What It Does
Displacer Pro extends After Effects’ built-in displacement map effect by adding rotation and scale transformations. While the standard displacement map only moves pixels (translation), this plugin lets you displace with all three transformations, creating more complex distortions and transitions. It’s GPU-accelerated and processes at 32 bits per channel.
Originally a paid plugin, Plugin Everything released it as free software. Version 1.6.1 introduced improved scale behavior and better anti-aliasing.
Key Features
Displacement modes. Apply displacement using translation, rotation, or scale. Choose from multiple blending modes: hue, saturation, luma, red, and others. The plugin includes both modern displacement logic and a classic mode that mimics After Effects’ native behavior (where 0 = -100%, 0.5 = no displacement, 1.0 = +100%).
Map adjustments. Fine-tune displacement maps with gamma, softness, and easing controls. Mix multiple input maps. The clamp overflow option is useful for creating clean transitions.
Temporal effects. Add iterations for smoother results, or enable motion blur for displacement that changes over time.
Chromatic aberration. Split displacement by color channel for RGB fringe effects.
Performance. GPU-accelerated rendering, MFR support (multi-frame rendering in After Effects 2022+), and native Apple Silicon compatibility.
Who It’s For
Motion designers creating transitions between scenes. VFX artists needing precise distortion control for heat waves, liquid effects, or glitch treatments. Anyone frustrated by the limitations of After Effects’ standard displacement map.
Plugin Everything includes a free pack of 20 displacement transition presets to get started.
Pricing
Free. No restrictions.