Visual States — Layer visibility setups in After Effects | A better way to manage comp variations 🎬

Visual States v1.30 is here. A lite free tool (with a PRO version) for After Effects that lets you save on/off layer combinations as named states per comp, and switch between them in one click.

Perfect for client variations, logo options, layout versions, language alternates – no more manually toggling layers all the time.

In this video I walk you through the main features and everything new in v1.30.

🧰 Core features
→ Save current layer visibility as a named state.
→ Load any state instantly with a click or double-click.
→ Select and delete multiple states at once.
→ Quickly find and switch between comps with the Comp Navigator.
→ Duplicate Comp with States – duplicate a comp and carry all its states across to the new layer IDs.
→ Copy States from… – copy states from another comp in the project, with a per-layer match report.
→ Send states straight to the Render Queue (Render All / Render Sel.).
→ Open a .json file from another project and replace all current states.
→ Merge states from an external .json file while keeping existing ones.
→ States are stored in a .visualstates.json file alongside your .aep, easy to share on drives or networks.
→ Rename layers, reorder them, or rename the comp – states survive because they use internal IDs, not names.
→ Works as a dockable panel inside After Effects.
→ Full compatibility between LITE and PRO (same file format).

⚡ What's new in v1.30
→ Include / Exclude Layers – a built-in states editor. Select layers, pick one or more states, and turn them on or off in those states. Perfect for adding a new layer to multiple states at once.
→ Automatic alphabetical sorting in the states list (the JSON file is not modified).
→ Active state indicator ◄ so you always know which setup is applied.
→ Enter to save – press Enter to save a state instantly.
→ Auto-name suggestion after saving (State 2, State 3…).
→ Include/Exclude now updates the comp visually even if the modified state wasn't the active one.
→ All previous improvements included.

📦 Get Visual States
🔗 Visual States LITE (free, up to 3 states per comp): https://www.patreon.com/posts/154372691
⭐ Visual States PRO (unlimited states): https://www.patreon.com/posts/153762839
📖 Full user guide & documentation: https://leansaler.notion.site/328ca9d6b5b6807aae45d6245d55a679

🙌 Developed together with Joaquín Rossi at Post Media VFX, tested thoroughly to make daily After Effects work faster. If you find something odd or have ideas, drop them in the comments.

Requirements: After Effects CC 2022 (v22.0) or later. Windows & macOS. Works as a dockable panel.

#AfterEffects #motiongraphics #aescript #VisualStates #PostMediaVFX

Видео Visual States — Layer visibility setups in After Effects | A better way to manage comp variations 🎬 канала Leandro Salerno