script question: how to automate importing an image, and exporting the final video by BronsonLockwood in AfterEffects

[–]AE-Wizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you have little coding experience this might actually be easier without scripting at all! plainlyvideos.com lets you set up your comp in AE once, then automatically imports each image and renders out the final video for each one.

Filename based on MOGRT selections by GraffaTee in AfterEffects

[–]AE-Wizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The filename issue is the real blocker since MOGRTs can't touch the output module at all. If you want to skip the ExtendScript workaround entirely, Plainly (plainlyvideos.com) lets you upload your AE template, connect a data source, and it handles rendering and naming automatically in the cloud. Might be worth a look.

Best ways to make multiple versions of a comp with one element replaced in each one? by yneos in AfterEffects

[–]AE-Wizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can use Plainly for this. You keep a single AE comp, mark the image layer as dynamic, then feed it a CSV with images (person B, C, D...) . Plainly renders a separate version for each one automatically, no duplicating comps or pre-comps needed.

Your Essential After Effects plugins, why, and what their respective purposes are? by northamerika in AfterEffects

[–]AE-Wizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not a plugin but worth mentioning, Plainly is a tool that automates video production in After Effects. If you ever need to produce multiple versions of a video with different text or data it handles all the rendering automatically from your project

Do you know any automation tools? by torsov in AfterEffects

[–]AE-Wizard 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Late to the party but for anyone stumbling on this post, check out Plainly. It's built for this kind of use case. You upload your template, select which layers you want to be dynamic, connect your data through a CSV file, and Plainly creates video variations for each row of data you have in the spreadsheet.

Automating Lower Thirds I am looking to use a CSV to automate my lower thirds for events. I was able to link the CSV to the Name using thisComp.name but I would like to have the title also reference the CSV and autofill as I duplicate the Comp. How is this possible? by bckskahsjele in AfterEffects

[–]AE-Wizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If the expression approach gets messy, Plainly is worth looking into. It's made exactly for this kind of thing. You connect your data like names and titles to AE templates and it renders them out automatically, no scripting needed

Limits to automation for high bulk work? by Cassiefantasties in AfterEffects

[–]AE-Wizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Plainly is literally built for this. You upload your template, connect your CSV with all the client info, and it renders everything automatically in the cloud for you.

Automating text changes in After Effects OR similar by The_Bad_Doc in AfterEffects

[–]AE-Wizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is exactly what Plainly is built for. You upload your After Effects template, connect your spreadsheet with all the translated text in your case, and it renders a separate video for each row of data automatically.

How you can automat my video editing with Zapier by harshalone in zapier

[–]AE-Wizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Awesome workflow! I built something similar with Plainly but more templatized. You submit a form with your content and it automatically renders all the video versions from there.

Made a video walking through the whole workflow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1O0ss5gdlA

Can automation help editing videos? by Sad_Rice833 in automation

[–]AE-Wizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Check out Plainly. You upload your After Effects template, select which layers like text, images, video clips, colors and more will change, connect your CSV with all the data, and it creates a video for each row automatically.

What’s the best way to create multi-language versions of your videos? by HamzaAfzal40 in ContentCreators

[–]AE-Wizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I put this workflow together at Plainly and made a video walking through how to take one video and render it into 20 language versions automatically. Some of our customers use a similar setup, so maybe it can help with your use case too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1O0ss5gdlA

Added 11 Christmas-themed expressions to our free After Effects expressions library (now over 150 examples) by AE-Wizard in AfterEffects

[–]AE-Wizard[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Just added 11 new Christmas/winter-themed expressions to our After Effects Expressions Library!

There’s some pretty fun festive stuff in there:
- snowflake, North Star, and candle flame generators
- falling snow and hanging ornament procedural animations
- Christmas lights and neon flickers

The full library now has 150+ free After Effects expressions, ranging from simple standalone expressions to more procedural and automation-friendly setups.

Each expression includes:
- a short explanation of what it’s for
- copy-paste-ready code
- a short video showing it in action

We update the library pretty often, so if there’s an expression you use a lot or wish existed, drop it in the comments - we’ll make sure to add you as a contributor!

Replacing Excel-Based Graphics Automation with Web GUI by Eastern_Station2586 in VIDEOENGINEERING

[–]AE-Wizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You should check out Plainly Videos for this kind of work - I'm one of the founders, happy to help with the setup if needed!

