Note: This plugin is no longer available for purchase from aescripts.com as of 2024. Historical information is preserved here for reference.
MoBar 2 was a customizable toolbar plugin that added one-click tools and custom panels directly to the After Effects UI. Its core premise was letting you build your own workspace with buttons for scripts, expressions, effects, and animation presets.
What It Did
The plugin divided features between a free tier (custom buttons, panels, basic search) and paid tiers that unlocked 20+ pre-built tools. You could tag layers to different versions and switch between them instantly (useful for multi-language projects or A/B content variations). A quick search function let you find tools without digging through menus.
Key Features
The free version provided the foundation: add custom buttons for any installed script or effect, create resizable panels, and search within After Effects. Paid versions (monthly at $4.99, yearly at $19.99, or lifetime at $99.99 via the developer’s site) removed limits on pre-built tools.
Pre-built tools included Path Edit Mode for selecting path vertices, Number Counter for animated counting text, Typewriter for character-by-character text reveals, and a Lorem Ipsum Generator. Shape tools like Rectangle Wizard and Circle Wizard created animated shapes with locked ratios and anchor point control.
Layer management tools covered Offset Layers (shift timing with Ctrl/Cmd modifiers), Solo by Label Color, Rename Layers (batch renaming), Merge Shape Layers, and Parent to Null with automatic trimming. Version 2.3 added Separate X/Y (Retain Easing) to split dimensions without losing keyframe curves, plus Find & Replace Keys to swap keyframe values across properties.
Other utilities: Select Every Nth Layer, Auto Trim Comp (based on selected layer durations), Key Selector (filter keyframes by criteria), Text Reveal (easing presets for multi-layer reveals), and Pre-Comp shortcuts.
Version 2.0 introduced workspaces (switch via middle-click), custom shortcuts for quick search, and profile export/import. The UI supported both vertical and horizontal orientations. Later updates added retina display support, five color themes, and update notifications.
Who It Was For
Motion designers working on repetitive tasks or managing projects with multiple language versions. The custom button system suited anyone who kept reusing the same scripts or expressions. Shape wizards and text reveal tools targeted title animators. Layer management features helped compositors dealing with dense timelines.
Pricing
Pricing was pay-what-you-want with a free tier that never expired. Monthly ($4.99) and yearly ($19.99) subscriptions, plus a $99.99 lifetime option, were available directly from the developer’s site (motionape.com/mobar-pro). aescripts.com briefly listed it at $23.20 (down from $29) before discontinuing sales. No trial needed since the free version functioned without registration.
