Freebie Script Installation
All our free scripts can be used as dockable panels with a button, as 'headless' scripts that just do their thing with no panel.
Installation
Within After Effects, go to File > Scripts > Install ScriptUI Panel… and navigate to the [Script Name].jsxbin file you downloaded. Restart After Effects.
Within After Effects, go to File > Scripts > Install Script File… and navigate to the [Script Name].jsxbin file you downloaded. Restart After Effects.
Usage
Once After Effects has restarted, go to Window > [Script Name].jsxbin. You will get a floating UI Panel that can be docked in your After Effects Workspace.
Once After Effects has restarted, go to File > Scripts > [Script Name].jsxbin. If you're going to use the script a lot, you could assign a keyboard shortcut to it.
Launcher Utilities
Quick launcher utilities like KBar or Quick Menu work perfectly with our freebie scripts. Just follow the Headless installation method above, then follow the usual process for your chosen tool.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Some of our freebies work best when ran as as keyboard shortcut.
If you use a lot of scripts
When you assign a keyboard shortcut, it's not actually assigned to the script, it's assigned to whichever script is at that place in the list of scripts. Eg. if your script is 17th in the list, your keyboard shortcut will always fire whichever script is 17th. If you add or remove scripts fairly often, this is a potential problem. The simplest solution is to rename your keyboard shortcut scripts with a zero, eg. rename Flipper.jsxbin to 0 Flipper.jsxbin.
Firstly, install the script using the headless installation method.
Launch After Effects and click Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts. In the Keyboard Shortcuts window you will see a Search Bar, type the word Scripts into it. Scroll down the list of commands below the search bar until you see your renamed script. Click twice in the Shortcut column, on the same row as the filename. This will bring up a highlighted shortcut entry field. Now enter your preferred shortcut, and once see your shortcut in the box, go ahead and click the big OK button over on the right of the Keyboard Shortcuts window.
You should now be able to run your script by using your keyboard shortcut!
Uninstallation
Scripts you installed as above will be located here:
/Users/[User Name]/Library/Preferences/Adobe/After Effects/[Version]/Scripts/
Delete or remove script files from this folder and the ScriptUI Panels folder inside it. Restart After Effects.
Hidden Folder
The Library folder is hidden by default. To open it: Open Finder, hold down the Option key, click Go in the top menu bar and select Library.
This 👆 folder is only used when you install using the File menu as described above. You may also have scripts installed here 👇:
Applications/Adobe After Effects [version]/Scripts/
Scripts you installed as above will be located here:
C:\Users\[User Name]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\After Effects\[Version]\Scripts\
Delete or remove script files from this folder and the ScriptUI Panels folder inside it. Restart After Effects.
Hidden Folder
The AppData folder is hidden by default. You can access it by typing %appdata% into the Windows Search bar or the File Explorer address bar and hitting Enter.
This 👆 folder is only used when you install using the File menu as described above. You may also have scripts installed here 👇:
Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects [Version]\Support Files\Scripts