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Punchframe

Punchframe automatically tracks how long you actually work on each After Effects project: no timers to start, no activities to switch, nothing to remember.

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  $29.00
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Description
PUNCHFRAME
It tracks. You create.

Fully automatic time tracking for After Effects. No timers to start, no categories to pick - install once and every project's real hours are simply there when you bill your client.

Zero-touch trackingDetects renders automaticallyRecovers idle timeTeam hours, no setupWin + macOS
1Zero-touch

Just work. It's counting.

Punchframe runs invisibly in the background from the moment After Effects opens. The panel doesn't even need to be open - open a project and the clock is already on it.

✓ No start/stop buttons, no manual categories - ever
✓ Renders & RAM previews detected automatically, reported separately
✓ Live "today" and all-time totals per project, always current
Punchframev1.0
TrackerReportsSettings
Tracking - activeMIKE
Brand_Promo_Q3
D:\Work\Brand_Promo_Q3
14h 32m
total on project
2:47:101234567890
today on this project
All projects today
4:05:33
Renders today
0:38:12
2Idle recovery

Away time isn't lost time.

Step away and other trackers just stop the clock. Punchframe keeps watching which apps you were in - the browser, Photoshop, an AI tool - and when you're back, it asks what counted.

Real work doesn't only happen inside After Effects - research, references, AI tools. One click and those minutes land on the right project instead of vanishing.

✓ Per-app breakdown of every away period
✓ One answer settles it - merged, never one popup per break
✓ Or automate it: always count, never count, or chosen apps only
⏰ You're back
You were away from After Effects for 23m. Check what counts as work on Brand_Promo_Q3:
✓Chrome12m
✓Photoshop8m
Other3m
Adding to project0m12m20m
Add noneAdd 20m
3Project identity

Projects, not files.

Trackers that count "per project file" fragment your hours across every version you save. Punchframe tracks by project folder - every _v01…_v99 save is the same job.

✓ One clean total per project - the way you actually bill
✓ Even unsaved work is credited to the right project on first save
✓ Short accidental "peeks" at old projects are filtered out of reports
Promo_v01.aepPromo_v02.aepPromo_v07.aepPromo_v15.aepPromo_v27.aep
↓
Brand_Promo_Q3
27 versions · one project
32h 10m one total, ready to bill
4Team mode

Team hours. Zero configuration.

Time logs are saved inside each project's own folder - the folder your team already shares. Anyone who opens the same project has their hours merged in automatically. No server, no shared-drive setting, no accounts.

✓ Per-person breakdown and a combined person-hours total
✓ Works for a solo freelancer or a studio of any size
✓ Two people, one hour each = two billable hours
TEAM - Brand_Promo_Q3
MIKEnow9h 40m
SARAH4h 52m
TOM2h 05m
Everyone16h 37m
5Reports & billing

From hours to invoice.

Every project, sorted by last worked - with totals, renders shown separately, per-person and per-day breakdowns, filters, and one-click CSV export that respects exactly what you've filtered.

✓ Per project · per person · per day
✓ 7 / 30 days or all-time ranges, name filter, pagination
✓ CSV opens straight in Excel / Numbers / Google Sheets
TrackerReportsSettings
Brand_Promo_Q332h 10m
today · 2 people · renders 3h 04m
Logo_Sting_ACME11h 45m
yesterday · renders 1h 12m
Docu_Titles6h 20m
3 days ago
Export CSV for billing
Why Punchframe

Built to be forgotten.

Other AE time trackers need your attention - switching categories, starting timers, dismissing alerts. Punchframe's whole point is that you never think about it.

Typical AE trackerPunchframe
Starting the clockManual / per fileAutomatic, always
RenderingA category you selectDetected by itself
Idle timeAlert to stop the timerRecovered, per app
Versioned saves (_v01…_v99)Separate entriesOne project
Team hoursNot availableMerged, zero setup
Everything stays on your machine.

Punchframe works entirely offline. Your hours live only on your computer and inside your own project folders - nothing is uploaded, no account is required, ever.

Know where the time actually went.

For freelancers who bill by the hour and studios that need real numbers - Punchframe turns every After Effects session into clean, billable data. Automatically.

  • 00:00 - Introduction
  • 00:14 - Installation & First Launch
  • 00:41 - How Tracking & Saving Works
  • 01:37 - Idle Time & App Breakdown
  • 01:56 - Reports
  • 02:16 - Team Collaboration
  • 02:36 - Settings & Customization
  • 03:45 - Summary

Discussions

Want to talk about it?

Head over to r/aescripts to chat with fellow users about this product.

Need Support?

Please open a support ticket to be connected directly with the author of this product

Version History

1.0.1 -

Sep 11, 2026

- Initial release.

0.9.1 -

Aug 12, 2026

- Initial release.

Compatibility

After Effects

2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021

EULA

END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT

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Updated: Oct 21, 2025 1:35 AM

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