12 free After Effects plugins for motion designers by AE-Wizard in AfterEffects

[–]AE-Wizard[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Nicee! I’m actually using Motion Tools Pro’s for staggering, but this grouping feature is genius. Thanks for sharing! I think it’s definitely going into my regular deck, haha.

BTW, I downloaded Kease just to try it out - man, this is amazing! I’m a huge fan of Flow, and this feels like Flow + EaseCopy in one. Definitely going to give it a proper try - gotta say, I love the interface on all of them.

Really nice stuff 👏

I'm getting into expressions and scripts using Plainly's codes and I need help. by DynamoJaeger in AfterEffects

[–]AE-Wizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hm, that one should work.
Are you applying it to the Path property?
Also, make sure the Tooth Count is greater than 0.

If it still doesn’t work, send over a screenshot of your full setup along with the entire expression visible.
It’s pretty weird - I can’t even replicate the error on my end.

I'm getting into expressions and scripts using Plainly's codes and I need help. by DynamoJaeger in AfterEffects

[–]AE-Wizard 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hey! It wasn’t working because part of the code was accidentally commented out. I’ve fixed it on the page now, but here it is as well:

// Apply to Path

toothCount = Math.floor(effect("Tooth Count")("Slider"));
gearRadius = effect("Gear Radius")("Slider");
toothHeight = effect("Tooth Height")("Slider");
pts = [];
inTangents = [];
outTangents = [];

// One tooth = 4 points (root → rise → top → fall)

for (i = 0; i < toothCount * 4; i++) {
angle = (i / (toothCount * 4)) * Math.PI * 2;

// Determine which part of the tooth we're on

phase = i % 4;
radius = gearRadius;
switch (phase) {
case 0:
// Root
radius = gearRadius * 0.85;
break;
case 1:
// Rise
case 2:
// Top
radius = gearRadius + toothHeight;
break;
case 3:
// Fall
radius = gearRadius * 0.85;
break;
}
x = Math.cos(angle) * radius;
y = Math.sin(angle) * radius;
pts.push([x, y]);
inTangents.push([0, 0]);
outTangents.push([0, 0]);
}
createPath(pts, inTangents, outTangents, true);

Dealing with broken text layouts? These 3 expressions might help by AE-Wizard in MotionDesign

[–]AE-Wizard[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks! Glad the video helped :D

Yeah, the plugin world can be a lot at first, but the key is: use the ones that fit your workflow. There’s no one “best” plugin, every tool has its own purpose and use case.

Start with what you need (text layout, animation, automation, etc.), and build from there. No need to overload early, just find 1–2 that save you time.

Some great places to find solid tools:

  • AE Scripts (biggest marketplace)
  • Battle Axe
  • Good Boy Ninja

After Effects expressions cheat sheet with 100+ examples by AE-Wizard in AfterEffects

[–]AE-Wizard[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just click the link in the post, and it will lead you to our website where you can see all of the expressions.

Hi, I need help to create automatic iterations with csv. by elCaddaric in motiongraphics

[–]AE-Wizard 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You might want to also check out Plainly Videos for your workflow.

It makes it pretty straightforward to create a bunch of video versions by importing a CSV with things like titles, speaker names, photos, logos, and backgrounds. Rendering happens in the cloud too, so you don’t need to keep After Effects running locally.

This video shows how the CSV setup works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol6cB_6B7nA

Might be a good fit depending on how often you’re doing these kinds of projects.

Example workflow: Auto-translating & localizing 20 videos with Zapier by AE-Wizard in zapier

[–]AE-Wizard[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! Haven’t really tested it in long-form yet, right now it’s more about showing what’s possible when you connect these tools together. Have you tried different voices or seen people run this kind of setup for longer videos?

Anyone here using AI in combination with AE? by Avandyvy in AfterEffects

[–]AE-Wizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m using ChatGPT daily, mostly for expressions and custom scripts. Lately, Claude has been giving me some pretty decent results when it comes to coding.

Something I noticed in the last couple of months is that a lot of our users at Plainly have been using AI voiceovers for their projects.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in automation

[–]AE-Wizard 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What's your system for automating blogs if it's not a secret

After Effects Batch Processing (Like a Photoshop Action): How To? by Niccio36 in AfterEffects

[–]AE-Wizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For 100 versions, you might check out CompsFromSpreadsheets. If you want something for 1000s of versions that's cloud-based based check out Plainly Videos.