AE Script Helper

Code like a hero.
Take the {syntax}
out of scripting.

The AI scripting extension that docks right inside After Effects. Turn natural language into expressions, custom tools, and one-click automations, without ever leaving your timeline.

Native After Effects extension · CC 2022+
Sidekick
Comp 1 · 15 layers · 14 props
12
Context: 15 layers · "Comp 1"
QuestionExpressionScript

Put these layers at random positions on the canvas. Give me seed and amount controls, make it work in 3D too.

⌘ + Enter to sendSend →
ExpressionCopy
// random position per layer
seedRandom(seedVal + index, true);
randPos  = [random(0, w), random(0, h)];
amt      = ctrl.effect("Random Amount")(0)/100;
centerPos + (randPos - centerPos) * amt;
Required controls
+ Slider · Seed+ Slider · Random Amount
15 targetstransform.position
particle 1ADBE Position
particle 2ADBE Position
particle 3ADBE Position
+ 12 more layers
What it does

Sidekick helps you get back to being creative.

Automate the Boring Stuff

Select your layers, type your command, and let Sidekick generate a custom script to do the dirty work instantly.

One-Click Rigging

Generate complex expressions on the fly. If your setup needs a slider or checkbox, the Sidekick creates and links them automatically.

Craft Custom Toolbars

Save your best AI-generated scripts into a custom panel. Build your own personalized toolkit, one magic button at a time.

Debug & Learn

Getting yelled at by AE's expression engine? Load your broken code into the Question tab. Partner with Sidekick to fix the bug and explain the solution.

Who it's for

The AE grind doesn't care about your seniority.

Your relationship with code changes as you grow, but the friction never really goes away.

IFoundational

The Beginner

Expressions look like alien math, and you just want to learn how they work without breaking your project.

Learn what every line actually does, no broken projects required.

IIBuilder

The Rigger

You know what you want to build, but you don't have the JavaScript skills to write the complex controllers.

Ship complex controllers without writing a single line of JavaScript.

IIIMaster

The Veteran

You already know how to code, but writing it from scratch slows you down. You want to automate the busywork, build wildly complex rigs faster, and expand your advanced scripting toolkit.

Automate the boilerplate. Build the rigs you only used to dream about.

A sidekick that adapts to your workflow.

Sidekick turns natural language into instant action. It's your on-demand wizard for automating the grind, building the impossible, and getting back to actually animating.

How it works

Three tabs. One intelligent code editor. Infinite shortcuts.

The Sidekick panel docks into After Effects like it was always there.

01One-Click Magic

Expressions

Type your request, and apply the perfect expression in one click. Need a slider, checkbox, or angle control? Sidekick preps the exact controller, just click to rig and link instantly.

QuestionExpressionScript
PromptPosition · glow_burst

make scale bounce when it hits the ground

Generated ExpressionPosition
// bouncy decay on impact
amp = thisComp.layer("ctrl").effect("Bounce Amount")("Slider");
decay = thisComp.layer("ctrl").effect("Decay")("Slider");

n = 0;
if (numKeys > 0) n = nearestKey(time).index;

if (n > 0) {
  var t = time - key(n).time;
  if (t >= 0) {
    var decayFactor = Math.exp(-decay / 100 * t);
    value + amp * decayFactor * Math.sin(t * 2.5);
  } else {
    value;
  }
} else {
  value;
}
Auto-rigged controls
+ Slider · Bounce Amount+ Slider · Decay
⌘ + Enter to applyApply →
02Run on the fly

Scripts

Automate the mundane. Generate scripts to run on the fly, then save your favorites to your AE script folder or a custom Toolbar. A personalized repository of one-click magic tricks.

QuestionExpressionScript
Prompt12 text layers selected

swap 'beta' with 'launch' in all selected text layers

Script12 text layers
var comp = app.project.activeItem;
if (comp instanceof CompItem) {
  var sel = comp.selectedLayers;
  for (var i = 0; i < sel.length; i++) {
    var t = sel[i].property("Source Text");
    if (t !== null) {
      var v = t.value;
      v.text = v.text.replace("beta", "launch");
      t.setValue(v);
    }
  }
}
My Toolbar
+3 buttons saved
Save to ToolbarSave as .jsxRun
03Your AI debugger

Question

Have an AE question? Broken code? Load your context and ask the AI what went wrong. It reads your setup, finds the bug, explains the fix, and hands you the working code.

