Using plugins to supercharge your After Effects workflow

The top plugins to use to make Adobe After Effects do even more and elevate your editing experience - and output - to new heights.

Adobe After Effects is used worldwide by millions of editors, animators, and graphics artists. It already boasts a robust suite of features, but you can leverage plugins to elevate the editing experience to new heights. These plugins unlock the potential to create complex effects, model 3D assets, manipulate lighting, and much more.

Tl;dr cheat sheet

• Plugins 101: how to set up and install plugins for your After Effects projects 
• Standout plugin developers: Video Copilot, Maxon, and Battle Axe
• Top plugins: Element 3D, Optical Flares, Maxon One, Cinema 4D, Red Giant (Trapcode Suite), Overlord, and Rubberhose
• Cheaper alternatives?

How to install plugins 

You can, of course, skip this bit if you’ve done this before.

Installing plugins is a fairly straightforward process. The first step is to download or purchase the plugin itself. Obviousu, if you plan on using free online plugins, ensure the website is trustworthy first - there are plenty that aren’t. You must also ensure that the plugin is compatible with the version of After Effects you are running. For most plugins, you will download a ZIP file and open it to extract the plugin. The plugin file ends with .aex (on Windows) or .plugin (on Mac). 

The second step is to access the After Effects plugins folder. Make sure that the After Effects application is closed during this stage. Windows users can usually find the plugins folder within the Program Files, under the Adobe After Effects directory. Mac users must navigate to the Applications folder and search the Adobe After Effects folder to locate the plugins folder. Simply copy and paste the extracted plugin file into the plugins folder. 

The installed plugin should be available in the Effects and Presets panel the next time you open After Effects. If you plan on using these plugins for a longer period of time, make sure to update them regularly to be compatible with newer versions of After Effects. 

Video Copilot

Video Copilot is an industry staple, offering multiple plugins that can enhance After Effects’ capabilities. These plugins are perfect for beginners looking to take their skills to the next level. Here’s a quick look at two of their must-haves:

Element 3D

Element 3D is a vital plugin for creating high-quality 3D animation and visual effects. With this plugin, VFX artists can create these effects directly in After Effects. This can be particularly helpful for beginners who either don’t know how to use advanced software like Blender or Maya or don’t fancy the learning curve of finding out.  

The plugin allows you to create intricate 3D models, animated titles, complex visual effects, and much more. It also speeds up the rendering process, allowing you to preview your work in realtime. The latest version, Element 3D V2.2, is currently priced at $199. 

Optical Flares

Lens flares are often digitally added in post-production to give the shot or scene a cinematic look. Video Copilot’s Optical Flares plugin is a lens flare generator that allows users to create realistic yet customizable lighting effects. Purchasing the plugin also gives you access to a range of ready-to-use presets. The latest version of the Optical Flares plug-in is priced at $125.

Maxon

Maxon One

Maxon’s Maxon One is an all-in-one subscription service that provides access to all the brands under the Maxon umbrella. Similar to Adobe’s Creative Cloud, this bundle includes Cinema 4D, Forger, Zbrush, Universe, Red Shift, and Red Giant. The Maxon software suite covers 3D modeling, rendering, animation, custom effects, and transitions. 

Best of all? Maxon One’s integration with Adobe allows editors to streamline their workflow and use its advanced tools directly in the After Effects composition. The subscription costs $149 per month. 

Cinema 4D

Cinema 4D is one of Maxon’s standout products. It is known for its powerful 3D modeling, animation, and rendering capabilities. The software’s integration with Premiere Pro also eliminates having to jump between different programs, thereby reducing the friction of post-production. 

The current price for Cinema 4D is $116 per month. This plan also gives you access to Maxon’s Redshift rendering software. Users who download After Effects through a Creative Cloud subscription will have access to Cinema 4D Lite, which offers some of the features available in the full version. 

Red Giant (Trapcode Suite)

The Red Giant software suite offers a variety of plugins that aim to enhance After Effects' post-production capabilities. As of 2019, Red Giant merged with Maxon and is now a subsidiary. Within the Red Giant umbrella, you can find plugin suites like Trapcode Suite, Magic Bullet, Universe, and more. 

For beginners, Trapcode Suite offers essential plugins that are easy to learn and use. VFX artists can use plugins such as Particular, Form, and Mir to create particle effects, animate 3D objects, and build complex CGI sequences. These plugins also allow for real-time preview and quick composition adjustments, unlocking a more efficient visual effects workflow. The current price for Red Giant is $79 per month.

Battle Axe

Battle Axe creates plugins to simplify complex animation tasks on After Effects. Plugins such as Overlord and Rubberhose reduce the time spent on tedious tasks, thereby streamlining the 2D animation workflow. 

Overlord

2D animation in the Adobe ecosystem involves creating assets in Illustrator or Animate and transferring those assets to After Effects for animation. Usually, this requires animators to render, export, and import tons of assets for each scene. Instead, you can use the Overlord plugin to transfer any vector shapes and artwork between Illustrator and After Effects with a single click. Not only does this plugin save you time, but it also eliminates the possibility of any errors while transferring assets. You can purchase the Overlord plugin for $55.

Rubberhose

A big chunk of the 2D animation workflow is dedicated to rigging and animating the characters. Animating characters and vector shapes using keyframes is a long and tiresome process. The Rubberhose plugin is a great alternative for beginner animators who want to create simple animated characters. The intuitive plugin offers a straightforward approach to rigging rubber-like limbs that are easy to animate. This simplifies the complexities of traditional character rigging, allowing animators to focus on enhancing the creative elements of the scene. You can purchase the Rubberhose plugin for $65.

Conclusion

Navigating After Effects can seem confusing, but integrating plugins can definitely simplify workflows while maximizing its capabilities. The problem is that while plugins from the likes of Video Copilot, Maxon, and Battle Axe can elevate your projects, they are also expensive. Alternatively, you can find cheaper third-party plugins on websites such as aescripts.com, but, as ever, there are going to be compromises in terms of functionality and usability involved with cheaper software.