What It Does
Pulling a single comp out of an old project has always been a multi-step headache: open the project, select the comp, reduce the project, save a copy, import it. Pluck replaces that whole process with a panel.
Drop any .aep file onto the panel and Pluck reads it without opening it in After Effects. You get a full list of every composition inside, complete with dimensions, frame rate, and duration. Select the comps you want, hit Import, and only those comps land in your current project, along with their precomps and footage.
It works in reverse too. Drop comps from your current project onto the panel to export them as standalone .aep files with all assets collected, ready for sharing or archiving.
Key Features
Reads AEP files without opening them. Browse any project file’s composition list before committing to anything. Search and filter by name, preview dimensions and duration, then select one or many comps.
Automatic dependency resolution. Imported comps bring their precomps and footage automatically. Pluck also deduplicates footage, relinking to items already in your project rather than creating copies.
Expression warnings. Before you import, Pluck flags any broken expression references in the source comps so you’re not surprised after the fact.
Flexible folder organisation. Choose to mirror the source project’s folder structure, auto-sort by asset type, drop everything into a flat folder, or specify a custom subfolder name. Label colours are applied to imported items, and you can opt to open the comp in the timeline immediately after import.
Optional asset copy. When enabled, Pluck copies referenced footage into your project folder during import and relinks After Effects to the local copies. Smart folder matching tries to place assets into existing folders (ARTWORK, AUDIO, FOOTAGE, etc.) before falling back to mirroring. Three destination modes let you use your project folder, pick a location per import, or set a fixed default.
Pluck Off export. Export any comp as a self-contained .aep alongside its footage, as a .zip, or both. Batch exports can be bundled or kept separate. Token-based file naming using {comp}, {project}, and {date} keeps exports organised without manual renaming.
Favourites and Recent tabs. Star comps to save them for one-click import later. The Recent tab tracks the last 10 source projects so you can reload any of them instantly.
Who It’s For
Useful for anyone who regularly reuses work across projects, such as motion designers maintaining a personal library of scenes, studios sharing work between team members, or freelancers delivering clean, self-contained project files to clients. It also helps when working with large template projects where you only need one or two comps.
Requires After Effects CC 2022 or later. Mac and Windows supported.
Pricing
Pluck is a one-time purchase at $29. A free trial is available from the aescripts product page.