Expanding a section collapses others (recommended)
Controls both Dynamic & Signature preset thumbnails.
CPU intensive
Animate on hover
Best performance
SIGNATURE MODE
Procedural generates patterns from algorithms — full slider control. Designed has hand-crafted signature animations — curated looks.
Scroll the preset grid, use category tabs to filter. Click any preset to load it — the preview updates instantly.
Matte = black & white layer (use as Track Matte). Graphic = colored layer. Transition = A→B between two layers.
The style bar controls animation character — Punchy, Smooth, Elastic, Bounce, etc. Each changes easing & overshoot.
Duration = total length. Stagger = delay between elements (low = simultaneous, high = wave). Hold = pause at peak.
Press Enter or click the Create button. AlphaForge generates the animation directly in your After Effects composition.
Open sidebar sections (Shape, Transform, Effects, Echo, Accent) to dial in exactly what you want. The preview updates live.
Via aescripts + aeplugins — The recommended method. Download the installer from aescripts.com. It handles everything automatically on both Windows and Mac.
Manual Install (Windows) — Copy the AlphaForge folder to:C:\Users\{you}\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\CEP\extensions\
Manual Install (Mac) — Copy the AlphaForge folder to:~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CEP/extensions/
Tip: In Finder, press Cmd+Shift+G and paste the path above.
Enable unsigned extensions
Windows: Open Registry Editor → navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Adobe\CSXS.11 → set PlayerDebugMode to 1
Mac: Open Terminal and run:defaults write com.adobe.CSXS.11 PlayerDebugMode 1
Restart After Effects after installation. Find AlphaForge under Window → Extensions → AlphaForge
Requirements: After Effects 2021 (v18.0) or later. Works on both Windows and macOS.
Matte — Black & white animated layer. Apply as a Track Matte in AE to reveal/hide content beneath it. This is the core use case.
Graphic — Full-color animated shape layer. Use as a standalone design element, animated background, or overlay. Uses Color & Fill settings.
Transition — Creates two animated layers for smooth A→B transitions. Choose which layer is A (outgoing) and B (incoming).
Options:
Controls the stagger order — which elements animate first. Center = center elements first, edges last. Arrows = elements nearest that edge animate first. For presets with position offset (slides), direction also controls the slide direction.
Some presets restrict directions to what makes sense for their layout. Dimmed buttons are not applicable.
Controls the reveal order of elements — not their visual arrangement. The layout stays the same; pattern changes which elements animate first. Works together with Direction: direction picks the starting side, pattern picks the path.
50 patterns across 11 groups. Dimmed for presets with fixed-count layouts.
The element shape used in the animation. Each has context-sensitive sub-controls:
Double-click any preset to open a variations popup with 6 alternative animation styles. Each variation changes the animation character — not just direction, but the entire motion type (scale, fade, slide, spin, etc.).
Variations are tailored to each layout family:
Click a variation to apply it. The preview updates instantly. Your current shape, pattern, and count settings are preserved.
Count — Number of animated elements. More = denser pattern. Gap — Spacing between elements. 0 = touching, higher = more space.
The speed curve of the animation.
Animation start → end values. Set where elements begin and where they end up.
Post-processing applied to the animation. Stacks on top of base transform values.
Creates ghost copies of each animated element at staggered time offsets — producing motion trails that follow the main shapes. Set Count to 1 to disable.
Works in both Procedural and Designed modes, and in all output types (Matte, Graphic, Transition).
Adds controlled randomness to each element, breaking up the uniform look. Each slider independently varies one property. Higher values = more variation. Uses the current seed for deterministic results.
Dimmed for single-element presets. Change the seed to get a different random variation.
Enables a 3D camera that creates depth perspective. Elements are spread across Z-space and viewed through a virtual camera that animates into the scene.
Adds a colored border/edge accent that leads the matte animation — a thin color strip that appears just ahead of the revealing shapes. Enable it with the checkbox in the section header.
Fill Modes:
Shared Controls:
Available in both Procedural and Designed modes. Most effective on Matte and Transition outputs.
Algorithmic pattern generator. Every animation is built from parameters — you control direction, shape, count, timing, transform, easing, and more. Small changes create entirely new looks.
Best for: Geometric patterns, grids, wipes, reveals. When you need precise control or want to experiment with parameters.
100+ presets across 10 categories
Hand-crafted animations with curated looks. Each preset is a complete design — fewer parameters, but every one sounds and looks intentional. Browse by category, search, or star your favorites.
Best for: Quick, polished results. Title reveals, logo animations, broadcast-style transitions. When you want a finished look fast.
~185 signature presets with library management
Creates a black & white animated shape layer. In After Effects, place it above your content layer and set it as a Track Matte (Luma or Alpha). The white areas reveal, black areas hide. This is the primary workflow.
Full-color animated layer. No matte needed — it's a visible design element. Use as animated backgrounds, overlays, lower thirds bases, or standalone motion graphics.
Color is controlled via the Color & Fill section — choose Solid, Gradient, Palette, Duotone, or Random.
Creates two layers — an outgoing (A) and incoming (B) animation. A dialog asks which layer goes where. The result is a smooth animated transition between two pieces of content.
Most presets have an IN phase (elements appear) and an optional OUT phase (elements disappear). Toggle these with the In / Out buttons in the style bar.
IN only — Elements animate in and stay. IN + OUT — Full cycle: appear → hold → disappear. OUT only — Elements start visible and animate away.
KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
Matte mode → Simple Wipe preset → Direction: Left → Duration: 1s → Stagger: 0% → Smooth style
Matte mode → Grid Scale preset → Count: 8 → Stagger: 40% → Punchy style → Direction: Center
Graphic mode → Hexagon Grid → Palette fill → Count: 12 → Duration: 3s → Elastic style
Transition mode → Radial Burst → Duration: 1.5s → Bounce style → Direction: Center
Matte mode → Diagonal Sweep → Echo Count: 8 → Delay: 3% → Falloff: 40% → Scale Offset: 5% → Blur/Layer: 2px
Matte mode → Push preset → Accent enabled → Glow blend → Custom color: Cyan → Size: 8% → Opacity: 100%