Toolfarm's Plug-in Finder
Plug-in FAQ
From PlugInFinder
If I buy one plug-in which one would you recommend?
Unfortunately, there's no one easy answer to this question. The right plug-in set depends entirely on the type of work you are doing. But if you don't have a specific task that lends itself directly to a particular filter, here are my current suggestions:
If you don't yet have any third-party filters and are looking for a good package to get started with, Noise Industries FxFactory Pro and Boris FX, Inc. Continuum Complete and GenArts, Inc. Sapphire] all contain a wealth of plug-ins covering a broad spectrum of effects, from fast blurs and color corrections to 3D Text and Particle Systems.
Cycore FX and Cycore FX HD are great plug-in packages that have effects that render in 3D, distort and create natural phenomenon.
If you're looking for a package that includes a lot of wild effects that will immediately add spark to any project, DigiEffects Fantazm is a great choice.
If you're interested in a flexible plug-ins with a high cool factor, try Trapcode 3D Stroke, Trapcode Particular and the highly popular Trapcode Shine. All have beautiful output that can be run over and over without overuse.
What's the best text titling tool?
For standard 2D text, the standard AE Text Engine is pretty amazing, but it is only 2D. Boris FX, Inc. Title Toolkit will take you even farther with more control over it's vector text that allows you to animate text in 3D space. For 3D Text, Boris FX, Inc. Graffiti "(Windows Only in AE)" includes powerful features for creating 3D titles with bevels and mapping. But if you want a real 3D environment for creating any kind of 3D logo in AE, Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator Pro is as good as it gets.
What's the best tool for creating natural phenomena, like smoke, clouds, fire, snow, etc?
DigiEffects DigiEffects Delirium features beautiful particle systems specifically designed for creating Clouds, Fire, Smoke, and other natural phenomena (see Use for more on natural phenomena), so it's the natural choice (no pun intended).
Also noteworthy: Digital Anarchy Psunami Water does nothing but generate realistic oceanscapes. Cycore FX has filters for creating natural phenomena, like Particle World, Particle Systems II, Drizzle, Rain, Snow, Mr Mercury.
Are there plug-ins that support 3D within After Effects?
Yes. In fact, this is one of the fastest growing types of plug-ins. Boris FX, Inc. Continuum Complete includes 3D DVE with video cubes, spheres, and other 3D shapes.
Conoa 3D allows you to make 3D shapes such as spheres, cones and cubes, full with texture maps.
Cycore FX and Cycore FX HD is a broad spectrum plug-in package that has plug-ins that interact with AE's built in camera, and others that simply create elements in 3D, such as hair, page turn, Mr. Mercury, Plastic, Rain, Snow and many others.
Boris FX, Inc. Final Effects Complete features some basic 3D transformations and true 3D particle systems.
Forge FreeForm AE allows the lighting and manipulation of an articulate 3D plane in a real 3D environment, texture mapped with the contents of a layer.
Finally, Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator Pro is practically a complete 3D program in a plug-in. It does modeling, animation, and rendering together.
Is there training available for AE plug-ins?
Generally not. Brian Maffitt of Total Training made some training tapes for Boris FX, Inc. Final Effects Complete and Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator Pro, but is currently not considering making others.
Trapcode also has some great training available for their plug-ins. This extensive training is part of what makes these packages so useful.
Are the AE plug-ins compatible with any other apps?
There are several other programs out there with support for After Effects plug-ins, including Apple Final Cut Pro, Commotion, Autodesk Combustion and Discreet effect. There applications generally support 50% to 60% of the filters out there. Plug-ins with extensive custom interfaces are more likely to be incompatible than those without. This plug-ins database lists all of the host applications available for each plug-in.
What is a plug-in? How does an After Effects plug-in work within after effects?
Plug-ins are floating pieces of non-executeable software. Software applications that support plug-ins release development kits to programmers who may use them to create them. When a program such as After Effects loads, it reads in all its plug-ins along with the program code, essentially making the plug-in a part of the actual program. In After Effects, plug-ins are generally included as part of the Effects menu, their interfaces accessible in the effects window.
How do I choose the best plug-in for my work?
This database is probably your best bet. If you're trying to create Fire, try using the search function to find instances of the word fire. If that doesn't work, try browsing the categories for filters that may indirectly let you create the effect you desire. Finally, if you're stumped, call up Toolfarm and ask us. We'll do our best to come up with some ideas.
Are there plug-in bundles?
Toolfarm offers several plug-in bundles. Visit our store or look through the database under purchase info. You may also give us a call to see if we can custom prepare a bundle for you.
How do I find out about new plug-ins and updates?
Toolfarm's web site is constantly updated with news, reviews, tutorials, and links to new software. Check our home news for the latest information.
