After Effects add-ons you should try
One of the goals in my career is to continue learning new things, especially those that help me complement the knowledge I already have. My experience as a designer has always been geared towards illustration, so learning to animate felt like a natural step.
However, I would soon discover that animation is a very broad area of the entire audiovisual production spectrum. In that sense, it can range from a simple motion graphics to publicize a product; to the generation of realistic content for large film productions.
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For my part, I have oriented this part of my career to the integration of illustration and animation, as a tool to tell stories and synthesize information. However, the best results are obtained with arduous hours of work.
And even on that practical level, sometimes the plugins already included in After Effects are not enough to get some effects or results. Luckily, there are many resources available that are very useful such as plugins, which allow you to add new functions.
That is why, in this entry of the Blog, I would like to share some Adobe After Effects Plugins and Add-ons, which I have found very useful when generating animated content, either because they allow you to optimize your work, save time or obtain incredible results.
When animating, it is relatively "simple" to modify some scenes, either correcting the color or using a green screen to make a montage. But… How to integrate the elements naturally?
Trapcode Particular is a complement that allows you to generate a system of particles in After Effects such as smoke, rain, clouds or dust, all with a high degree of realism, which will make any spectacular scene look.
It is true that "Plexus" is one of those complements that become synonymous with the appearance they generate. But the reality is that, with some expertise, it is able to generate much more than simple textures of points and lines.
Plexus is a plugin developed by Rowbyte Software, which allows you to import 3D models to use their layers, either as containers or as shapes. Without a doubt a great effect with a spectacular result.
I know, I know! The purists will scoff at the idea of using prefabricated graphics, but the truth is that they can be a great time saver. In addition, the vast majority of these plugins contain easily editable elements, so their customization is endless.
Currently, there are many on the market, but personally I recommend the Shapes Titles Creator script, which allows you to generate a wide variety of particles, shapes, titles, lower thirds and 2D effects that will enrich any motion graphics.
As we have already said, time is a crucial factor that determines the quality of a project and even its budget. Therefore, managing to automate certain operations that we would normally perform by hand, is a great advantage.
That is the great virtue of True Comp Duplicator, which allows you to duplicate hierarchies of compositions at various levels of depth. So repeating animation sequences will no longer be a problem.
If you are familiar with animation, you will already know that the handling of Inverse Cinematics (which we will talk about in future posts) is essential for any character to have natural movements.
And while After Effects features a good rigging system, Duik takes it to a whole new level, creating complex rigs that simulate muscles or bones. Plus, it's free! Definitely my favorite among this list of add-ons.
Add-ons to make things easier
Adobe After Effects is a fundamental tool for many artists and animators, thanks to its versatility and positioning in the industry. Therefore, the right add-ons can add new functionality or optimize the workflow.
Increasingly, brands require advanced animations to publicize their products. So versatility and storytelling are becoming the backbone of animation in the industry.At Galahad Studio we are professionals in the creation of animated content, ideal for social networks and startups. Stop spending on flyers or expensive ads to reach hundreds; With our Animation and Motion Graphics service we help you to be seen by thousands. Contact us!
Of course there are many plugins and add-ons to choose from in the market. If you have a favorite that is not on this list, you can leave it in the comments to share with the community. Similarly, we invite you to read our analogous publication about Plugins for Illustrator.
Do you know other useful plugins ?, What other resources do you use in your projects?
Don't forget to leave your comments.
Best regards!
