rdzTools

An After Effects CEP extension for motion presets, easing graphs, physics tools, and layer cleanup workflows.

Created by ryduzz.

What It Does

rdzTools is an After Effects extension with three main areas:

• Graphs for reading and applying custom easing curves to selected keyframes
• Presets for applying text, layer entrance, and look treatments
• Tools for common rigging, timing, anchor, and layer utilities

It is built for getting useful motion, styling, physics, and cleanup operations onto selected layers quickly without rebuilding the same After Effects setups by hand.

Features

Graphs

• Draw and apply a custom keyframe easing curve
• Read easing from selected keyframes
• Reset the curve back to a default linear shape

Presets

• Word text reveals from the left, right, top, or bottom with optional blur
• Word rotate entrance
• Character bounce entrance
• Layer fade, slide, scale, rotate, and blur entrances
• Soft shadow, long shadow, and liquid glass look presets
• Per-preset settings with saved custom values
• Favorites for quick preset access

Tools

• Move anchors to corners, edges, or center
• Center selected layers in the comp
• Precompose selected layers
• Fit selected layers to comp
• Freeze frames
• Sequence, duplicate, split, and reverse layers
• Enable motion blur
• Add Bounce controls to keyed transform properties
• Create a centered control null
• Save the current frame as a PNG
• Clear transform expressions

Build And Package

Build the CEP extension folder:

npm run build

Build and install the extension into the local Adobe CEP extensions folder for testing:

npm run install:cep

Create a distributable zip from a fresh build:

npm run package

Create a signed ZXP from a fresh build:

ZXP_PASSWORD="your-certificate-password" npm run zxp

If npm is not available but Node is installed, run the package script directly:

node scripts/package.mjs

The local install command copies dist/rdzTools to ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CEP/extensions/rdzTools. The zip package is written to release/rdzTools-<version>.zip. The signed ZXP is written to release/rdzTools-<version>.zxp. Generated dist/ and release/ output is intentionally ignored by git.

The ZXP script uses /Users/ryder/Desktop/zxp-sign/ZXPSignCmd and certs/rdzTools.p12 by default. Override those paths with ZXP_SIGN_CMD or ZXP_CERT if needed. To timestamp the signature, pass ZXP_TSA_URL.

Manual CEP Install

For local testing on macOS, run npm run install:cep.

To install a zip manually, unzip the release package and place the rdzTools folder in the Adobe CEP extensions directory for your platform.

Common extension directories:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CEP/extensions/
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Adobe\CEP\extensions\

After copying the folder, restart After Effects and open Window > Extensions > rdzTools.

Unsigned Extension Setup

If installing from the zip instead of a signed ZXP, enable unsigned CEP extensions before After Effects will load the panel.

On macOS, enable CEP debug mode for the relevant CSXS versions:

defaults write com.adobe.CSXS.11 PlayerDebugMode 1
defaults write com.adobe.CSXS.12 PlayerDebugMode 1

Restart After Effects after changing CEP settings.

Distribution

The package can be distributed as the generated zip with unsigned-install instructions, or as the signed ZXP for a smoother public install path.