by Leandro Salerno·Workflow
Images © Leandro Salerno. Used for product review; image policy.
Earns its place for a focused take on comp versioning: named visibility states, a JSON file that travels next to the project for team folders, and one-click batch rendering of every version.
Visual States saves and loads named layer visibility states, letting you manage multiple versions of the same composition inside After Effects. States save with no artificial cap and load with one click or double-click. You can select several states with Ctrl+Click or Shift+Click, delete them in one step, and use Include / Exclude Layers to turn selected layers on or off across specific states or all of them without reloading.
Comp Navigator lets you click the active comp name to browse every comp with saved states in the project and switch between them. Duplicate Comp with States carries all states to a new comp, while Copy States from… pulls states from another comp and shows how many layers matched per state. You can also import states from other projects with Open or Merge, and send versions to the Render Queue with Render All or Render Sel.
States are stored in a plain .visualstates.json file next to your .aep, so they can be shared across shared drives and team folders. Rename layers, reorder them, or rename comps without breaking saved states. Visual States runs as a dockable panel and installs on Windows and macOS.
Visual States is best for after Effects artists managing multiple versions of the same comp and batch rendering each version.
Visual States is completely free to download and use.
Visual States is compatible with After Effects 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, and 2022. It installs from the VisualStatesPRO130.jsxbin file and runs as a fully dockable panel inside After Effects, so you can keep it open alongside your other workspace panels. A full user guide in English is included with the download. If you're on a version outside that range, check the developer's page for current details before installing.
Visual States ships as a VisualStatesPRO130.jsxbin file that is ready to install and works on both Windows and macOS. Once installed it runs as a fully dockable panel inside After Effects, and a full user guide in English is included to help with setup. Saved states are written to a plain .visualstates.json file stored next to your .aep, keeping the same workflow consistent across either operating system.
Visual States stores each composition's saved states in a plain .visualstates.json file kept next to your .aep. Because the file sits alongside the project, you can share those states across shared drives and team folders for collaborative work. You can rename layers, reorder them, or rename comps without breaking the saved states, and import states from other projects using Open or Merge, which includes a full merge dialog with overwrite control.
Visual States opens projects and state files created with Visual States LITE, and LITE files work instantly in PRO with no data loss. That means you can move existing work forward without rebuilding your saved visibility states. The states themselves live in the plain .visualstates.json file next to your .aep, so transferring or merging them into another project uses the same Open or Merge tools with overwrite control.
Visual States is listed as free in this catalog. Licensing terms can change, so check the developer's page on aescripts for the current details before you download. The download is the VisualStatesPRO130.jsxbin file, which is ready to install and works on Windows and macOS, and it also opens projects and state files made with Visual States LITE with no data loss.
Also in Workflow for After Effects.
by Cult Extensions
Cult Translator is an After Effects localization tool that automates text-layer translation without external apps, spreadsheets, or copy-paste. It provides context-aware AI translations, preserves formatting, and supports over 100 languages for video localization.
by Scott Black
Control Suite is an interconnected ecosystem for After Effects focused on faster layer grouping, shortcuts, selections, and navigation. It brings shared controls and consistent feedback together across its tools.
by Vidalina Rahmatiana
Layer Memo is an After Effects extension for attaching notes directly to specific layers. Notes save inside your .aep file, and clicking a note opens the comp and selects the layer instantly.
by jon hanlan
COMP-O-RAMA is an After Effects script for batch-creating compositions from presets or custom templates. Add items to a queue, hit create, and generate every comp you need in one pass.
by Gary Reisman
Drop and Slide is an After Effects tool for building dropdown menu controls that can drive layers, layer time remapping and source text, then sliding to change selections in various ways.
by Salt Media
BlenderAe2 by Salt Media transfers 3D data and objects between Blender and After Effects in both directions, covering vertices, 3D layer transforms, camera data and layer synchronization.
by MAXON
Maxon One from MAXON bundles tools like Cinema 4D, ZBrush, Redshift, Red Giant and Maxon Studio into a unified ecosystem, letting artists move between applications and Adobe hosts such as After Effects and Premiere Pro without friction.
by MotionLand
AEVIEWER 2 is a media browser for After Effects and Premiere Pro from MotionLand. Preview, apply, and import projects and media files in one click. Listed here as free.
by MAXON
Maxon Teams Annual Subscription Licensing is a one-year named-user plan for teams working across After Effects, Cinema 4D, and Premiere Pro. It provides access to Cinema 4D, Redshift, ZBrush, and Red Giant's creative tools.
by Motion Array
Motion Array is an extension for After Effects and Premiere Pro that brings its library of templates, stock video, royalty-free music, and more into your Adobe Creative Cloud apps for one-click download and import.
by Thomas Zagler - pixelsucht.net
Free Stock Search is an extension for After Effects and Premiere Pro that searches unsplash.com, pixabay.com, and pexels.com for free stock photos, then downloads and imports a chosen image with one click.
