Xan Tips Tools 2.1 – The Best Tools for After Effects (Script)

Tired of wasting time with endless clicks for simple actions?

Struggling to remember expressions or bored of typing them from scratch?
This script brings everything you need into one powerful panel!

🛠️ 65 tools and expressions to save time, avoid mistakes, and speed up your animation workflow in After Effects.

🎯 Perfect for animators who want to:

• Skip repetitive clicking.
• Quickly access useful expressions.
• Stop installing tons of plugins that only help in rare situations.

✨ Clean, smart design:
Fits perfectly on the right side of your comp panel. Not too big, not too small—just right. Colorful icons, 5 organized sections, and a layout that’s easy to understand.

⏳ Time is your most valuable asset—this tool helps you make the most of it.

📺 FULL TUTORIAL

Tutorial of version 2 (in Spanish): https://youtu.be/x7GboRySvwA

🖥️ COMPATIBILITY

• Works on any version and language of After Effects.
• For Windows and Mac.
• All the script interface and descriptions are in English.

💻 HOW TO INSTALL THE SCRIPT?

It's really easy! Just drag the file inside the folder "ScriptsUI Panels" in:

👉 C/Program files/Adobe/After Effects (your version)/Support Files/Scripts/ScriptsUI Panels

🔄 UPDATES & SUPPORT

All future updates are free.
You'll automatically receive an email from Gumroad whenever a new version is released.

✉️ If you have any questions or run into issues, feel free to contact me directly at:
xantips.contacto@gmail.com

✨ Grab your copy now and start animating like a pro in just seconds.

📅 VERSION HISTORY

• Xan Tips Tools 3 - 👉 Coming soon in May 2025
• Xan Tips Tools 2.1 - January 2024
  • 65 tools in total
  • New tools, minor changes and added resources
• Xan Tips Tools 2 - Setember 2023
  • 50 tools in total
  • New interface
• Xan Tips Tools - May 2023
  • 23 tools in total

HERRAMIENTAS / TOOLS

🔹 SECTION 1

Clear Disk Cache

• CLICK - Clear the disk cache of After Effects to make it faster and clear files from your computer.
• CTRL + CLICK - Add 4 folders to organise your project (Images, Sound, Videos and Projects)

Replace Media

• CLICK - Select an image or video to replace it for any other keeping all the animations with its keyframes.
• CTRL + CLICK - Reveal Source in Project. Useful to find and change files.

Clear Render Queue

• Clear with 1 click all the render history.

🔹 SECTION 2 - CENTER

Center Layer

• CLICK - Center the selected layers in the middle of composition.
• CTRL + CLICK - Center the selected layers vertically.
• ALT + CLICK - Center the selected layers horizontally.

Center Anchor Point

• CLICK - Center the anchor point of the selected layers

🔹 SECTION 2 - MORE

Distribute layers in a grid

• Distribute the layers selected in a grid with the rows and columns defined.

Sequence Layers

• Offset the selected layers with the number of frames or seconds defined.

Flip layer

• 2 tools to flip the selected layer in horitzontal and vertical.

🔹 SECTION 3 - PATH

Shape Tools

• Open the window Shape Tools with a lot of new tools.

SHAPES WITH FILL

12. Add a rectangle with 3 sliders: Width, Height and Roudness

13. Add a circle with 2 sliders: Width and Height
14. Add a triangle with 1 slider: Number of points

SHAPES WITH STROKE

15. Add a rectangle with 4 sliders: Width, Height, Roudness and Stroke
16. Add a circle with 3 sliders: Width, Height and Stroke
17. Add a triangle with 2 sliders: Number of Point and Stroke
18. Width and Height of Shapes before creating them

16. Round Cap: Convert the stroke selected to Round Cap
17. Convert a text layer in a shape layer
18. Extract Shapes
    • Extract all the shapes (letters) from a shape layer in different layers with the name of every letter.

9. Trim Path
   • CLICK - Add Trim Path to any stroke selected and 3 sliders to control Start, End and Offset.

• CTRL + CLICK - Select Path from a shape layer.

