UI Animator Pro.

Getting Started

Overview

UI Animator Pro (UIAP) is an After Effects panel for bringing websites, apps and interface mockups into After Effects. From there you can turn them into scenes, animate them, add sound and export the result.

This guide explains what each tool does, what to select before using it, and what result to expect.

A Few General Tips:

• Most tools work on the ACTIVE composition. Open a comp and click inside its timeline before you use a tool.
• Hover over any button to see a short tooltip. You can turn tooltips on or off in Settings.
• A small "› Settings" line under a block opens its extra options. A gear icon (⚙) on a tile opens the settings for that single tool.
• If something goes wrong, UIAP shows a short error message in the corner. You can copy it and send it to support if needed.
• Every action can be undone with Ctrl/Cmd + Z in After Effects.

Top Bar

Search

Type the name of any tool, block or action to find it quickly and jump straight to it.

Update Button

Appears when a new UIAP version is available. Click it to install the update.

Manual Update

Opens your Gumroad Library so you can download the latest UIAP version.

Workspace

My Workspace

Your own page. Collect the tools you use most in one place.

My Workspace

• Click "+" on the page to add a tool block (Design to Motion, Layer Tools, Animation Presets, SFX, Export and so on).
• Drag a block by its handle to change the order.
• Remove a block with its X. You can add it again at any time.
• Use the "+" next to the workspace tab to create more workspaces, for example one for editing and one for sound.
• Right-click a workspace tab to rename it.

Daily References

A new motion design reference every day. Click the arrow to open it in your browser. Close the card if you don't need it. You can turn it off in Settings.

Import

Design

Design To Motion (Beta)

Brings website UIs and Figma designs into After Effects as editable layers.

Use the free Design to Motion companion for Chrome or Figma to bring real interface designs into After Effects. Click "?" on the block for install links and step-by-step instructions.

How to use:

1. In Chrome or Figma, capture the page or frame with the companion.
2. In UIAP, drop the captured file onto 'Choose a file' or click it to browse. The file name shows in the box.
3. Click "Create Composition".

SELECT: Nothing.

SETTINGS: "› Settings"

• Import hover states as second comp: also builds a copy of the design with hover states.
• Create precomps: groups sections into precomps.
• Include closed dialogs & popovers: also imports hidden menus and dialogs.
• Upscale HTML / Upscale Figma: output size (1080, 1920 or 3840 px wide, or 1x to 5x).
• Duration and Frame Rate of the new composition.
• AI Assist can help clean up more complex imports when needed.

RESULT: A new editable composition with text, shapes and images ready to animate. If some fonts are missing, UIAP lists them so you can install them and import again.

Image Detection (Beta)

Turns a flat screenshot of an interface into separate layers.

SELECT: One image layer (a UI screenshot) in the active comp.

SETTINGS: "› Settings"

• Offset: extra padding around each detected element.
• Cutout — choose how detected interface elements are rebuilt.
• Text: text areas are always cut out as PNG images.
• Background: build the background as a Shape layer, or use the comp color.
• Font fallback: the font used when a font can't be matched.
• Smart Precomps — keeps related UI elements grouped together.
• AI Assist — helps with more complex screenshots when needed.
• Detail — choose whether the screenshot is split into larger sections or smaller individual elements.

Click "Detect".

RESULT: The screenshot is rebuilt as separate layers (buttons, cards, icons, text blocks and so on), so you can animate each part on its own.

Lottie Import

Brings a Lottie animation into After Effects. How to use: Paste an animation link (a LottieFiles link or a direct .json link) into "Animation URL". You can also drop a .json or .lottie file onto "Choose a file". If both are filled in, the link is used.

SELECT: Nothing.

Click "Import Lottie".

RESULT: The animation is rebuilt as editable After Effects layers so you can continue working with it.

Split Masks

Cuts one layer with several masks into separate layers.

SELECT: One layer that has several masks.

SETTINGS: "Fill Color" checkbox. When it's on, UIAP detects the background color around each mask and fills the new layers with it.

Click "Split Masks".

RESULT: Each mask becomes its own layer.

Templates

Ready-made, editable UI components and mockups.

Filters: All, User (your own templates), Inputs, Frames, Components, Data and Devices.

Adding A Template

SELECT: Open the composition you want the template in. Click a template card. For example: Apple Notification, macOS Dock, Google Chrome, macOS / Windows Folders, iPhone 17 Pro, Search Bar, Prompt Bar, Chrome Window, Notification, Command Menu, Loading Bar, Modal Window, Data Table, Bar Chart, Pricing Card, iPhone Mockup, Circular Loader, News Stack iOS, App Icon.

RESULT: The template is added to your comp with editable text, colors and shapes.

Template Scale

Choose the size templates are created at.

