MOTION DOCK 2.6.0
After Effects 2026 / Windows
josephgmedia.com/plugins

INSTALL
1. Extract the full ZIP.
2. Open the Motion Dock folder and run Install Motion Dock.cmd.
3. Restart After Effects 2026.
4. Choose Window > Extensions (Legacy) > Motion Dock and dock the panel.

The installer works for your Windows account. It enables Adobe CSXS.12
PlayerDebugMode for unsigned local panels. No system-wide installation is needed.
Anybody and Barlow fonts are bundled with their OFL licences.

UPDATES
Use Updates in the panel to check for a published release and install it.
Updates are verified against the bundled release public key and the ZIP's SHA-256
hash before installation. Previous files are backed up under:
%APPDATA%/Motion Dock/updates/backups
Click Reload panel when installation finishes. Your local settings, saved
expressions and ROI records are outside the update package and stay intact.
Computers on an older build without Updates need this installer once.
If updates are unavailable immediately after upgrading, restart After Effects.

TOOLS
Autobox/controllers; ease sliders and anchor grid; sequence layers or selected
keys in frames with grouping; ease copy/paste; explode/merge/prune shapes;
loop keys, clone keys, group controllers and crop to region of interest.
Some advanced shape transforms/effects cannot be flattened faithfully and are
refused rather than approximated. Modifier actions are shown in tooltips.

EXPRESSIONS
Grouped presets with representative animated previews, editable settings and
a personal saved-expression library. Includes Posterise Time, Number Counter,
Auto-size Background, loops, spring/bounce motion and master controls.
Previews demonstrate a preset; they do not render the active AE composition.
Existing expressions are protected unless Replace existing expression is on.

Number Counter: apply to point text. Animate Counter Value in Effect Controls.
New Start/End keys are created at the playhead and the text layer's last frame;
move those keys to set timing. Formatting/spacing, grouping, alignment and fixed
spacing are editable on the layer. Prefix/Suffix are the Parameters in its
Counter Text marker. Keep the disabled, locked font-metrics guide with the layer.
Older counters need one upgrade apply; their animation is kept. JavaScript
expressions are required. Other text animators and keyed Source Text are refused.

EXPORT
Pre-render: choose its output folder, compatible RGB + Alpha template and range.
Selected artwork is rendered/reimported; originals are disabled and made shy
only after successful rendering. Original audio stays live. Use normal, consecutive
artwork layers and a range that covers their in/out points.
Audio stems: expand the section, choose a separate WAV folder/template and options.

ROI PATCHES
Before rendering, queue an EXR with Output Module Crop > Use Region of Interest,
Resize off and Full render resolution. Refresh the ROI queue, choose the output,
Capture ROI, verify the offsets and label the patch. Render normally in AE.
In another AEP, import the EXR sequence into a comp with the same master dimensions
and pixel aspect, select its timeline layer, then Align Patch. Matching is automatic;
ambiguous captures require an explicit saved-patch choice in Advanced.
Records share the standalone ROI Patch Manager store:
%APPDATA%/ROI Patch Manager/records.json
Advanced includes record details, settings inspection and JSON import/export.
The panel refuses mismatched geometry/PAR, proxies, parented/3D or locked layers,
animated/expression-driven transforms and unavailable crop offsets.

More details and current downloads: https://www.josephgmedia.com/plugins
