Motion Design is not just about knowing After Effects; it's about customizing it to work faster. This is your "Starter Pack" of tools I use every single day.
You need to install these before we start serious animation.
The ESSENTIAL Drive FolderBy Video Copilot (Found in Software/Plugins)
What it is: A "Spotlight Search" bar for After Effects.
Why you need it: Instead of hunting for "Gaussian Blur," hit Ctrl+Space, type "Gauss", and hit Enter. It's instant. Install this immediately.
Product Manager (Found in Software/Plugins)
What it is: The installer for "Animation Composer."
Why you need it: It provides a library of quick transitions, sound effects, and text presets that save hours of manual keyframing.
(Found in Blender Addons on the Drive)
AE to Blender Bridge:
This allows you to take 3D Camera Tracking data out of After Effects and import it into Blender. Essential for VFX compositing later in the course.
I highly recommend you start managing your tools professionally using the AEScripts + AEPlugins manager. You will use this marketplace for your entire career.
For scripts found on Gumroad or custom folders (like the "After Effects Scripts" folder on the Drive), you must install them manually.
1. Close After Effects.
2. Copy the .jsx or .jsxbin files.
3. Paste them into the following folder path:
WINDOWS:
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects 202X\Support Files\Scripts\ScriptUI Panels
MAC:
Applications/Adobe After Effects 202X/Scripts/ScriptUI Panels
4. Restart After Effects. They will appear in the "Window" menu.
Looking for more? Check the #scripts-n-plugins channel on the class Discord. I treat it as a repository for every new free tool I find.