What It Does
Batch Search-n-Replace Paths processes folders of After Effects projects and updates footage file paths automatically. When you move media files to a new location or reorganize folder structures, this script updates all references across multiple projects without manually relinking each file.
The script offers two processing methods. The legacy method (compatible with CS3 and CS4) opens each project, finds footage paths, replaces them, re-imports the footage, and saves. The XML method (CS4 and later) converts projects to XML, performs find-and-replace operations on the XML file directly, then saves the result. The XML approach runs significantly faster because it skips the re-import step and preserves all interpretation settings.
Key Features
Test mode lets you preview how After Effects will interpret the new paths before making permanent changes. This prevents broken links from incorrect path replacements.
Multiple search-and-replace pairs can run sequentially in a single batch. Set up several path updates and process them all at once instead of running the script multiple times.
Project name filtering processes only projects whose filenames contain specific strings. You can use regular expressions for advanced pattern matching, like processing only projects from a specific client or date range.
Project name modification adds prefixes, suffixes, or replaces project names entirely during the batch process. Useful for version control or organizing output files.
Recursive folder processing automatically handles subfolders, so you can point the script at a top-level directory and it will process the entire project tree.
Regular expression support in search strings enables pattern-based replacements beyond simple text matching.
Who It’s For
Editors and motion designers working with large project archives where footage has been moved or reorganized. Useful for studios migrating to new storage systems, archiving projects with portable drive references, or consolidating media from multiple locations into a centralized asset library.
Pricing
The script uses a pay-what-you-want model with a suggested minimum of $49.99. You choose your price when purchasing.
Compatible with After Effects CC 2014 through 2026.
