What It Does
Bendio bends layers in After Effects without the restrictive cropping you get with CC Bend It. Works with rasters, vectors, and Shape Layers. GPU-accelerated, renders fast even with complex setups.
The main reason to use Bendio over native bend effects: attach points. Generate nulls that track positions on your bent layer, letting you parent other layers to those nulls. This makes it practical for character rigs where you need limbs, props, or other elements to follow a bent body part.
Key Features
Universal layer support. Apply bends to any layer type. For continuously rasterized layers like Shape Layers, use the Convert To Mask button to lock the bend to the layer’s geometry.
Attach points. Set points anywhere on the bent layer and generate nulls that stick to those positions during animation. Parent your character’s hand layer to an attach point on a bent arm, and it follows naturally as the arm bends.
Rigid pixel ends. Pixels beyond the bend endpoints render undistorted, giving you clean edges where bent and unbent layers meet. Useful when combining bent layers with straight ones in a rig.
Simple UI. Interface mirrors CC Bend It, making it familiar if you’ve used that before. Adjust bend angle, start/end points, and direction with standard controls.
Who It’s For
Character animators working with 2D rigs. If you’re bending limbs, tentacles, or fabric and need to attach weapons, accessories, or secondary elements, Bendio handles the attachment math for you.
Motion designers adding curved text or shape animations where cropping would ruin the effect.
Anyone frustrated by CC Bend It’s crop boundaries. Bendio renders the full layer, bent or not.
Pricing
$39 for a perpetual license. One purchase, no subscription. Free 10-day trial available.