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Sterphy
Known Participant
September 28, 2022
Open for Voting

Folders in After Effects timeline

  • September 28, 2022
  • 115 replies
  • 16767 views
Timeline folders. We have them in Animate, Photoshop, Illustrator... precomps can utterly ruin your work and is NOT an alternatives to having a simple folder hierarchy - especially when dealing with shape layers or anything that requires continual rasterization.

115 replies

Participating Frequently
February 28, 2026

There is a plugin for this: https://aescripts.com/free-compose/

But this REALLY should be a native feature.

Known Participant
February 22, 2026

"Hey Adobe, can we have something as necessary and basic as folders for AE timelines?

"How about some poorly made AI tools that slow down the whole app to being nearly unusable"

"Nobody wants that"

"We're Adobe, we don't give a **** what our actual users think"

Sterphy
SterphyAuthor
Known Participant
July 26, 2025

Their lack of communication with users is absolutely shocking 

Participant
July 17, 2025

There's a script that does this called Free Compose (aescripts.com/free-compose) ... has a few other cool and useful features too, lets you select layers directly in the comp, and more.

melbendi
Inspiring
June 20, 2025

Maybe that's why 😉

Sterphy
SterphyAuthor
Known Participant
June 20, 2025

It's crazy! I'm in the same position because AE is the only app without a much better alternative, yet it's seemingly the one they put the least effort into.

llealloo
Known Participant
June 19, 2025

I would be just as happy to see them build an entirely new node based composition type where you could nest layered comps or other node based comps inside it, with the ability to feed master properties through nodes. That would crush

Known Participant
June 19, 2025

Honestly, the sooner I can move away from Adobe the better.  They just don't give a ****, as is illustrated by this thread being so well supported and so little listened to.  We're not talking about a hard to build feature here.  This is very basic stuff.

 

After Effects is the only reason I still pay the subscription.  I've found alternatives for pretty much everything else that are free and do a good enough job for what I need.

Sterphy
SterphyAuthor
Known Participant
June 19, 2025

I think they've secretly found a way to monetise stress, anger and disappointement. It's the only logical answer. 

motionben
Known Participant
June 16, 2025

C'mon guys, they're doing their best! They're only the worlds 88th most valuable company! Give them a break!!!