Hot Buttons

We all love Hot Keys! I mean, who doesn't? Here is a UI panel for Adobe After Effects that simplifies the application of some of my most commonly used expressions with the click of a button.

Features

The Hot Buttons UI panel provides quick access to several useful expressions:

• Text with Box:

  • Creates a Text layer with a box that auto-scales around it.
  • Use the Margin slider on the generated null to adjust padding around the text.

• Auto Center Anchor Point:

  • Automatically centers the anchor point on the selected layer for easier alignment.

• Over Shoot:

  • Applies an overshoot bounce animation to selected keyframes.
  • Adjust the effect using the Freq (frequency) and Decay sliders on the generated null.

• Wiggle Loop:

  • Creates a continuous wiggle effect.
  • Customize the effect with sliders for frequency, amplitude, and time on the generated null.

Installation

1. Download the zip file from the repository.
2. Extract the contents of the zip file to a convenient location on your computer.
3. Move the scripts from the script folder into the After Effects Scripts directory:
   • macOS: /Applications/Adobe After Effects 2024/Scripts/
   • Windows: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects 2024\Support Files\Scripts\
4. Move the Hot Buttons.jsx file into the ScriptUI Panels directory:
   • macOS: /Applications/Adobe After Effects 2024/Scripts/ScriptUI Panels/
   • Windows: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects 2024\Support Files\Scripts\ScriptUI Panels\
5. Launch or restart Adobe After Effects.

How to Use

1. Open Adobe After Effects.
2. Navigate to the Window menu and select Hot Buttons from the list of available ScriptUI Panels.
3. The Hot Buttons panel will appear. Click on any button to apply the corresponding expression or effect to your selected layer.

Troubleshooting

• Panel Not Appearing: Ensure that the Hot Buttons.jsx file is placed in the correct directory and that After Effects is restarted.
• Expression Not Applying: Verify that the correct layer is selected before clicking the button.

Contributing

If you'd like to contribute to this project, please follow these guidelines:

1. Fork the repository and create a new branch for your changes.
2. Make your modifications and test them thoroughly.
3. Submit a pull request with a clear description of your changes and any relevant details.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for more details.

Contact

For any questions or issues, please contact [Gaetan] at [[email protected]].

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Thank you for using Hot Buttons! Hope it enhances your After Effects workflow and feel free to add more buttons to it. Happy animating!