Like actions in Photoshop or plugins in Lightroom, scripts in Adobe After Effects add extra functionality and enhancements. These enhancements range from little things, like better note-taking, to big things, like help managing layers and keyframes in large compositions. Whatever you choose, using scripts in Adobe After Effects will greatly speed up your work and generally make life easier.

In this article, we've put together some of our favourite scripts from VideoHive to save you time and effort in After Effects.

1. Shortcutter: The Ultimate AE Timesaver

Generate entire project structures in seconds, add multiple things quickly, create camera rigs and much more in just a few keystrokes. Create items from shortcuts, like adjustment layers, text layers etc and set layer properties immediately. 

2. Super Assistant

Super Assistant can be used to manage the scripts, expressions, pre-sets, templates and effects, greatly improving your efficiency. Main features include quick search, script debugging, edit expression, renaming plugins and adding an item in favourites' list.

3. AW_PreviewGenerator

With one click, you can batch convert your GIFs from within AE. Keep things organised and browse by categories using the same structure as AE. Includes transparency support, and you can live preview all your footage in one place.

4. GIF Magick

Gif Magick is a Simple Script for Adobe After Effects, which allows you to make a Gif in a one click. It doesn’t require any special knowledge, has a friendly user-interface and comes with a video tutorial to tell you everything you need to know. 

5. Boilerplater: Project Layout Creator

This script generates common project structures in a fresh way. Features include 3 common project types, letterboxing and the auto-generation of video placeholder comps.

6. Project Utility

Project Utility is an After Effects script designed to keep your project window nice and tidy. You can remove useless items, such as empty folders and comps, unused footage and more. 

7. Crow Notes

Crow Notes is a script that allows you to save, rename and access many different notes by using commands from dropdown menus. Doing this allows you to have your notes of any kind right on your After Effects interface to keep information about things to do, or payments for example.

8. Crow Browser

Crow Browser is a script for After Effects that allows you to explore the folders of your hard drives like you would usually do in Finder/Explorer. You can easily import files directly from the script into After Effects project, you can open folders and you can check help documentation as you need it.

9. Magic Marker

Magic Marker is a project management tool designed to refine your daily workflow, no matter the project. Included features are: saving multiple presets for later use and the ability to copy and paste any marker from one layer to another.

10. Credit Smith

Credit Smith allows you to create 2 different types of credits for your videos. Its simple interface makes creating even the most complex credits, well… simple!

11. Layer Manager 3

Layer Manager helps you manage your layers in a timeline and viewport, ideal for large compositions; saving you time scrolling back and forth to find required layers.

12. Easy Keyframe

To have a good animation, you need to change the key frame interpolation, and Easy Keyframe lets you do that quickly and easily. It cuts out the need to open the speed graph, select the key frames, and manually change the interpolation and influence, simply select all the key frames you want, even from different layers and you’re done!

13. ShotName

ShotName automatically displays the name of the current clip, so you don’t have to type each name by hand. You can choose if you want to display source name or layer name. The script also has options to display the Timecode and Frame Number, together or independently.

14. Scheme Creator

Scheme Creator can generate block structures of any complexity. This script features detailed video and text instruction to modify blocks and line animation, give you full control of settings and much more.

15. Beat Editor

Beat Editor will generate and extend a graph of your track, allowing you to better see where you need to make your animation or place layers. Add markers manually or automatically, change colour and position and much more.

16. Fast Gallery Filler

Fast Gallery Filler lets you add your content in a fast and easy way. Add any number of photos or videos, auto-resize and let the placeholders take the hard work out of your project.

17. Social Media Video Captions

Create, adjust, sync subtitles quickly and easily with this subtitles' editor for After Effects. Visually synch with markers, make live update adjustments and choose from a selection of clean styles to make your project stand out.

18. FX Tutor

FX Tutor is a dockable script that allows you to understand what each effect and its parameters do. Whether you are an After Effects beginner, or an expert who simply wants to have a quick resource to learn about effects, FX Tutor is the perfect tool for anyone. It features an easy to use interface, as well as easy access to helpful tutorials.

19. Project Manager V1.0

Project Manager can be used as dockable palette or separate window. It’s an auxiliary tool for a project panel which can help quickly complete project file classification and arrangement.

20. Layer Editor

Layer Editor can be used as dockable palette or separate window. Features include the ability to bath rename, sort layers into the order of your choice and much more.

21. Lower Thirds Composer

Lower Thirds Composer saves you time by removing repetitive and boring tasks and helps you create cool lower thirds based on qualitative templates. Choose your favourite preset from a collection of 44, have a clean and well-organised library and increase your productivity with this AE script.

Have You Found a Time-Saving Script?

If you've found a great After Effects script that you can't live without, then let us know!