Bezier Curve Editor for After Effects

Bezier Editor – Free, Open & Flow-like

A free extension for After Effects that lets you create and apply custom cubic Bezier easing curves to keyframes using an intuitive, interactive canvas. It’s like Flow — but free and open-source. I call it Flov.

I reinvented the wheel, as the old one was behind a paywall. Enjoy!

Features

• Interactive canvas to edit cubic Bezier curves
• Input field for precise curve values (e.g., 0.25,0.1,0.25,1)
• Presets for common easing curves
• "Copy" button to copy cubic-bezier(a,b,c,d) to the clipboard
• "Apply to AE" button to apply curves to selected keyframes
• Dark/light theme toggle

Requirements

• Windows or macOS
• After Effects CS6 (12.0) or later (tested on 25.0)
• AEScripts ZXP Installer (Download)

Alternate Video Guide

• Check this video on YouTube - Link

Installation

1. Download BezierCurveEditor.zxp (v1.0.0) from GitHub.
2. Install using AEScripts ZXP Installer:
   • Download and install AEScripts ZXP Installer from here.
   • Open ZXP Installer.
   • Drag BezierCurveEditor.zxp into the window or select it.
   • Install for After Effects.
3. In After Effects:
   • Go to Edit > Preferences > General (Windows) or After Effects > Preferences > General (macOS).
   • Check "Allow Extensions" or "Allow scripts to write files and access network".
   • Restart After Effects.
4. Open the extension: Window > Extensions > Bezier Curve Editor.

Manual Installation (Alternative)

If the ZXP Installer fails, follow these steps:

1. Rename BezierCurveEditor.zxp to BezierCurveEditor.zip and extract it.
2. Copy the BezierCurveEditor folder to:
   • Windows: C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\CEP\extensions\
   • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CEP/extensions/
3. Enable debugging:
   • Windows: Run reg add HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\CSXS.12 /v PlayerDebugMode /t REG_SZ /d 1 in Command Prompt.
   • macOS: Run defaults write com.adobe.CSXS.12 PlayerDebugMode 1 in Terminal.
4. In After Effects, enable "Allow Extensions" (see above) and restart.

Usage

1. Open the extension: Window > Extensions > Bezier Curve Editor.
2. Create a curve:
   • Drag control points on the canvas to shape the curve.
   • Enter precise values in the input field (e.g., 0.25,0.1,0.25,1).
   • Select a preset from the "Preset Curves" list.
3. Copy the curve: Click "Copy" to save the cubic-bezier(...) value to your clipboard.
4. Apply to keyframes:
   • Select a layer in After Effects with keyframes (e.g., position or opacity).
   • Click "Apply to AE" to apply the curve to the selected keyframes.
   • If no keyframes are selected, an error message will appear.
5. Toggle themes: Use the theme button to switch between dark and light modes.

Tips: Custom Bezier Curves

1. Create custom curves using tools like Flow or cubic-bezier.com.
2. Edit the graphs.json file in the extension folder:
   • Windows: C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\CEP\extensions\BezierCurveEditor\graphs.json
   • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CEP/extensions/BezierCurveEditor\graphs.json
3. Add curves in this format:

   [
     {
       "label": "Custom Ease",
       "value": "custom_ease",
       "tooltip": "Custom: Smooth Ease",
       "bezier": "0.25,0.1,0.25,1",
       "group": "Custom"
     }
   ]

4. Save the file. Your custom curves will appear in the preset list.
5. Share graphs.json with others for personal use.

Troubleshooting

• Extension Not Appearing: Ensure "Allow Extensions" is enabled in After Effects preferences and restart the application.
• Installation Fails: Use manual installation if ZXP Installer fails. Verify the extension folder path and debugging setting.
• Apply to AE Fails: Select a layer with keyframes before clicking "Apply to AE". Check the error message in the extension for details.
• Hidden Files: If the extension folder is not visible, enable hidden files in File Explorer (Windows) or use Finder’s “Go to Folder” (macOS).
• Contact Support: Reach out via Discord, YouTube, or Email.

Uninstall Using AEScripts ZXP Installer

1. Open AEScripts ZXP Installer.
2. Locate Bezier Curve Editor in the list of installed extensions.
3. Click Uninstall or Remove and follow any prompts.
4. Restart After Effects to complete the uninstallation.

Manual Uninstallation

1. Delete the Extension Files:
   • Windows: Navigate to C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\CEP\extensions\ and delete the BezierCurveEditor folder.
   • macOS: Navigate to ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CEP/extensions/ and delete the BezierCurveEditor folder.
   • Note: Enable hidden files if the folder is not visible. On macOS, use Finder’s “Go to Folder” option.
2. Remove Debugging Setting (Optional):
   • Windows: Open Command Prompt as an administrator and run:

     reg delete HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\CSXS.12 /v PlayerDebugMode /f

   • macOS: Open Terminal and run:

     defaults delete com.adobe.CSXS.12 PlayerDebugMode

   • Note: Skip this step if debugging was not enabled.
3. Restart After Effects to finalize the removal.

Support

For questions, bug reports, or feature requests, contact me:

• Discord: Join the community
• YouTube: Vergil1000
• Email: My Email

Notes

• The extension uses a self-signed certificate, requiring "Allow Extensions" to be enabled in After Effects.
• Not available on Adobe Marketplace due to cost constraints.
• Check for updates on GitHub.

Acknowledgements

• Grok: Wrote most of the extension’s code.
• ChatGPT: Provided insights and resolved development queries.
• grishka/AE CubicBezier.jsx: Guided Bezier curve conversion to speed and influence.
• zepha (CodePen): Contributed cubic Bezier graph code.
• After Effects Scripting Guide: Helped in making my CEP a success through it's guide.
• Vergil1000: aka Me, for managing development, packaging, documentation and distribution.

About the Project

This extension was created (in 3 days) as a free alternative to paid tool, i.e. Flow.

Feedback

Additionally you can also fill this Form to give me some insights, bugs, suggestions, improvements, etc.

License

• Free for personal use only.
• Do not steal, commercialize, resell, or redistribute as your own.
• You may share the .zxp file and graphs.json for personal use, provided you credit the original author (Vergil1000x).