What It Does
pt_EffectSearch scans After Effects projects to find effects, whether they’re missing, built-in, or third-party. It lists where they’re applied, lets you turn them on or off, delete them, or link multiple instances together so one effect controls all the others. This is useful for cleaning up projects or managing repeated effects across many layers without manual duplication.
Key Features
Search by status or name. Find all effects in a project, or filter for specific ones like missing plugins or third-party tools. Results sort by effect name or layer order, and you can export the list to a text file.
Turn effects on or off in bulk. Select multiple effects from the search results and toggle them, delete them, or adjust their settings without hunting through layers.
Link effect instances. Choose one effect as the control, then link other copies to it. Changes to the control effect update all linked instances. Useful for color correction, overlays, or any effect applied repeatedly. Linking uses expressions to connect properties, shown in the Expression Links column.
Unlink or replace. Remove links to revert effects to their pre-linked values. The script warns if any existing expressions would be overwritten before linking. Some effects, like Levels (Histogram), can’t link due to custom data properties, but alternatives like Levels (Individual Controls) work.
Who It’s For
Motion designers managing large projects with repeated effects, editors troubleshooting missing plugins, or anyone tired of manually syncing settings across layers. Works with After Effects CS4 through 2025.
Pricing
pt_EffectSearch is pay-what-you-want. A suggested price of $39.99 is listed, but you set the amount. It’s also sold in pt_SearchAndEditBundle 2 for $79.99, which includes pt_ExpressEdit 2 and pt_TextEdit 2 (normally $120 total). Upgrades are free if you bought after February 16, 2013; otherwise $15.
