Introduction to Adobe After Effects Plugins

Adobe after effects is a vast application that is used by editors, animators, and motion graphic artists. Adobe after effects is generally used in post-production purposes where a video or an animation needs to be edited after being captured. After effects itself has so much to offer to their users, it also comes with third party plugins that make the program more commercial and advanced. The plugins help the user to work in the 3D environment and with 3D objects directly in the program. The add-ons and presets make the work easier and user-friendly, it also supports new functions with easier options and settings. These plugins take one’s project to another level or make it advanced and help the users to make fun stuff and animations.

Top Plugins of Adobe After Effects

The following are the plugins that are generally required in the software –

1. PQ FUI Toys 2

This plugin helps the user in adding various other UI graphics to a presentation or project without wasting any time. PQ FUI Toys 2 supports a large variety of effects that are based on motion graphics tools. These tools can help the user to upgrade their designs and presentations. These plugins can also be modified at any point of view and help the user to change and add effects to their scenes faster than the normal manual work.

2. Magic Bullet Red Giant

This plugin offers a wide range of coloring tools and gradient effects. The plugin also gives the user a chance for color corrections and finishing effects. This plugin is helpful to the users who are into making of small video clips or films. This plugin has more than 200 add-ons that can be modified and customized at any point of time. This plugin can also perform Noise Cleanup, Real-time Color Corrections functions. The tools are also capable in balancing the color tones, skin tones, and edit face features as well.

3. Particle Builder

This plugin is specially designed to work with a specific Trapcode plugin. This plugin helps the user to modify and change the settings and properties of the particles in general. The plugin is very useful and helps in a lot of ways. With this plugin in hand, the user can create sand particles, fire particles, smoke particles, sparkle particles. The tools can be used to change a particular setting of the particle such as particle color, size and dimensions.

4. Saber

This Plugins comes from Copilot and is available free of cost. The motive of the Plugins is to create various forms of light effects in the animation and projects. The tools can create Laser Lights, Neon Lights, Energy Beams, Haze and much more. The tool has more than 50 presents embedded in it and can perform functions such as Dynamic Text and Mask Outlines, Stackable FX and Built-in Distortion. The tools can also help the users to develop high-resolution light beams and Realistic Glow falloff. The plugin can also be used for the upgraded and advanced settings of the core.

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5. Boris FX

This Plugin is very well used and demanded. The plugins have three main parts to it. Boris FX offers three plugins as part of it namely- Sapphire, Mocha, and Continuum. The 1^st plugin that is Sapphire is a storehouse of other plugins that perform composting, editing and motion graphics functions. The 2^nd Plugin that us Mocha is a tracking engine that helps in compositing the videos, based on the planar tracking engine. The 3^rd Plugin is Continuum, this tool is used for 2D and 3D Tittle settings, Color tone setting, picture settings, and other image and animation manipulation tools.

6. Element 3D v2.2

This plugin is GPU Accelerated, which is helpful when the user needs to import 3D materials and objects to the program. The plugin also provides a platform where the objects can also be animated and textured. This plugin can import, export and animate the OBJ sequence. It can also create Matter Reflection Modes and Matte Shadows with the Alpha Channels. The plugin is so powerful that it can import textures as well.

7. Plexus 3

This plugin is the most powerful plugin, it is that plugin that helps in animating the lines and dots in the 3D environment. Moreover, Plexus 3 is capable of creating and editing particles and even animated them simultaneously. The plugin can also import OBJ sequences and can create facets between the particles. It can also render sprites and is helpful Sound Picker.

8. Trapcode Form

This plugin comes from RED Giant is a similar plugin to Plexus. This plugin also helps to animate the particles in After Effects. The plugin allows the user to animate 3D sequences as well. The Trapcode form can import the OBJ Sequences and has more than 130 presets within it. The plugin in GPU Accelerated in nature and can perform 3D camera and Light effects perfectly.

9. DUIK

This a commonly used Plugin for Rigging characters and models. The program After Effects cannot Rig any character on its own, and thus it needs an add-on to perform the function smoothly. The Plugin helps in Bezier IK, 3-layer IK, Stretching IK, and Dynamic Automations. The tool can also rig models of animals and birds smoothly. With this plugin in hand, when the rigging is done perfectly, the animation can be performed smoothly and accurately.

Conclusion

Above mentioned Plugins are some of the few Plugins that are associated with After Effects and these are specifically important to use for smooth and accurate animation and editing. Some of the plugins are easy and are available free of cost, while some are expensive to purchase and uses a lot of computer memory. The objective to create effects will decide which plugin to purchase accordingly.