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After Effectsby iart-ai

After Effects Skill.

Get targeted After Effects expressions, export guidance and project troubleshooting.

  • After Effects
  • Compositing
Source Review · after-effectsSKILL.md
Task Get targeted After Effects expressions, export guidance and project troubleshooting. Produces Expressions, control-rig instructions or ExtendScript snippets. Before You Start This is guidance for desktop software and scripting, not a bundled Adobe application.
Editorial summary · source reviewed 2026-11-02 · not a generated example

01 What It Does

Get targeted After Effects expressions, export guidance and project troubleshooting

Explore an After Effects Skill for control rigs, expression snippets, alpha delivery, performance triage and collected project handoffs.

Source-based workflowNot an execution benchmark

The Working Approach

after-effects is a routing Skill for Adobe After Effects work. It covers expressions and control rigs, export choices, preview and render troubleshooting, and project organization. It supplies ready-to-paste assets and diagnostic steps for an existing editing environment.

Its expression examples explain property context and shared controls, while the export guidance distinguishes editable masters from delivery files. The project-hygiene section addresses missing footage, folder naming and collected handoffs. These are operational aids for an editor; the Skill does not itself operate a renderer or promise a completed movie.

Expected Deliverables

  • Expressions, control-rig instructions or ExtendScript snippets.
  • An export checklist matched to transparency and delivery needs.
  • A symptom-led troubleshooting or project-handoff plan.
See the Example Brief

From Brief to Review

  1. 01
    Route the actual problem

    Choose the reference that matches the problem: expressions.md for rigs and expressions, export-recipes.md for delivery, performance-triage.md for previews or crashes, and project-hygiene.md for relinking and handoff. Keep these bundled references with SKILL.md; the entry file is a routing guide.

  2. 02
    Prepare the targeted change

    Write the property expression, describe the shared control, select an output format or isolate a costly layer. Preserve the existing project constraints.

  3. 03
    Verify in the installed application

    Evaluate the expression on its target property, inspect the exported file, or reproduce the original performance symptom. Collect dependencies before handing the project to another editor.

02 When to Use It

When to Use It

This is guidance for desktop software and scripting, not a bundled Adobe application.

A Good Fit

  • Repeated motion needs controlsUse sliders, nulls and expressions to drive multiple layers through one editable rig.
  • An AE project is difficult to hand offThe source covers missing-footage diagnosis, relinking and collected project files.

Limits to Check

  • After Effects remains requiredThis is guidance for desktop software and scripting, not a bundled Adobe application.
  • Version-sensitive menus need checkingExport availability and preference names can change. Confirm the installed version rather than treating historical UI claims as current guarantees.

Bring These Inputs

  • Project contextProvide the application version, composition settings and the relevant layers or properties.
  • Desired operationDescribe the expression, export target, slowdown or missing dependency precisely.
  • Delivery constraintsState codec, transparency, recipient editor and whether source footage must travel with the project.

03 Decisions That Matter

Decisions That Matter

  1. Controlled variation

    A null layer with Slider, Checkbox, Color, Angle or Point controls can drive multiple layers. Expressions must incorporate the property's original value when existing keyframes should remain part of the result; otherwise the expression overrides them.

  2. Clear output choices

    Transparency and editing requirements guide the file format before a long render.

  3. Portable handoffs

    Collect footage with the project rather than sending a bare .aep file. For batch changes, the source's ExtendScript guidance groups actions for undo and addresses effects by their stable matchName instead of a display label.

04 Try a Focused Brief

Try a Focused Brief

The example brief below has not been tested. Check the skill’s setup before using it.

Review the Source and Setup

Provide the application version, composition settings and the relevant layers or properties.

Upstream Source File
https://github.com/iart-ai/motion-design-skills/blob/3c129f769d90a1328c209c386492333c9ac62312/skills/after-effects/SKILL.md

The reference below opens the upstream instructions. Review the repository setup before using them; it is not an installation command.

Start With One Deliverable

Adapt the scope, source material and constraints in this brief before running the skill.

Example Brief
Use after-effects to help prepare an existing title package for another editor. I need one master intensity slider to control the motion of six text layers while preserving their current keyframes. Explain where each expression belongs and how it uses the original property value. The delivery requires a transparent editing master and a separate web preview. Check the installed After Effects version before giving menu-specific export instructions. Include a collected-project handoff checklist and a short verification plan for transparency, font availability and the slider at zero, normal and maximum intensity.

Inspect the Result

Check the actual output against these observable criteria.

  • Evaluate expressions on their intended property and test control extremes.
  • Inspect transparency and playback in the receiving workflow.
  • Verify missing footage, fonts and collected project dependencies.

OpenDesign provides a local design workspace for coding agents. This listing does not mean the skill is bundled or that its external tools, credentials and software dependencies are included.

05 Source and License

Source and License

This page describes the pinned source revision linked below. Upstream behavior and requirements can change.

Source Owner
iart-ai
Skill File
SKILL.md
License
MIT
Reviewed Snapshot
2026-11-02 · 3c129f769d90
Editorial Source Summary
Get targeted After Effects expressions, export guidance and project troubleshooting.

Original summary by OpenDesign, based on the linked source. Repository stars are a dated popularity signal, not skill usage or a quality score.

06 Questions Before You Start

Questions Before You Start

Will this Skill render the final movie?

The source describes knowledge, expressions, rig setups, checklists and scripts as its deliverables. Rendering still occurs in the user's After Effects environment.

Can an ordinary H.264 MP4 preserve alpha?

The source routes transparent delivery to alpha-capable formats such as ProRes 4444 or image sequences. The actual receiving tool and export settings must be checked.

Why collect files before handoff?

An AE project references footage by path. A bare project file may open with missing media when moved to another computer.

OpenDesign

Keep Your Brief and Design Work Together.

Keep your brief, source material and design work together in a local workspace. Check the skill’s own setup before adding it to your workflow.

Upstream Source File
https://github.com/iart-ai/motion-design-skills/blob/3c129f769d90a1328c209c386492333c9ac62312/skills/after-effects/SKILL.md