Feature Requests

Hi:   Up until the latest update (2025) for After Effects. I was able to change my Theme UI Color. This link shows a video of how you used to able to change the Theme UI Color: (Mod note: Link removed)   I contacted an Adobe Agent and he said several changes were included in this latest update of After Effects. He said to file a feature request here in hopes of getting that feature back again. The After Effects Version I am using is: 25.0.0 (Build 53) and I am running it on a PC with a Windows 11.  This may not seem like a big issue to some people but it's something I got used to as part of my workflow.  If you could bring this feature back it would greatly be appreciated!   Mod note: Please do not condone the use of internal engineering tools like Console. The link showing how to change engineering settings in the UI has been removed. The text was also modified. Thanks.

The new quick apply box is a great addition and amazing to have a native command box, so amazing job!One feature which I feel would help give it a boost is to be able to change how the list order is shown. Mostly so it lists in order of recently used. Often projects will use the same effects or presets so it would be very useful to be able to hit enter on opening at the top, or a tap or two of the down arrow and already be where you need to be

When using the ‘new’ text styling expressions, it seems mandatory to get text from a second layer’s sourceText.Many of my projects depend on using names of Comps and Layers as text input.Why isn’t it possible to make a text layer use both techniques: input the string from Comp name or Layer name AND make use of text styling?Please add that.

Since the Film Impact effects have replaced the default effects in Premiere (Ex. Gaussian Blur, Directional Blur), and a huge part of dynamic link is the fact the effects transfer, the Film Impact effects should be ported to AE, or at the very least effects should translate to the AE versions like how Ultra Key will convert to Keylight when dynamic link is used. Premiere and AE have never had 1:1 effect continuity but it used to be true that every effect in Premiere was accessible in AE, but now unless you’re using the legacy effects even basic effects like Gausian Blur don’t even transfer, not to mention the new usefull tools that would be a life saver if they were compatible with dynamic link like Clone or RGB Split.

hican you guys add Film Impact Transitions and effects to After effectswhen i do Dynamic link from Premier i want to use them but theres not much in after effect( its like what Boris FX did with there transitions they come as effects in AE)

Many people have trouble with eye strain especially animators. Why in the world was this functionality removed from After Effects? Please add this feature. 

Could the sourceRectAtTime() expression work on 3D models and Primitives? Adding a depth parameter in addition to width and height would be great!

Need Scripting API and Expressions access to 3D Model Layers true size in pixels - these are foundational to creating pixel-perfect layouts and better tasting beers and burgers. 

OCIO must be a system to ensure convenient color management, but it leaves users frustrated. Please make it friendly for users, instead of letting them choose vague profile names from enormous lists with profiles that have quite similar names.Shouldn’t it just work within the Creative Suite apps? Switch OCIO on in all apps, and that should be it. The hassle with profiles shouldn’t be necessary - what users want is a consistent image on screen throughout apps. The apps should know how to obtain that. At this moment every import is a disappointment. Current OCIO-implementation seems to fix something that wasn’t broken. This illustrates perfectly what a hazzle this is:Example of someone who tries to explain

Often times, we need to append the latest version to a new render. Maybe its the latest version for today, or reflecting the version from the project.For example, using the [projectName].[fileExtension] template, you get:ProjectName_v001.aep >> ProjectName_v001.movHowever, often we have many comps inside the same AEP which all need to have the version appended to the end. Creating [projectName]_[compName] places the version INSIDE the filename, and not at the end. This results in ProjectName_v001_CompName.mov. The only way to put the version at the end is manually. What would be great, is some way to append the project version to the END of the string. Even an incremental version which reads other files in the output folder and goes up 1 version. For example something like [projectVersion] or [version] or [v###].

There are so many possibilities accessible with scripting. However the API does not allow for access to file pathing in plugin.The one that comes immediately to mind is Apply Color LUT forces a user to Open a dialog to find the LUT we want to apply. Instead, I’d like to have script access so I can do what Nuke can already do, apply LUTs thru a script call.Many times, the lut is literally sitting next to the file, but we’re forced to find it thru an Open dialog.Just make it so I can make a script that will go find it programmatically.FileA dir     FileA.####.exr     FileA.cubeAnd I’m not looking for an interface for just this plug in, it would be any plug in that needs an Open dialog.

It would be amazing if AE could estimate the rendered size of the render queue and check the destination drives for free space and alert the user if there might not be enough space for the renders.It could automatically happen when hitting render or it could be a separate button in the render queue window.The worst thing is when a movie (not image sequence) render is nearly finished and then space runs out or you queue up a load of files to render overnight, leave the machine to come back in the morning and find that none of them have rendered because there wasn’t enough space for the 1st in the queue!Thanks

Sometimes, you want to sample post-expression values and then change the interpolation between them.The way to do that, is by baking the whole work-area of the comp, and then selecting the keyframes you want, which isn’t great.The best way to be a thing to only place the post expression value as a keyframe, I know that this thing is easy to be done using scripting, but having this as a built-in feature would be great!I recommend a shortcut to be: Ctrl + ‘Click on the Stop-watch’.If you like the idea, please upvote it!

