Drawing meets animation inside After Effects!

drAEw is a creative playground embedded in After Effects. Forget about bouncing between sketch apps and AE — draw, animate, and deploy frame-by-frame shapes within one panel.
With vector tools, onion skinning, and real-time shape export, drAEw makes animation and storyboarding fluid and fast. It’s precision where you want it, and sketch freedom where you need it.
Output your animations as a single keyframed layer, or, if you prefer granular control, as a stack of layers following your chosen frame timing. The "Automatic Mode" allows you to draw 'n' push in AE on the fly! Total flexibility, no friction.

Core Features

• Grab the current view into drAew whenever you need
• Draw vector paths directly on drAew and convert to editable AE shapes
• Frame duration control for precise animation pacing
• Stroke, fill and alpha customization — live
• Onion skin overlays for consistent frame-by-frame motion
• Simplify and smooth tools to refine your lines
• Automatic Mode and Manual Mode for flexible output
• Respect comp size and coordinates
• Timeline-ready exports with preserved attributes
• Responsive and dockable

In Action

• Draw, Animate and send to your Comp
• Sketch storyboards and animatics directly in your comp
• Dive in fast frame-by-frame animation
• Play with opacity and trace above your art, one layer after another
• Layer annotations, callouts, and notes visually
• Instant back and forth between the viewport and your canvas
• Export layers or keys with one press or shortcut

TUTORIALS :

Responsive User Interface:

New Calligraphy Brush :

Keyboard shortcuts in drAEw aren’t just convenience — they’re a speed interface for artists who don’t want to interrupt their flow.

• ⌘ or Ctrl + Tab = Grab Frame:
  Capture the current comp frame and bring it onto your canvas as a visual reference.
• Alt/Option + Shift = New Layer:
  Instantly adds a new canvas layer — useful for evolving motion passes or layered breakdowns.
• Alt/Option + Enter = Send:
  Push canvases as a keyframed layer or layers to AE timeline
• ⌘ or Ctrl + Enter = Alternative way to send

...For hands-on artists who live between pen and timeline. No clicking through layers, no menus, just quick moves.

Overview

Grab the current view into drAew whenever you need

Frame duration control for precise animation pacing

Stroke, fill and alpha customization — live

Onion skinning

Simplify and smooth tools

Automatic Mode for live output

Responsive and dockable

Vectors editable as AE shapes

Frame Duration in drAEw

Timing is everything in animation , and with drAEw, the Frame Duration slider gives you direct control over how long each drawing stays visible in your timeline.This slider defines the number of frames each canvas will hold once pushed into After Effects.

Opacity Slider

The Opacity Slider controls the transparency of the canvas layers inside drAEw.It’s especially useful when onion skinning, letting you trace over previous drawings without losing clarity.It also helps when working over reference images or footage, allowing you to lower the opacity and focus on your next frame with precision.

Export Options

Stack of Layers vs. Single Keyframed Layer When sending your drawings to After Effects, drAEw gives you two export modes, each suited to a different workflow:

Stack of Layers Each canvas is pushed as a separate shape layer, with its own position in time based on the defined frame duration. Perfect for granular editing, custom layer styling, and timeline control.

Single Keyframed Layer All canvases are combined into one shape layer, with a new keyframe at each drawing. Ideal when you want to keep your timeline clean and focused.