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AEAfter Effects

BAO Boa

by BAO Plugins·Motion Graphics

Images © BAO Plugins. Used for product review; image policy.

Why we like it

Boa earns its place in the aescripts library as a fully native After Effects distortion plugin, covering releases from CS6 through AE 2026. Its 3D controls, camera and light reaction, and 'verts match' mode give it range beyond flat warping.

What is BAO Boa?

BAO Boa is an After Effects plugin built to distort layers along mask paths. It can warp any source along any mask path, rotate and twist that source along the path, and give full control over start, end, scale and Z position.

Beyond flat distortion, Boa works in 3D. It can extrude and contour in 3D, and its splines can be rotated, scaled and moved in 3D space. The effect reacts to the comp camera and lights. 'Stretch with verts match' uses mask vertices much like Puppet Pins for per-segment distortion, and you can undistort part of the texture, such as bending an arm while leaving the hand undistorted.

Mesh definition and sub-sampling give control over quality. Boa is a fully native plugin with fast rendering, compatible with a wide range of After Effects versions from CS6 through AE 2026. The current release is version 1.6.0, updated in April 2025.

Who is BAO Boa best for?

BAO Boa is best for distorting and warping layers along mask paths in After Effects, with 3D spline controls and per-segment distortion.

How much does BAO Boa cost?

BAO Boa is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • Warp any source along any mask path, with rotation and twist along the path
  • Full control over start, end, scale and Z position along the path
  • 3D controls to rotate, scale and move splines in 3D space
  • 'Stretch with verts match' uses mask vertices like Puppet Pins for per-segment distortion
  • Undistort part of the texture, such as bending an arm while leaving the hand undistorted
  • Mesh definition and sub-sampling for quality control, plus extrude and contour in 3D
  • Reacts to comp camera and lights; a fully native plugin with fast rendering

Tags

#distortion#mask paths#warp#3D#After Effects#native plugin#BAO Plugins

Frequently asked questions

Which After Effects versions does BAO Boa support?

BAO Boa is compatible with a broad span of After Effects releases, from CS6 up through AE 2026, including CC and the CC 2014 through 2025 versions such as CC 2015, 2017 and 2019. That coverage means it runs on both older CC installs and the latest annual releases. Boa is a fully native plugin, so it works as an effect inside After Effects. For the exact current list and any download or licensing steps, check the developer's page at BAO Plugins.

Does BAO Boa work on Apple M1 Macs?

BAO Boa added Apple M1 (Mac) compatibility in its 1.4.10 release from March 2022, and later updates continued to address macOS matters, including a notarization fix in version 1.5.1a. The most recent release, 1.6.0 from April 2025, fixed an OpenGL context issue. Given those changes, Boa is set up to run on M1 Macs. If you are on newer hardware or OS, it is worth grabbing the current version from the developer's page to make sure you have the latest fixes.

Can BAO Boa leave part of a layer undistorted?

BAO Boa lets you undistort part of the texture, so distortion can be applied to one region while another stays unaffected. The developer's own example is bending an arm while leaving the hand undistorted. This works alongside Boa's core behaviour of warping a source along a mask path, and the 'Stretch with verts match' mode, which uses mask vertices much like Puppet Pins for per-segment distortion. A feature video demonstrating this is available.

Is BAO Boa free?

BAO Boa is listed as free in this catalog. Licensing terms can change over time, so for the current price, license type and any download steps, check the developer's page at BAO Plugins or its aescripts listing. Regardless of cost, Boa is a fully native After Effects plugin that warps sources along mask paths, and the current version is 1.6.0, updated in April 2025. Confirming the terms directly with the developer is the safest way to know what is included.

Alternatives to BAO Boa

Also in Motion Graphics for After Effects.

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