Upscale Button

SELECT: A composition, either opened or selected in the Project panel.

RESULT: The whole composition is scaled up by the chosen multiplier, with all its layers.

Your Own Templates ("Drag & Drop Comp" Card)

1. Save your AE project first.
2. Drag a composition from the Project panel onto the "Drag & drop comp" card.

RESULT: The comp is saved as your own template in the User filter, and you can reuse it in any project. Delete it with its X.

Build

Layers

Layer Tools

Precomp

SELECT: One or more layers.

RESULT: The layers are precomposed together.

Unprecomp

SELECT: One or more precomp layers.

RESULT: The layers come back out of the precomp, and position, scale and rotation are kept. Turn on the small checkbox to also delete the empty source comp from the Project panel.

Rasterize

SELECT: One or more layers.

RESULT: Turns selected layers into flat image layers for a simpler, lighter setup.

Clean Layer

SELECT: One or more layers.

RESULT: Removes animation and expressions from the selected layers.

Alpha Crop

SELECT: Nothing. Move the playhead to the frame you want.

RESULT: The composition is cropped to the visible content on that frame.

Shape / Null / Adjustment Layer / Solid

Create a new layer the size of the comp. Null with layers selected: the null is placed above them, matches their length, and the selected layers are parented to it.

Layer Guides

Adds After Effects guides along the edges of a layer.

SELECT: One or more layers.

SETTINGS: Bounding Box (the layer's box) or Alpha Bounds (the visible pixels only). Click the sides you want: left, right, top, bottom, or all.

• "Add Guides": adds guides to the chosen sides.
• "Remove Layer Guides": removes the guides of the selected layers.
• "Remove All Guides": clears every guide in the comp.

Layer Sequencing

Staggers layers in time, one after another.

SELECT: Two or more layers.

SETTINGS: Step (in frames), and "Trim length", which cuts each layer so it doesn't overlap the next one.

• Arrow right: moves the layers later, each one a step further.
• Arrow left: moves them earlier.
• "Reset" puts the controls back to default.

Each arrow click adds another step, so click again to make the gap bigger.

Reorganize

Changes the layer order in the timeline panel.

SELECT: Two or more layers.

SETTINGS:

• Position: orders layers by where they are on screen. Main Direction can be Top to Bottom, Bottom to Top, Left to Right, Right to Left or From Center. "If Same Line" decides the order for layers in the same row.
• Timeline: orders layers by when they start.

Click "Reorganize Layers".

RESULT: A clean, logical layer order, which helps a lot before sequencing or automation.

Compositing

3D Carousel

SELECT: One or more layers.

RESULT: The layers are arranged in a rotating 3D circle with a controller that you can animate.

Comp Guides

SELECT: One to five layers.

SETTINGS: ⚙ chooses the guide markers: Crosses (+), Circle (○) or Null.

RESULT: Animated design guide lines that follow the edges of the layers, the popular "blueprint" look.

Bake

SELECT: A 3D Carousel or Comp Guides rig.

RESULT: Converts the rig into regular keyframes for a lighter, easier-to-share setup.

Text

Quick Actions

SELECT: One or more text layers.

Number

Turns the text into an animated number counter (for example $2,350) with controls in Effect Controls.

Time Counter

Turns the text into a running timer (for example 01:13.033).

Background

Use ⚙ to open settings. Adds a background box behind the text that resizes when the text changes.

Split

Breaks one text layer into several.

SELECT: One or more text layers.

SETTINGS: "› Settings"

• Split by: Words, Lines, Characters, Word Groups or Character Groups.
• Layer Order and Custom Step.
• Anchor Point: Center, or Same as Original.
• Delete original layer.

Click "Split text".

RESULT: Each word, line or character becomes its own layer.

Tracking › Trim Path

Syncs an animated number with a line or progress bar.

SELECT: Exactly one shape layer (with a stroke) and one text layer.

SETTINGS: ⚙ sets Min / Max Number, Prefix, Suffix, separators, Decimal Places, Symbol ($ / %), Fixed Digits, Big Numbers and so on.

RESULT: When the path draws on, the text shows the matching value (for example 13% → 69%).

Presets (Text Animations)

SELECT: One or more text layers, then click a preset.

• Split (⚙): uses your Split settings.
• Blur In By Word: words appear one by one out of a blur.
• Slide and Pop In: text slides in with a small pop.
• Slow Fade On: gentle fade-in.
• Typewriter: letters appear as if typed.
• Code Reveal (⚙): code-style reveal, by word or by character.
• Fluorescent Light: flickering neon-light reveal.
• Reveal By: progressive reveal in the chosen mode.

Your Own Presets

Drop any .ffx text preset onto the "+" ("Select FFX Preset") card. It is saved in UIAP and appears as a new card. Delete it with its X.

