates are provided via standard aescripts maintenance. I will also be frequently checking this thread as well to answer questions.

AI Disclaimer: Uses a local spatial depth-estimation model; no image data is sent to external cloud servers. No AI was used in the making of this plugin


r/AfterEffects • • 1d ago

OC - Stuff I made It's hard to grasp why some pay so little for animation; it takes me 2 hours for just a few seconds of work.

165 Upvotes

It's difficult to do. Besides, I'm neither a beginner nor an advanced learner.

https://reddit.com/link/1wxd308/video/6y452k6hmfth1/player


r/AfterEffects • • 1d ago

OC - Stuff I made Fun piece which never saw the light of day

22 Upvotes

Made this about 8 years ago for a social spot for a Disney film which was being released around that time, client thought it was too… dark in tone so it didn’t go anywhere. Enjoyed working on regardless and was an excuse to try and push myself.


r/AfterEffects • • 1d ago

Workflow Question What is the correct way to apply an effect created in After Effects to an entire Premiere Pro video?

7 Upvotes

I have a 30-minute video that I edited entirely in Premiere Pro, and I want to give the entire final video a VHS/retro/vintage look.

I created the VHS/retro effect in After Effects, but I'm not sure what the best workflow is for applying that effect to the entire 30-minute Premiere Pro edit.

Basically, I want the whole Premiere Pro video to have the exact look/effect I created in After Effects, without having to manually apply the effect to every single clip.

What would be the proper workflow for this? Should I use an After Effects composition, an adjustment layer, Dynamic Link, or export the Premiere Pro edit first and then apply the effect in After Effects?

I'm looking for the cleanest and most efficient workflow, especially since the video is 30 minutes long.


r/AfterEffects • • 16h ago

Workflow Question Should I be using Ae to make long form videos?

Thumbnail
youtube.com
0 Upvotes

This is the longest form video I’ve edited, before now my longest video was 5 minutes long. It’s not perfect but I’m really happy with how it came out. There’s a few little errors but otherwise I think it flows well.

My question is, is it really unusual to edit long form videos like this in After Effects? I have a background in motion graphics and 3D animation so I’ve always just used after effects to edit videos but should I really be using premier for content like this? I’m curious to hear your thoughts or if anyone else makes long form videos in AE.

Edit: thanks for your advice, I won’t be doing this again 🙏🙌


r/AfterEffects • • 12h ago

Beginner Help Need help with the After Effects subscription!

0 Upvotes

I want to get an After Effects subscription.

- My question is if there is any way to get a discounted month or 2. Or any other way to lower my expenses?

Which is the best offer to get?

Any tips on how to get the maximum out of it?


r/AfterEffects • • 2d ago

OC - Stuff I made Got these buildings dancing to the beat

285 Upvotes

r/AfterEffects • • 2d ago

OC - Stuff I made Personal project I made for FFmpeg

26 Upvotes

r/AfterEffects • • 1d ago

OC - Stuff I made "Trickle Down" - Music Video VFX Breakdown (Blender, After Effects, and Resolve - no AI)

5 Upvotes