Penpal

For After Effects CC2018 +

$39

  • “Penpal is so jam-packed with essential path editing features, I have it permanently docked in my After Effects workspace” - Al Boardman

  • “Penpal has made my workflow so much easier. Gives me really smart basic shape layer functions that I've been wanting for years inside of AE” - Claudio Salas

  • “Penpal is a no brainer. I use it all the time and it should be in the core software” - James Boorman

Over 40 path-editing functions missing from After Effects

• Precisely move points in their ‘true’ space
• Align and distribute points
• Rotate tangents by a set amount, like 45º or 90º
• Snap points to pixels
• Flip paths precisely
• Simplify paths with too many points
• Zero individual tangents
• Reverse path direction (the actual order of the points, not just the timeline toggle)
• Match the angle or length of tangents
• Break a path in two, or join two into one
• And more

Edit paths as they really are

If your path is inside a group or layer that’s rotated, Ae’s snapping can act weird. With Penpal you can work on the path as it really is, and move the points in their original space.

It’s a bit like having your shapes stored in ‘right way up’ external files, except you can adjust and keyframe the path right there without having to leave your comp.

Get a handle on your tangents

Penpal’s UI is based on the one you already know, so it’s pretty intuitive. There is one thing it does differently: tangents can be selected in the same way that you select points - by either dragging a marquee over them, or shift-clicking them one-by-one.

This enables tangent control that’s more advanced than anything in After Effects or Illustrator.

Learn

Penpal is fairly intuitive but it does have a lot of buttons. Watch this video and learn all the basics:

Use the detailed Penpal User Guide as reference when you’re unsure about something. You can access it from within Penpal itself by clicking the Hamburger and then the Help button.

Ask

Got a question? Just ask 👇

Your email address is your data. Read about our privacy policy here

Buy now at aescripts.com or download the free trial right here. Penpal is made by renderTom and Steve Kirby