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AEAfter Effects

Frankenstein Finder

by Joshua Fadero·Workflow

Images © Joshua Fadero. Used for product review; image policy.

Why we like it

Frankenstein Finder earns its place in the aescripts library by consolidating project navigation, batch renaming, transform editing, and asset auditing into a single dockable panel.

What is Frankenstein Finder?

Frankenstein Finder brings navigation, editing, and auditing for After Effects projects together in a single dockable panel. A searchable tree view maps your entire project hierarchy and shows all layers across nested compositions in one place, with layer type icons for Text, Shape, Precomp, Solid, Null, Camera, and Light. Double-click any result to teleport straight to that layer, even five comps deep, and a live transform inspector displays Position, Scale, Rotation, and Opacity as you go.

Beyond navigation, the panel handles batch work. Smart Rename supports sequential numbering, prefixes, and suffixes, you can apply transform values to multiple layers at once, and you can copy Position, Scale, Rotation, and Opacity from one layer to many. Text layers can be edited remotely across nested comps without opening each one.

Isolate Mode focuses the timeline on selected layers by hiding everything else, using shy layers for a one-click Isolate Selected, while Show All restores your exact previous visibility state. Deep project auditing rounds it out by helping clean up unused assets.

Who is Frankenstein Finder best for?

Frankenstein Finder is best for after Effects artists working with large, deeply nested projects who need to navigate, rename, edit, and audit layers from one panel.

How much does Frankenstein Finder cost?

Frankenstein Finder is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • Searchable tree view of the entire project hierarchy, showing all layers across nested compositions with type icons for Text, Shape, Precomp, Solid, Null, Camera, and Light
  • Double-click to teleport directly to any layer, even several comps deep, alongside a live transform inspector for Position, Scale, Rotation, and Opacity
  • Smart Rename with sequential numbering, prefixes, or suffixes
  • Apply transform values to multiple layers at once and copy Position, Scale, Rotation, and Opacity from one layer to many
  • Edit text layers remotely across nested compositions
  • Isolate Mode hides everything but selected layers using shy layers, with Show All restoring the previous visibility state
  • Deep project auditing to clean up unused assets

Tags

#After Effects#project navigator#workflow#batch rename#layer management#nested compositions#aescripts

Frequently asked questions

Does Frankenstein Finder work with After Effects 2026?

Frankenstein Finder lists compatibility with After Effects 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, and 2020, so it covers the current release alongside several older ones. That range means artists on mixed or older setups can run the panel without upgrading their host software. It operates as a single dockable panel inside After Effects, giving you the tree view, transform tools, batch actions, and project auditing across each supported version. For confirmation on your exact build, check the developer's page.

Is Frankenstein Finder free to use?

Frankenstein Finder is listed as free in this catalog, so there is no cost to add it to your After Effects setup. Licensing terms can change over time, so it is worth checking the developer's page for current details before downloading. Even as a free tool, it bundles the project tree view, deep search, batch renaming, transform editing, remote text editing, and project auditing into one dockable panel, covering a broad slice of everyday project navigation.

How does Isolate Mode work in Frankenstein Finder?

Frankenstein Finder's Isolate Mode focuses the timeline on selected layers by hiding everything else. A one-click Isolate Selected action uses shy layers intelligently to do this, and the paired Show All command restores your exact previous visibility state when you are finished. Together they let you concentrate on the layers you are editing without permanently rearranging the rest of the composition. Both actions live in the same dockable panel as the searchable tree view and the batch tools.

Can Frankenstein Finder edit text inside nested compositions?

Frankenstein Finder lets you edit text across nested compositions directly, so you can update text layers without opening each comp individually. It sits alongside the searchable tree view, which shows all layers across nested compositions in one place, and double-clicking a result teleports you to that layer even when it is several comps deep. This pairing of remote text editing and deep navigation suits projects where content is buried inside layers of precomps.

Alternatives to Frankenstein Finder

Also in Workflow for After Effects.

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