What It Does
PQ FUI Toys 3 provides a library of pre-animated fake user interface (FUI) elements that you can drop into your projects. These are the glowing, animated UI overlays you see in sci-fi films, inspired by the “Iron Man helmet” style graphics. Each element is an editable After Effects composition built entirely from shape layers, masks, and native plugins.
The plugin includes a dockable Script UI panel where you can browse animated thumbnails of each FUI element. Click one, and it generates an editable comp in your project. From there, you customize parameters like color, line width, and animation timing through expression controllers, no layer diving required.
Key Features
Script UI Panel. Browse the library with visual thumbnails inside After Effects. The panel is dockable, searchable, and gives you animated previews of each element before you add it to your project.
Fully editable comps. Every FUI element is built from shape layers and masks, meaning you can customize nearly any aspect. Want to change the stroke width, adjust colors, or retime the animation? All parameters are accessible through expression controllers on a control layer.
No external assets. The plugin contains zero image files or external dependencies. Everything is generated procedurally, so your project stays lean and renders fast.
Pre-animated, sometimes looping. Many elements are designed to loop seamlessly, useful for UI displays that need to run continuously in the background of a shot.
Who It’s For
This is for motion designers who regularly need UI graphics for tech, sci-fi, or data visualization projects. If you’ve ever been asked to add “some futuristic interface stuff” to a shot, this is that. It’s also useful for anyone building HUDs, dashboards, or kinetic typography with a tech aesthetic.
Because everything is expression-driven and built from shapes, it’s also a learning tool. You can open any comp and see how the animation was constructed, which is helpful if you’re trying to understand expressions or procedural animation techniques.
Pricing
PQ FUI Toys 3 uses a pay-what-you-want model, though the listed price on the site is $49. If you own PQ FUI Toys 2, the upgrade is free. If you own version 1, you can upgrade for $10. There’s a trial version available so you can test compatibility before purchasing.
Compatibility includes After Effects CS6 through 2026.