I would like to request support for morph target animation (also known as shape keys or blend shapes) when importing GLB/glTF files into After Effects.Use Case:In common 3D workflows (e.g. Blender → GLB → After Effects), character animation often combines:Armature (bone-based) animation for body movement Morph target (shape key) animation for facial expressions (e.g. blinking, mouth movement)Currently, After Effects imports and plays armature animation correctly, but does not play morph target animation, even when it is properly included in the GLB file.Expected Behaviour:When importing a GLB file containing morph target animation:Shape key animation should be recognized and played alongside armature animation Morph target keyframes should be evaluated over time, similar to how they function in Blender or other glTF viewers Ideally, morph target channels could be exposed for further control within After EffectsActual Behaviour:GLB imports successfully Armature animation plays correctly

By default, Layer Markers are locked to layer - it will be good to have options for -  - lockedToLayer - and lockedToTime This will be great for music/VO spotting. And there should be a visual difference in the Timeline - perhaps something similar to the small strip at the start/end of a layer stem that demarcates its true start/end.  

Layer & Comp Markers provide critical Timeline navigation instruments but they can clutter the timeline and even worse, inadvertently cover/hide layer in-outpoints or Work Area start/end points. Being able to control the transparency of the Container/Icon and the comment separately will be really good while also giving the app a modern look. Their settings can be placed in the Labels Prefs Dialog with 20% being the lowest, allowed selection to prevent ‘accidents’. 

For Rectangles, we can define corner roundness, but, unfortunately for Polystars, this is not available. The Polystar features ‘Roundness’ which is nice, but something else. (add that to Rectangle!)

Proportional scrubbing and offset don’t work for properties and keys inside shape groups. Which is a shame. I use shapegroups if I don’t want to clutter my timeline or when I want to use one compound shape layer as a matte. Often these contain animated properties that would benefit mucho from the new proportional offset and scrubbing behavior. I guess this could benefit you too!

I’m not very impressed with the new format. Precise dates are missing from older posts, many of my replies, and conversations are not visible. I don’t care for the partial image preview when you share images or screenshots.The create a post system requires way too many steps to create a thread, and the Category section requires a bunch of scrolling when creating a new post, and the options are not in alphabetical order. More clicks, more scrolling, and it’s not as easy to find threads you were working on. Still needs more work. I know this post is not about After Effects, but I can't find a category for the forum… There used to be one.

It is very inconvenient to call up hidden tools by holding the mouse. Calling the panel menu is perfectly implemented in Photoshop, also perfectly in Illustrator - right-click on the top and immediately see the list of available tools. Why can't it be the same in AE, Premiere? This holding is a very inconvenient action. And also when you start learning other programs, and again have to get used to a different way of calling this menu.Let's vote in a friendly way and ask to add the ability to call this menu as it is in most normal programs, through the right mouse click. I hope this will get where it needs to go. Thank you.

When I merge two clips, one a wav and the other a video with bad audio track, the new merged clip always has two separate audio tracks instead of one. Can we get this as an option please?

Hi! I have a request to create sticky layers, so I can for instance stick Solid and Adjustment layer to the main video and it will resize together!You might say - just precompose them, but I like to keep them under control and not having 20 comps in one.PLease support me on this, because I am always bumping into microframes sticking out here and there.

When I click Time Stretch in AE I put in 50% to speed upt the clip to X2.In Premiere Duration I have to put in 200% to do the same thing.Could you please make it the same for both apps, because it is distracting and confusingThanks

Often while writing an expression, I'll need to refer to a property that isn't currently visible. In this case, I have to leave the expression editor to twirl down properties, and then have to open the expression editor again and find where I left off (and potentially have to resize the editor again).   It would be helpful, while the expression editor is active, to be able to hold down a key (eg. Alt), allowing the user to interact with other parts of the UI without closing the editor.

Currently, if you’re pickwhipping and you need to access a property that’s hidden, then you need to stop pickwhipping, open up the property, and then pickwhip again.It would be helpful to be able to hold a designated key to temporarily suppress the pickwhip, allowing you to interact with the UI (eg. twirl open properties, unshy layers, or open another comp), before continuing to connect the active pickwhip.The above is an example for the expression pickwhip (where this would be most useful), but this would also be applicable to layer pickwhips and matte pickwhips (eg. if you need to unshy layers).