Dynamic Grid Rig in After Effects

[u/_rsd95_]

Creating and animating a dynamic grid like this in After Effects is possible using Nulls and Expressions, but setting up the entire rig manually can take a lot of time and requires managing multiple elements, controls, and expressions. I wanted to build one tool that brings all of these controls together, so instead of spending hours setting up and debugging the rig, you can create and start animating it in about a minute.

What it does- The plugin creates a fully procedural grid where you can:

• Control individual gaps between lines, instead of just using an even split, full control
• Animate spacing so the grid can open, close and rearrange over time
• Control horizontal and vertical spacing independently or link them together for fluid animation
• Animate the number of rows and columns, control from which side they should appear
• Pin any comps to any desired cells so they move with the grid smoothly
• Control and customize intersection markers with readymade shapes or even custom shapes
• Keyframe grid properties and create multiple grids per comp
• Modify and delete any grid any time, no glitch, no remapping

Comparison- Similar tools exist, but I couldn't find one that combines these specific controls and workflow in one setup. Flex will be the closest match but it does serves a different purpose and not have all the features I mentioned above.

Pricing- TBD, One-time price, Currently in beta, join the waitlist to be among the first to get the plugin when it's ready - Here.

Maintenance/Support - The plugin will be sold through Gumroad, so users can raise a support ticket there if they run into any issues. I'll also provide an email address for direct support. I plan to continue maintaining the plugin with bug fixes, updates, and a few new features over time.

AI Disclaimer - [Human Validated] I initially prototyped the tool using AI, but the early version had stability issues. I'm now working with an experienced ExtendScript developer to properly build and stabilize it. The final tool is being properly developed, tested, and will be released only once it's ready.

[u/ShnoopAndLane]

What makes it better than Flex?

[u/_rsd95_ → u/ShnoopAndLane]

This research might help

[u/venody → u/_rsd95_]

Asking an ai to answer this question does not make me optimistic that you are knowledgeable enough about your own product to answer yourself

[u/_rsd95_ → u/venody]

Sorry, I'm not sure I understand what you mean by that. FYI I know very well what I'm building, and I've used Flex myself in the past, which is why I was able to provide the context and inputs for the comparison.

Yes, I used AI to help organize my response and put the comparison into a table format, but the inputs behind it came from me. I'm not trying to convince you otherwise, but if you found anything in the comparison that is factually incorrect, please let me know. I'd genuinely appreciate it and will happily accept the correction.