QuestionExpressionScript
PromptSlider · Position

how do I get my slider to change in whole numbers?

Conversation
1 layerslider expr

how do I get my slider to change in whole numbers?

Sliders return floats by default. Wrap the value in Math.round() so it snaps to integers:

Math.round(value);
CopySend
04AI-aware code editing

Code Editor

A full code editor inside the panel. ExtendScript autocomplete for the entire AE API, AI Edit on any selection, beautifier, multi-cursor, search. Refine generated code or hand-write your own without leaving AE.

Code EditorrenameSolids.jsx · 64 lines
12var comp = app.project.activeItem;
13for (var i = 0; i < comp.numLayers; i++) {
AI Edit · preview
RevertAccept
- var comp = app.project.activeItem;
+ var comps = app.project.selection
+   .filter(i => i instanceof CompItem);
+ comps.forEach(function (comp) {
+   for (var i = 0; i < comp.numLayers; i++) { … }
+ });
14 var layer = comp.layer(i + 1);
comp.layer(…)Beautify
Workflow Superchargers

The magic is in the details.

Built for the AE grind.

Sidekick
In "Comp 1", 5 layers, 62 props (context truncated).
Context: 5 layers, 62 props in "Comp 1"
Code attached for review · extendscript · 554 chars
Loaded automatically
comp · selectedLayers · selectedProperties · activeViewer
Built-in editor

A real code editor welded into the panel.

A pro-level ExtendScript editor and AI sidekick. Built to put you in the driver's seat. Take back your workflow. Generate, tweak, and deploy scripts side-by-side with your active comps. Stop fighting syntax, eliminate the friction, and start working insanely fast.

  • AE Autocomplete

    Type comp. or layer. and the editor predicts your exact needs to help you speed up your work.

  • Inline AI Co-Pilot

    Stuck on syntax? Highlight any block to Ask, Edit, or Explain. Review AI-generated diffs inline and track every change before you commit.

  • Pro-Level Power

    Blast through code using multi-cursor editing, linked highlights, bracket pairing, and a smart auto-beautifier to format your code.

renameSolids.jsx
BeautifySave asRun
12// rename every solid in the active comp
13var comp = app.project.activeItem;
14
15if (comp instanceof CompItem) {
16 comp.layer(1).name = "Solid";
17 for (var i = 1; i <= comp.numLayers; i++) {
18 var lyr = comp.layer(i);
19 var src = lyr.source && lyr.source.mainSource;
20 if (src instanceof SolidSource) {
21 var numStr = ("0" + solidIndex++).slice(-2);
22 lyr.name = "Solid_" + numStr;
23 }
24 }
17}
Ln 16, Col 1Ln 16, Col 1
ExtendScriptUTF-8
Why you'll love it

Why motion designers stick with Sidekick

Unlock more time

Turn hours of repetitive clicking into a five-second prompt. Get back to actually animating.

Rig the impossible

Build wildly complex setups and UI controllers without needing a computer science degree.

Build your own superpowers

Don't just use our tools, build your own. A custom toolbar of one-click shortcuts tailored exactly to you.

Look behind the curtain

Stop copying blindly from forums. Your AI mentor explains the code, turning every broken expression into a moment of mastery.

Never break flow

Load context, write scripts, and debug errors without ever leaving your After Effects timeline.

Unlock more time

Turn hours of repetitive clicking into a five-second prompt. Get back to actually animating.

Rig the impossible

Build wildly complex setups and UI controllers without needing a computer science degree.

Build your own superpowers

Don't just use our tools, build your own. A custom toolbar of one-click shortcuts tailored exactly to you.

Look behind the curtain

Stop copying blindly from forums. Your AI mentor explains the code, turning every broken expression into a moment of mastery.

Never break flow

Load context, write scripts, and debug errors without ever leaving your After Effects timeline.

Ready to make some magic?

Join the smartest motion designers who are ditching the busywork and taking back their time. Add Sidekick to your workflow today.

Get SidekickAfter Effects · CC 2022+
What we believe

Human + AI.

Learn the language. Code is worth understanding, not avoiding. The more you know, the sharper your prompts.

Co-pilot, not autopilot. Sidekick handles syntax. You bring taste, judgment, and craft.

Trust, then verify. AI isn’t perfect. Save before running. Read what it generates. Work with the AI, not blindly behind it.