AutoCollapse

User interface:

How to Use AutoCollapse:

Method 1: Apply to All Layers at Once

• Set your preview quality to Full to ensure the project shows pixelation if present.
• Open the main comp that includes your full project.
• Enable all checkboxes that represent the types of layers you want, including:
  • Regular layers
  • Precomp layers
  • Layers inside nested compositions
  • Locked layers
• Click the AutoCollapse button.
• The option will be automatically enabled on all qualified layers in the main comp, including:
  • Layers inside nested precomps
  • And even locked layers

Method 2: Apply to Manually Selected Layers

• Manually select the layers or precomps you want.
• Activate only the checkbox related to the type of layer (Regular, Precomp, Nested, or Locked).
• Click the AutoCollapse button.

Exclude Certain Layers from Being Affected:

• If you don’t want to apply Collapse to specific layers:
• Simply lock those layers.
• Then disable the Include Locked checkbox.
• Click the AutoCollapse button.
• The locked layers will be ignored.

Collapse Transformations Success Notification:

• After clicking the Collapse button, Collapse Transformations will be applied according to your checkbox settings.
• A success notification will appear showing:
  • The number of layers that were just updated,
  • The number of layers that already had Collapse enabled,
  • The number of layers that don’t support this feature,
  • Plus, additional detailed information about the rest of the layers.

Settings Button:

Clicking the Settings button opens a window where you can customize script preferences.

Toggle Notification:

Enable or disable the success notification after running the script using this checkbox.

Custom Message:

Use this field to write your own custom success message content.

Save Settings:

Click the Save button to store your preferences, including notification status and custom message.

Reset to Default:

Click the Reset button to restore all settings to their original default values.

Help Button:

• If you need help, simply click the Help button to open the help window.
• You’ll find tips on how to use the script, solutions for common issues, and more buttons and information, including:
• A button to check for script updates.
• A button to watch the tutorial video.
• And additional helpful content.

Script Window Minimization Feature:

• You can use the script in its full-size interface or minimize it to save workspace.
• When minimized, a small button will remain on the screen. Clicking it will restore the full script window.
• When not needed, you can close the interface and keep the small toggle button to reopen it later.
• You can expand the window anytime to return to full functionality.
• This feature is helpful for keeping your After Effects workspace clean and organized, especially when working on large projects.

Tutorial:

Learn all about AutoCollapse by watching this video.