Cursors

Cursors

SELECT: Nothing. Just have a comp open.

Click a cursor card to add that cursor to the active comp. Then animate its position.

• Switchable cursor: one cursor you can switch between styles (arrow, hand and so on) from Effect Controls.
• "+" card: SELECT one shape layer that you drew yourself and click "+" to save it as your own cursor. It appears in the grid. Remove it with its X.

Profile Picture

When it's on, the NEXT cursor you add gets a round profile picture badge, like a collaborator cursor in Figma.

Add Auto-Orientation

SELECT: A cursor layer.

RESULT: The cursor turns automatically in the direction it moves.

Interaction

Adds click effects to a cursor.

SELECT: One or more cursor layers. Move the playhead to the moment of the click.

SETTINGS:

• Click: a short "press" animation of the cursor.
• Displace Wave: a ripple that distorts what's under the cursor. Wave Type is Ripple Pulse or Shape Wave.
• Visual Wave: a circle of Dots or Pixels expanding from the click.
• Duration (frames).

Click "Add Interaction".

RESULT: The interaction is added at the current time. Repeat for each click.

Hover Effect

Makes UI elements react when the cursor passes over them.

1. Click "Add Null Trigger". It creates a trigger null. Animate it, or parent it to your cursor.
2. SELECT the layers that should react (buttons, cards and so on).
3. Choose the effects:

• Transform: move, scale or rotate on hover. "Proximity" also scales smoothly by distance.
• Light Stroke: a light sweep along the edge.
• Color: color change on hover.
• Magnetic: the layer is pulled toward the cursor.
• 3D Tilt: the layer tilts in 3D after the cursor.
• Trace: a soft glow trail inside the layer.

4. Click "Add Hover Effect".

RESULT: The selected UI elements react automatically whenever the cursor passes over them.

Effects

Background Textures

Click a card to add a ready background to the active comp: Gradient Generator, Grid Texture or Dot Texture.

Tip: select an existing Gradient Generator layer and click the card again to get a new random gradient.

Your Own Texture

Save the project first. Then SELECT one Shape or Solid layer in the comp, or a composition in the Project panel, and click "+". It is saved as a new texture card.

Effects

Liquid Glass

SELECT: A shape layer (for example a button or a panel).

RESULT: A frosted, refractive "liquid glass" look, like Apple's new UI style.

Screen Recording

SELECT: A layer, or nothing.

RESULT: The look of a real screen recording. If nothing is selected, it is added as an adjustment layer over the whole comp.

Adjustment Presets

Ready color and light looks for the final picture.

• Color Grade, Soft Glow: click a card. UIAP adds a new adjustment layer with that look over the whole comp.
• Save your own: SELECT one adjustment layer with the effects you like, click "+ Save Preset" and give it a name. It appears as a card. Saved looks appear as reusable cards you can apply again later.
• Remove a card with its X.

Audio

SFX Assistant (Beta)

Automatically places sound effects on your animation.

First time: Click "Download SFX Pack" and wait for it to finish.

SELECT: Depends on Scope.

SETTINGS:

• Scope: Whole Comp, Working Area, or Selected Layers.
• Density: how many sounds (Low / Balanced / High).
• Style: Mixed, Organic, Clean or Digital.
• Intensity: Soft, Medium or Bold.
• Analyse Precomp: also looks inside precomps.
• Offset: shifts all sounds a few frames earlier or later.
• Volume: manual, or quick -18 / -12 / -8 dB.
• Sound types: Wooshes, Risers, Clicks, Pops, Slides, Text, Keyboard, Success, Loading, Impacts, Camera, Texture, Foley and Glitch. Untick what you don't want.

Click "Add SFX".

RESULT: UIAP reads the motion in your scene and places matching sound effects on the timeline.

SFX Library ("Open SFX Library")

A sound browser. Search, preview, add favorites, and switch between list and grid view.

SELECT: One or more sounds in the library.

• "to Project": imports them into the Project panel.
• "to Comp": imports them and adds them to the active comp.

In the library settings you can copy files next to your .aep and choose the AE folder they go into.

Voice

Remove Silence

SELECT: One audio or video layer with speech.

SETTINGS: Padding, Threshold, Layer Order, Keep Gaps, and Keep only silence (the opposite: keeps only the pauses).

RESULT: Removes pauses and splits the voice-over into clean speech sections.

Add Markers (Phrases)

SELECT: One audio or video layer.

SETTINGS: Pause (frames). Markers to Comp or Layer.

RESULT: A marker at the start of every phrase, which helps you time the animation to the voice-over.

Music

Beat Markers

SELECT: One music layer.

SETTINGS: Intensity. Mode is Bass (low kicks), Hits (sharp accents) or Both. Colored Markers.