• ALT + CLICK - Round Path

10. Create Null From Paths
    • CLICK - Open the script Create Null From Paths.
    • CTRL + CLICK - Open the script nativo Create Null From Paths Extended. Note: first you need to have it installed, it's free.

🔹 SECTION 3 - MORE

Add Marker

• Add a marker to add a comment if you have a selected layers. If you don't have any selected then will be added to the composition.

Loop

• Loop a video or a composition streching the layer size.

Speed

• Open the window to change the video or precomposition speed.

🔹 SECTION 4 - TEXT

25. TEXT GENERATOR

• CLICK - Create a centred text.
• CTRL + CLICK - Change any text selected.
• ALT + CLICK - Add a marker on the layer selected or on the composition.

26. RESOURCES

• Different buttons with resources that open useful websites.

🔹 SECTION 4 - EXP

27. List of tools and expressions
28. Apply the tool selected

Null

• If there is no layer selected, it add a null. If there are layers selected, add a null with all the layers parent to it.

Time

• Apply to the property selected the expression "time" and 1 slider to control the value.

Time X

• Apply to axis X in the property selected the expression "time" and 1 slider to control the value.

Time Y

• Apply to axis Y in the property selected the expression "time" and 1 slider to control the value.

Wiggle

• Apply to the property selected the expression "wiggle" and 2 slider to control frequency and amplitude.

Wiggle X

• Apply to axis X to the property selected the expression "wiggle" and 2 slider to control frequency X and amplitude X.

Wiggle Y

• Apply to axis Y to the property selected the expression "wiggle" and 2 slider to control frequency Y and amplitude Y.

Random

• Apply to the property selected the expression "random" and 1 slider to control maximum value.

Random Scale

• Apply to the scale selected the expression "random" and 2 slider to control the minimum and maximum value of scale.

Random Position

• Apply to the position selected the expression "random" and 2 points control to control the size and movement of the area.

LoopOut

• Apply to the property selected that it has 2 keyframes the expression "loopOut" to loop the animation.

Ping Pong

• Apply to the property selected that have 2 keyframes the expression "loopOut("ping pong)" to loop the animation in ping pong (go and back).

Linear

• Apply to the property selected the expression "linear" and 1 slider to control the input.
• 📺 Tutorial: https://youtu.be/CJg_8Y7QNpk

Proximity Scale

• When there are selected layers it add a null that when its moved it will change the layers scale. The null have 2 sliders to control the scale and the proximity area.

Proximity Opacity

• Same like Proximity Scale but with Opacity.

Proximity S+O (Scale + Opacity)

• Combine the features of Proximity Scale and Proximity Opacity in 1 null with 3 sliders: Distance, Scale and Opacity.

LookAt

• When there are selected layers it creates a null that makes all the layers look at the null when it moves.

Particle Control

• When a layer is selected with the effect CC Particle World, it creates a null to control the particle position to make it easier to animate.

Counter

• Create a counter with 2 sliders to change the number, add decimals and 1 checkbox to add points (1.000.000).

Stop Motion

• Apply to the selected layers the stop motion effect making them alive. Very useful to make any layer alive.

🔹 SECTION 5 - NEW

29. P (Pre-compose)

• CLICK - Precompose the layers selected.
• CTRL + CLICK - Trim composition to current time.

30. S (Solid)

• CLICK - Add a Solid
• CTRL + CLICK - Add a instant black solid.
• ALT + CLICK - Add a instant black solid with the same duration as a selected layer.

31. A (Adjustment Layer)

• CLICK - Add an Adjustment Layer
• CTRL + CLICK - Add an Adjustment Layer with the same duration as a selected layer.

🔹 SECTION 5 - COMP

32. Change resolution

• 4 buttons to change the composition resolution to HD, phone screen, Instagram and 4K.
• Scale Comp:
  • CLICK - Open a script to scale composition.
  • CTRL + CLICK - Open a script to scale selected layers.

33. Change duration

• 2 text boxes (minutes and seconds) to quickly change the composition duration with intro.

🔹 SECTION 6

34. Xan Tips Logo

• CLICK - Open Xan Tips YouTube channel to check tutorials of After Effects and other programs.
• CTRL + CLICK - Open Xan Tips Gumroad.

35. Information (script versión and contact email)