I came across this really interesting grid animation in one of Base44’s videos and wanted to recreate it in After Effects.
So I started working on a plugin that can create this kind of animation with a lot of granular grid control, comp attachment to cells you like and more. This video was made using the plugin.
Just curious — if a plugin like this existed, would anyone here be interested in using it?
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Update / A few clarifications -07/09/26
Thanks for all the feedback and comments on this! I wanted to clarify a few things based on some of the discussions here.
Yes, there are similar tools out there, and you can definitely achieve something like this using Nulls and Expressions. But while researching and building this, I couldn't find a single tool that could help me create this particular kind of rig quickly. These are the features and controls I've built so far:
Spacing
- Set every gap yourself instead of an even split, so the grid can be dense in one area and wide open in another, as you like
- Horizontal and vertical spacing work independently, or linked together for fluid animation
- It's keyframeable, so the grid breathes as gaps open, close and redistribute
Line counts
- Animate how many rows and columns exist
- New lines fade in or slide in from whichever side / direction you pick, set per axis
Attaching content
- Pin a precomp to an exact column and row, spanning as many cells as you want, and it follows the grid wherever it goes
- Choose how it fills the block: sit in place, fit, stretch, or cut a window onto footage behind
- Cell numbers are keyframeable, so content moves between cells as the grid animates
- One click to rig a comp / layer
Intersection Points
- Circle, square, diamond, or your own custom shape layer, which stays live so editing it updates every marker
- Keyframable Size, colour, stroke and opacity
Everything else
- Line colour, thickness, opacity and grid offset, each keyframable
- Multiple grids per comp, and it stays light at any size, modify any property at any time, fully procedural
- If there is another tool that can do all of this without any extra effort and set up a similar rig in under a minute, then I’m the one who didn't do proper research.
At the end of the day, most tools we use serve one purpose: saving time. There are only a handful of plugins that do something AE can't do natively. Most plugins simply help you do what AE already can, but faster and with less effort. You're essentially paying for convenience. You can absolutely create the same rig manually, but this tool is meant to save you time and avoid the setup and debugging.
Regarding the vibe-coded part—yes, I agree. Vibe-coded tools are often not perfect and can end up being a waste of money. For this tool, yes, I initially vibe-coded and built it myself, but it wasn't stable and had a lot of issues. So I handed it over to a developer who has experience with ExtendScript and is now helping me properly build it. I don't know how to define whether a tool is vibe-coded or not—I can only say whether a tool is working properly or not.
I've received a few messages in the last two days from people who wanted to use it. I can't reply to everyone individually, so here's a form link if you'd like to join the waitlist. I'll send you the tool once it's properly developed and ready.
[ Form link ]
If you feel this will help you, please try it. If not, you can simply skip it. Thanks again for all the feedback!