"Random AE Tools by dewey" is a ScriptUI panel for Adobe After Effects designed to simplify and automate tasks using expressions and utilities, enhancing workflow efficiency for motion graphics artists.
- Expression Helper: Load and apply expressions dynamically to layer properties. A "converter" is included and I will add documentation for how to use this. But an example json is included. (Note that adding 'user' to the dropdownPosition will add the expression to the property you currently have selected)
- Tools: Various utilities for moving layers, linking to null objects, and more.
- Script Loader: Run additional After Effects scripts directly from a user-friendly panel.
To install the ScriptUI panel:
- Download the script file.
- Navigate to your Adobe After Effects folder:
- For Windows:
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects <version>\Support Files\Scripts\ScriptUI Panels - For macOS:
/Applications/Adobe After Effects <version>/Scripts/ScriptUI Panels
- For Windows:
- Drop the script file into the
ScriptUI Panelsdirectory. - Restart After Effects.
- Open the script panel by navigating to
Window->Random AE Tools by David.jsx
Once the script is installed, you can activate it from the 'Window' menu in After Effects:
- Expression Helper Tab: Simplifies the process of loading and applying expressions to your project layers.
- Tools Tab: Offers quick access to tools that can manipulate layer properties and enhance your project's structure.
- Script Loader Tab: Allows you to manage and execute your own After Effects scripts saved within a specified directory. There are some useful scripts to get you started in the scriptsFolder.
- Provides controls for moving selected layers horizontally or vertically by a specified distance. This utility is particularly useful for quickly adjusting layer positioning within your composition.
- Facilitates linking selected layers to a newly created null object. This is beneficial for managing complex animations where multiple layers need to be controlled together.
- Automatically adds guides at the anchor points of selected layers. This tool helps in precisely aligning elements within the composition without manual guide placement.
- Centers the anchor point of selected layers to their content. This tool is essential for properly setting rotation and scaling transformations from the desired point on a layer.
- Scales selected layers based on the scale of the first selected layer. It ensures uniformity and consistency in layer sizes, which is critical in compositing and layout adjustments.
- Matches the position of all selected layers to that of the first selected layer. This feature is useful for quickly aligning multiple layers to a single point.
More tools will be added.
If you use the script and want to thank me you can always buy me a coffee.
This script was developed by David Guvå and was developed because I needed these tools to speed up my daily workflow. The
Contributions are always welcome! You can connect with me on Twitter/X or Linkedin.