What It Does
When you duplicate a precomp in After Effects the standard way, all copies share the same source composition. Edit one and you edit them all. DeepCopy solves this by creating genuinely independent duplicates, breaking that link completely. It works from both the Timeline and the Project panel, handles nested compositions recursively, and can optionally duplicate footage and solids so nothing is shared between the original and the copy.
Key Features
Shortcut-driven duplication. The whole tool is designed around a single assignable keyboard shortcut. You can duplicate a precomp without opening any panel at all, which makes it fast enough to use repeatedly during a session.
Nested comp support. DeepCopy recurses through nested compositions, so every comp inside a comp gets its own independent copy. You don’t have to manually track down child comps.
Preserve Animation. Expressions, keyframes, parenting relationships, and timing are all carried over to the duplicated comp. The copy behaves exactly like the original at the moment it was duplicated.
Advanced Filtering. You can choose to duplicate only specific comps by filtering on label color, or by matching comp names that start with, end with, or contain a given string. Useful when a project has dozens of comps and you only need to branch a subset.
Auto folder organization. Duplicated compositions, solids, and assets are automatically grouped into folders in the Project panel, keeping things from scattering across your project.
Compact Mode. A minimal UI for quick duplications when you don’t need the full panel open.
Duplication summary. An optional summary reports how many compositions, layers, and assets were duplicated. Can be toggled off in settings if you prefer no interruption.
Who It’s For
Anyone who versions comps regularly will get the most out of this. It’s particularly useful for motion designers working on templated projects where one master comp gets branched into multiple client variants, or for editors who need to preserve a working state before making destructive changes. The filtering options also make it practical on large projects where selective duplication saves time over manually hunting through the Project panel.
Pricing
DeepCopy is a one-time purchase at $14.99. A free trial is available on the aescripts product page. Compatible with After Effects 2022 through 2026.