AFTER EFFECTS 2022+ · THE WHOLE PATH MOVES
Move animated layers without breaking their path.
Drag a keyframed layer in the viewer and the whole path comes with it: same timing, same easing, same shape. So you can fix a layout in seconds instead of rebuilding the animation.
01 / THE CHORE
You moved the layer. You broke the path.
Drag a layer with Position keyframes in After Effects and only the keyframe under the playhead moves, or a new one appears, and the motion path bends out of shape. Moving the whole animation by hand means selecting every Position keyframe first, then dragging, then checking nothing else got nudged. Then again for the next layer.
// what you do today, per layer // drag it in the viewer: // one key moves, or a new one // appears at the playhead // undo, open Position, select // every keyframe, drag again // check the path kept its shape // Smart Move shifts every keyframe // by the same amount, in one undo.
02 / HOW IT WORKS
Two ways to move.
Select the layers
One layer or several, keyframed or not. 3D layers, cameras and lights move too.
YOU GET
A whole group repositioned in one go.
01
Turn on Move mode
Drag in the Composition viewer as you always do. When you let go, every keyframe follows.
YOU GET
The whole path moves: same timing, same easing, same shape.
02
Or scrub an exact offset
Drag X, Y or Z in the panel, with Shift for bigger steps and Ctrl or Cmd for fine ones, or click a value to type it.
YOU GET
Pixel-exact moves, even for a two-node camera.
03
Change your mind
Every move is one undo step, named Smart Move. Turn Move mode off to drag layers the normal way.
YOU GET
No nulls to build, nothing to clean up.
04
03 / USE CASES
One path or a whole scene.
A keyframed layer in the wrong spot
A title slides in, but the whole move sits too far left. Drag it in the viewer with Move mode on, and every keyframe shifts by the same amount: same timing, same easing, same path.
A camera move that needs to shift
Scrub Z to push a two-node camera back. Its Point of Interest moves with it, so the camera moves instead of swinging round.
Undo puts every moved layer back.
The live test in After Effects moves a keyframed layer and a static one together, then checks that every keyframe moved by the same amount, that key timing, ease and spatial tangents are untouched, and that one undo puts both layers back. It also checks cameras, parents, locked layers and expressions.
04 / DETAIL
Built for real projects.
Undo
One undo step per move
A long drag in the panel or the viewer is one undo step, named Smart Move.
Paths
Timing and easing kept
Only keyframe values change. Key timing, ease and spatial tangents stay as they were.
Layers
Several layers at once
Keyframed and static layers move together. Static layers dragged along in Move mode join the same step.
3D
Cameras and lights too
3D layers, cameras and lights move in X, Y and Z. A two-node camera or aimed light keeps its Point of Interest with it.
Parents
No double moves
A child selected together with its parent moves with the parent, not twice.
Safety
Only Position changes
Locked layers and a Position driven by an expression are left alone, and the panel says why it skipped them.
05 / WHAT YOU GET
Everything in one download.
The Smart Move panel, as a .zxp installer
A personal licence key for one computer
Free updates for every 1.x version
Direct support: reply to your receipt email
REQUIREMENTS
Does it change anything besides Position?
No. Only Position changes, plus the Point of Interest of a two-node camera or aimed light so it doesn't swing round. Locked layers and a Position driven by an expression are never touched.
Does it work with separated dimensions?
Yes. With X, Y and Z separated, only the axes you move are changed; an axis you don't move is left alone.
What does Move mode do when I drag?
While it is on, drag layers in the Composition viewer as usual. When you let go, Smart Move replaces the single-key change with a move of every keyframe by the same amount, as one undo step. Turn it off to work normally.
Is it a subscription?
No. You pay once, and every 1.x update is free.
How do I install it?
Install the free ZXP Installer from aescripts, drag in the .zxp file, restart After Effects, and open Window › Extensions › STRAT Smart Move. Paste your licence key and click Activate. Moving to a new computer later? While online, click Deactivate this computer in the panel on the old one.
What if something doesn't work?
One undo puts the layers back as they were. Then reply to your receipt email and tell us what happened.
Smart Move
Move the animation, not one key.
Move the whole animation in one drag, and one undo if you change your mind.
Get Smart Move
$17.99
One-time payment · 1 computer · free 1.x updates · local taxes added at checkout