We have received reports from some Windows users experiencing immediate crashes or freezes in After Effects (versions 2023, 2024, 2025) when attempting to apply the Tracery plugin to a layer or composition. This prevents users from being able to use the plugin at all.

Issue

The crashes are typically indicated by an "Access Violation" error, often referencing msvcp140.dll in the crash report. This issue arises from an incompatibility with certain versions of the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable runtime library (msvcp140.dll) that After Effects might be loading. This is often caused by recent changes introduced by Microsoft to this runtime, or by an outdated version of the DLL being present in the After Effects installation folder, potentially installed by another application or an older Adobe update. While it affects our plugin, the root cause lies outside our direct control as plugin developers, stemming from how these system-level libraries interact.

Workaround

Until a permanent software update is available, a highly effective workaround for most users is to delete the outdated MSVCP140.dll file from your After Effects installation directory. This forces After Effects to load a newer, compatible version of the library from your system's main directory.

Solution Steps:

1. Close After Effects completely.

2. Navigate to your After Effects installation folder. This is typically located at:

   • C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects [YEAR]\Support Files\

   • For example: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects 2025\Support Files\

3. Locate the file named MSVCP140.dll.

4. Delete this file.

5. Launch After Effects and try using the Tracery plugin again.

This should resolve the crashing issue immediately. Please note that you might need to repeat this step if another application or an After Effects update re-introduces an outdated MSVCP140.dll to this specific folder.