by Nik Ska·Workflow
Images © Nik Ska. Used for product review; image policy.
Good Parents earns its place in the aescripts library for putting layer parenting on keyframes, with 3D layer support and Get and Set features. Its compatibility list, running from CS5.5 to 2025, means it fits into both current and older After Effects projects.
Good Parents is an After Effects script that adds keyframe control to layer parenting, with support for 3D layers. It lets you drive the parent relationship with keyframes, and includes Get and Set features that were added in a later update.
Compatibility runs across a wide range of After Effects releases, from CS5.5 through the 2025 version, with CC, CS6, and the yearly builds in between. Version 1.4.4 was last updated in February 2023, and earlier updates added 3D layer support and the Get and Set features. A demo video is available.
A few limitations are worth noting. Good Parents controls can't be copied from one layer to another. If you copy layers carrying Good Parents controls into another composition, you will need to reset the parent layers. Non-uniform scale may also work incorrectly, which the developer attributes to an After Effects bug.
Good Parents is best for after Effects artists who need to animate layer parenting with keyframes, including on 3D layers.
Good Parents is completely free to download and use.
Good Parents lists compatibility across a broad span of After Effects versions, from CS5.5 up through the 2025 release. That range also covers CS6, CC, and the yearly releases from CC 2014 through 2024, so most current and legacy installs are accounted for. Version 1.4.4 dates to February 2023, and a changelog entry that month addressed an issue on macOS 13 with AE 2023. If you are on the newest build, check the developer's page to confirm the current status before relying on it.
Good Parents supports 3D layers, a capability that was added in an early update after the initial release. The core function is controlling layer parenting with keyframes, and that keyframe-driven parenting extends to 3D layers as well. One thing to keep in mind: non-uniform scale may work incorrectly, which the developer attributes to an After Effects bug rather than the script itself. For a closer look, a demo video is available.
Good Parents controls can't be copied from one layer to another; that action simply won't work. If you copy layers that already carry Good Parents controls into another composition, you will need to reset the parent layers afterward for them to behave correctly. These are known constraints of how the script handles its controls, so it is worth planning your parenting setup with them in mind. The Get and Set features were added in a later update.
Good Parents is listed as free in this catalog, so there is no price to report here. Licensing terms can change over time, so for the current details it is best to check the developer's page on aescripts, where the plugin is hosted. Note that version 1.4.4, released in February 2023, includes a fix for the licensing library, which is worth being aware of if you run into any activation or licensing prompts during installation or use.
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