Why After Effects’ Expression Editor Needs an Update

[YuK1_Works]

After Effects’ built-in Expression Editor needs a serious update. There are several critical issues that make writing expressions frustrating:

1. Outdated font and tooltips
   The current editor uses a dated, hard-to-read font, and its tooltips are old-school and cluttered. Simply switching to a modern monospaced font and refreshing the tooltip design would greatly improve readability and comfort.

2. Unhelpful error messages and code completion
   Vague, cryptic error messages leave you guessing, and the autocomplete suggestions are often off-base typing a dot after an object still frequently yields irrelevant entries that trigger errors. A smarter IntelliSense that accurately lists properties and methods after a period would save countless headaches.

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Suggested Improvements

• Modernize UI elements

  • Adopt a programmer-friendly monospaced font

  • Enhance syntax highlighting with additional themes and user customization

  • Enrich tooltips with type information and links to official documentation

• Real-time error detection

  • Flag syntax and type errors as you type, with clear visual indicators

  • Provide concise, meaningful messages.

• Advanced autocomplete

  • Offer precise property and method suggestions immediately after typing a dot

  • Prioritize completions based on scope analysis to surface the most relevant entries

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Implementing these changes will make expression authoring in After Effects far more pleasant and efficient and will empower users to focus on creativity rather than wrestling with the editor. Please consider these updates for the next release.

[Amir Stone]

Hi,

These are great ideas. I wanted to ask if you're using the latest version of AE. The current version should include a monospaced font. Also there should be extensive themes and customization options in the preferences panel, included a picture below.

It would be helpful if you could expand on your requests a bit. For example what type of concise meaninful messages are you hoping for?

Amir

After Effects Engineering

[Roland Kahlenberg]

Hi Amir, I hope it's OK to contribute to this thread; specifically on Expression Error Messages.

1 - wrongly targetted line for the error 

2 - Error Message points to a Code Line but more often than not, on longer expressions, this line either doesn't exist or it's pointing to the wrong Code Line.

3 - when multiple Expression Errors are found, the last error is shown first. This is not ideal because it messes with my head and also - occasionally, after fixing the first error, subsequent errors may self-correct. By first, I mean going by layer Index. There may of course be other options that will be optimal for other/special setups. 

4 - it's also very often, almost all the time, in the Expression Editor, the Error Message Box blocks other lines of code. I'd like if the Error Message Box can be moved by the user; subject to being constrained within the Expression Editor area will be ideal.

5 - There's also an Expression Bug with Effect Controls and the Text Expression Selector's Amount prop - If you change the name of an Effect Control, the Expression Errors - it should update, like other Expressions do. The trick/fix is to click in the Expression Edtior and exit it and the error goes away - seems like the click-in does a wake up call of sorts.


Also, thinking if the Expression Editor can be hooked up to an LLM or a "Made for AE Expression Engine Co-Pilot" that can help correct the Error or suggest options and also carry out the suggested options in a guided manner until the error is fixed or the user bails out. And might as well include an option to mail the AE Team if a solution isn't found.

[Max31573779ml1e]

Adding to this thread, that it would be amazing to optionally have the expression editor as a dockable window, that always displays the expression of the currently/last selected property.
I have a lot of problems with the editor being limited to the timelines size, especially when an expression is on a layer on the bottom of the timeline it doesnt expand, showing only few lines of the code. Would also make it easier to switch working between expressions on different properties

[YuK1_Works]

Please stop these incomprehensible suggestions.

No suggestions are needed for the input of the text portion.

More specifically, it is best if only the included content is suggested.