RESULT: Markers on the beats. "Clear Markers" removes them.

Sync to Beat

SELECT: Two or more layers (shots or scenes).

SETTINGS: Order (Up to Bottom / Bottom to Up) and Overlap.

RESULT: The layers are cut and lined up on the beat markers.

Animate

Presets

Animation Presets

SELECT: One or more layers, then click a preset: Slide In, 3D Slide, Corner Blur, Pop Overshoot, Scale Rotate, Z Depth Fade, Flash Appear, 3D Rotate Slide In, Pixel Scan Reveal, Loading, Dot Reveal, Depth Scan Reveal. Each preset has ⚙ for its own values (direction, distance, scale and so on). "Save as default" in that window remembers them.

SETTINGS: Open "› Settings" for options shared by all presets.

• Keyframes or Expressions: how the animation is built.
• Linear or Bounce motion.
• Animate In, Animate Out, or Both.
• Animation Start: start of the layer, or the current frame.
• Motion Blur.
• Add animation markers.

Preview Circle

"+ Preview Circle" adds a test circle so you can try presets without touching your design.

Bounce

Adds a springy bounce to existing animation.

SELECT: Animated layers.

SETTINGS: Position, Scale, Rotation, or "Selected" (only the properties you selected).

Click "Add Bounce".

User Presets

Save your own animations and reuse them.

• "+ Add": SELECT the keyframes you want to keep and give the preset a name. Mode can be Absolute (exact values) or Relative (adapts position, scale, opacity and rotation to the layer).
• Apply: SELECT layers and click the preset card.
• AI Assist — create more complex custom animation presets from a written description.
• Import / Export — share presets with others or keep a backup of your own library.

Transitions › Match Cut

SELECT: Exactly two layers (the outgoing and incoming scene).

SETTINGS: ⚙ sets mode, which property to match (position, scale or rotation) and direction.

RESULT: A smooth transition where the two scenes are matched in motion.

Reset Keys

SELECT: Layers, or properties.

SETTINGS: All Keyframes, Basic Transform, or Selected Props.

Click "Reset Keys" to remove that animation.

Automation

Animate Composition (Magic Button)

Animates the whole comp in one click.

SELECT: Nothing. It works on the active comp.

SETTINGS:

• Automation Preset: the style of motion (Slide Up/Down, 3D Shadow, Corner Blur, Pop Overshoot, From Center and more).
• Animation Source: the order in which layers appear (Layer Order, From Center, Left to Right, Top to Bottom and so on).
• Positions Count.
• "› Settings": Duration and Step (in frames), Animate In / Out / Both, Motion Blur, Dynamic position (mirror), animation markers, and Detect repeated rows (list items animate as a group).

Click "Magic Button".

RESULT: The whole composition gets a clean first animation pass with timing automatically staggered.

Custom Animation

Choose how different layer types should animate, or leave specific types untouched. It is used by the Magic Button.

"Reset" removes the automation UIAP added and resets these settings.

Automation Presets

Save your favorite Automation setups and reuse them in future compositions.

Export

Overview

Choose the format at the top: Image, Lottie or SVG.

Image

SELECT: Source is Active Frame (the whole comp at the playhead) or Selected Layers.

SETTINGS: Upscale (1× to 4×), Resolution, and Format (Clipboard, PNG or JPG).

Click "Export Image".

Lottie

Exports the active comp as a Lottie JSON for web and apps.

SETTINGS: File name. Choose how images, text, expressions and hidden layers should be prepared for export.

Bake Expressions converts expression-driven animation into export-ready values for better compatibility.

Click "Export Lottie".

SVG

Exports the current frame of the active comp as an SVG.

SETTINGS: File name. Choose how text, precomps and hidden layers should be prepared for the SVG.

Click "Export SVG".

Settings

AI API Key

AI Assist — connect an AI provider to use optional AI-powered features in Design to Motion, Image Detection and custom animation presets.

Add your provider details in Settings to enable AI-assisted features. Sharing analysis data is optional and off by default. Your AI key stays private.

Interface

Customize panel size, light or dark mode, and the accent color.

Display Style

Choose how tabs and subtabs are displayed.

"Show ToolTips" turns the hover hints on or off.

Daily References

Turn the daily inspiration card on or off.

Replay Quick Tour — open the introduction again whenever you need it.

Backup & Reset

Export Settings

Save a backup of your UIAP setup.

Import Settings

Restore your setup or move it to another computer.

Reset UIAP

Return the plugin to its default state.

Versions (Labs Edition Only)

Choose between the latest stable build and Labs releases.

About

Find your UIAP version, feedback link, Discord and What? Studio links.

Need help? Use "Leave a feedback" or "Join Discord" in Settings. Created by What? Studio - 2026