What It Does
Fresh Trim keeps After Effects timelines organized by trimming and moving layers with single-click commands. Instead of manually adjusting layer in-points and out-points, you can trim layers to match parents, children, keyframes, markers, or the layer above or below. Version 2 adds layer repositioning tools that move entire layers or just in-points or out-points while maintaining relative spacing.
The plugin offers 15 trim modes covering common editing scenarios. You might trim a matte to match its matted layer, trim all selected layers to the comp length, or trim a layer to its first and last keyframes. Each mode works with keyboard modifiers (Cmd/Ctrl to trim in-point only, Alt to trim out-point only).
Key Features
Trim to Keys. Snaps layer endpoints to the first and last keyframe, useful when you’ve animated a layer but left extra frames at either end.
Trim to Parent/Children. Matches a child layer to its parent’s duration, or trims a parent to span all its children. Works for parented animation rigs.
Trim to Matte/Matted. Aligns a layer with its track matte, or trims a matte to cover all the layers using it.
Trim to Zero. Finds the first and last opacity or scale keyframes set to zero and trims to those points. Handy for fade-in/fade-out animations.
Trim to Markers. Trims a layer to its first and last marker. Good for marking edit points in audio-driven work.
Trim to Above/Below. Matches the selected layer’s timing to the layer directly above or below it in the stack. Supports non-contiguous selections in version 2.
Trim to CTI. Adjusts layer duration around the current time indicator while preserving the layer’s offset.
Move Layers. Eleven modes now include options to move layers instead of just trimming them. You can shift entire layers or move only the in-point or out-point while keeping the opposite end anchored. Settings let you choose whether to move layers to the CTI by in-point, out-point, or prompt each time.
Customizable UI. Set the number of button rows displayed and remove buttons you don’t use. Dynamic button icons adapt to the current mode.
Kbar Support. Add Fresh Trim commands to your Kbar setup for faster access.
Who It’s For
Motion designers and editors who work with layered timelines, especially those assembling multi-layer animations, kinetic typography, or complex composites. If you frequently adjust layer timing to match parents, mattes, or audio markers, this tool speeds up repetitive tasks. Also useful for editors cleaning up timelines before rendering or creating Motion Graphics Templates.
Pricing
One-time purchase at $24.99 for a single-user license. Upgrade pricing available for owners of version 1 (requires login to view discount). A trial version is available on the product page.