What are they?

If you have never used scripts before, you are missing out.

After Effect Scripts are just little scripts programmed in Java that helps you in a lot of different functions. They are programmed from other users and you can find them easily on the web. There are many sites where you can find this scripts, but if you are searching for a particular script I really suggest you to visit this site  aescripts.com, here is where you can find almost everything in terms of After Effect Scripting.

AEScript is for sure one of the most used and popular site for After Effect Scripts, it collects tons of scripts from different users and has some plug ins too.

How to use?

Just buy (some are free, some are up to you, best ones are just a bunch of bucks) and download the script. Once you have downloaded it place it inside the Script application folder and you are ready to use it.

Use the path below:

Mac user: Application\Adobe After Effect\Scripts

PC user: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects\Support Files\Scripts

Once you have copy the script in the right place you can run it by selecting it inside the After Effect menu File -> Scripts.

My Essential Scripts

Everybody has his favorite scripts, here below you can find my Essential Scripts with the direct link where you can buy it, they are the ones that I use almost on every project.

BG Render Pro

For sure my favorite one! This script from LloydAlvarez really saved me when I was near a deadline. It allows you to render your composition in your background while you can go on working on the same machine!! And that’s not all, it can even notify you via email, sms or iPhone push notification when your renders are done or have an error.

A must have script if you are late and have to work on the same machine while rendering, or even if you have time and you wanna take a walk outside, your computer will notify you when he is ready, have a nice walk in the park!

Decompose Text

I use this Script a lot on my motion graphics works each time I have to split each letter/words/line text in a different layer with the same original position. It saves you a lot of time and you can even choose from:

Keep original position using expressions (new layers have the same text as the original layer with some elements hidden)

Approximated position without expressions (new layers are 1 char/word/line long)

Precomp In & Out

Pretty saving trim time Script. I use it every time I precompose layers, it will create a precomp trimmed from the first in point to the last out point of your selected layers. No need to trim your pre comp any more.

Unpack Precomp

Do you want to unpack your pre comp layers? Select your Precomp layer and run this Script. Un-PreCompose allows you to quickly and easily extract all of the layers out of a nested composition and place them into the parent composition while maintaining all the effects and other properties.

Sortie

Are you a pro motion grapher? Is your Composition plenty of layers? With this Script you can manage and sort your layers instantly. It provides you with quick powerful methods to sort layers vertically in the timeline. Allows you to sort layers based on criteria such as: position, opacity, distance from a point, name, in point etc. Reverse layer order or randomize them, group selected layers or perform sort operations in place.

Yesterday we celebrated the launch of Adobe Creative Cloud 2014. Here there’s a first look at what are my favorite top new feature in After Effect:

Compositing Options for Each Effect

Now every single effect has his Compositing option with the Effect Opacity property for each effect, same as the old Blend with Original control in a few effects in the previous versions of After Effects. But the most important feature is that you can add masks references to any single effect. (more…)

If you are curve addicted or  you just want to see more behind keyframes projects there’s a wonderful page on tumblr were you can submit yours. Love this kind of things!

Here there’s also a cool behind the keyframe animation from Sander van Dijk.

Original animation:

recently I had some tweets about how to make this picture, that is part of my everyday project, in cinema 4d. So I decided to share the project that you can download for free and use it for whatever you want by pressing the download button above, and to make a tutorial bout it.

If you use the project don’t forget to link me your works!

Hope it can be helpful for your renders, enjoy it!

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