Skip to main content
Participant
February 27, 2025

Auto Levels plugin Missing Effect when opening a Project file in AE 24.6 on Mac OS 12.5.1

  • February 27, 2025
  • 4 replies
  • 1029 views

Im having a error when I opening my AE project file in AE 24.6. It says, This project contains a reference to a missing effect. Please install the following effect to restore this reference. "Auto Levels".

 

In the Animation Presets, Auto Levels is listed as missing. But when I go to the Plugins folder the AutoLevels.plugin is there. Previously I had assigned Auto Levels to a layer but I deleted it because AE said it had an error.

 

I have checked every layer and Auto Levels is not there. I have re-saved this project to open in AE 22 and AE 25 and Auto Levels error message doesnt come up. It is ONLY in AE 24.6. I figured this is a bug in 24.6 and I wanted to report it. Ive used 24.6 for awhile now. So I can either flatten my footage layers in 24.6 and delete the problematic footage and save it as a new 24.6 file -OR; just work in AE 25 which my team doesnt work in yet.

 

Can this bug be fixed?

4 replies

JohnColombo17100380
Community Manager
Community Manager
February 27, 2025

@monicah18480071 Auto Levels is an effect that ships with After Effects, so you'll need to disable "Only Show Third-Party Effects" in order to see it in the list.

 

Cheers,

- John, After Effects Engineering Team 

Participant
February 27, 2025

Auto Levels doesnt show up in Manage Effects at all. 

Participant
February 27, 2025

Yes I tested it in AE 25 and the bug is not there. It seems to be only in AE 24. I also dont see the bug in AE 22 either. 

Right now Im rebuilding the project file in AE24 and deleting all the effects to see if I can get rid of bug error. I see that Auto Levels, altho not attached to any layers, is still flagging the comp. When I delete the comp, and only have just a rendered file and save as a new test, the erros doesnt come up. 

Jenkmeister
February 27, 2025

Go to Effects -> Manage Effects and see if Auto Level has been disabled from the list. Re-enable if it has.

Participant
February 27, 2025

Im having a error when I opening my AE project file in AE 24.6. It says, This project contains a reference to a missing effect. Please install the following effect to restore this reference. "Auto Levels".

 

In the Animation Presets, Auto Levels is listed as missing. But when I go to the Plugins folder the AutoLevels.plugin is there. Previously I had assigned Auto Levels to a layer but I deleted it because AE said it had an error.

 

I have checked every layer and Auto Levels is not there. I have re-saved this project to open in AE 22 and AE 25 and Auto Levels error message doesnt come up. It is ONLY in AE 24.6. I figured this is a bug in 24.6 and I wanted to report it. Ive used 24.6 for awhile now. So I can either flatten my footage layers in 24.6 and delete the problematic footage and save it as a new 24.6 file -OR; just work in AE 25 which my team doesnt work in yet.

 

Can this bug be fixed?

nishu_kush
Community Manager
Community Manager
February 27, 2025

Merging the duplicate thread.


Thanks,
Nishu