Install preset through the app

[mttplbkp]

Is there a way to install a preset without pasting it into the presets folder on my Mac?

E.g. can I install it through the AE interface, similar to installing a brush in Photoshop? Because I don't have an admin user account at my workplace and MacOS won't let me paste a downloaded preset into the relevant folder, at least not without an admin password anyway.

[Mathias Moehl · Accepted solution]

In the Documents folder of your user you should have a folder

Adobe/AfterEffects 2022/User Presets

where you can copy the preset.

That way it is installed for your user only and all you need is access to your user's Documents folder (which any normal user should have).

If you want toapply a preset without having the preset installed at all, you can also use scripts.

My tool Automation Blocks, for example, can execute presets, no matter where exactly you have the preset file. See this tutorial at 3:17 for details:

[mttplbkp]

Thank you! unfortunately it still seems to be asking me for the password... there is a subfolder in there called 'Adobe' but it appears to be a shortcut to the main folder.

I can copy the preset into the following:

Adobe/AfterEffects 2022/User Presets

But it doesn't appear to show up in the menus in AE, and cannot install into the Adobe shortcut folder.

[Mathias Moehl]

Did you try to restart Ae after copying the preset?

If I copy preset files in the "User Presets" folder, they show up in "Animation Presets->User Presets" in Ae:

[mttplbkp]

Argh! I've just realised it was there afterall 🙃 I was originally looking in the menus at the top and couldn't see it, but have noticed it is showing in the 'Effects & Presets' panel

Thanks!