What It Does
Shape Layer Toolbar provides a visual button panel for creating and managing shape layer elements in After Effects. Instead of navigating menus, click buttons to add fills, strokes, gradients, and other shape properties. Save your preferred settings for each element and apply them later with one click.
Key Features
Quick element creation. Add fills, strokes, paths, trims, and other shape properties through a button interface. Customizable settings let you define default values for each element type.
Save and load settings. Configure values, expressions, and gradients once, then recall them across projects. The tool stores settings for each shape element separately, including any active expressions.
Batch selection. Press Ctrl+Shift (Cmd+Shift on Mac) and click an element button to select all instances of that element type in the current layer.
Expression controls management. Save and restore expression control values across layers. Particularly useful for rigged projects where you need consistent control setups.
Gradient support. Work with gradient fills and strokes (After Effects CC 2014 and later). Settings are stored as animation presets for compatibility.
Pen tool automation. When you add an empty shape path, the script automatically activates the Pen tool (After Effects CC 2016 and later).
Who It’s For
Motion designers who build a lot of shape-based graphics will save time with preset configurations. Riggers and template creators benefit from the expression controls workflow. Anyone doing repetitive shape work, such as lower thirds or icon animation, gains speed through saved element settings.
Pricing
Shape Layer Toolbar uses pay-what-you-want pricing. You choose your price when purchasing. The developer sets a suggested price of $24.99, but you control what you pay.