Compdown

Readable

An elegant syntax that's simple to read and write.

Shareable

Save it, gist it, email it, or drop it in a repo. Text travels well.

Fast

Copy, paste, process. Stay in After Effects and skip binary presets.

AI-friendly

If an AI can read and write the same text you use, it can help draft scenes and explore variations.

Markup examples

Start faster, work better.

From layers to keyframes, build scenes without jumping between panels.

compositions:
  - name: My Comp
    layers:
      - name: background
        type: solid
        color: 1a1a2e
      - name: title
        type: text
        text: Hello World

compositions:
  - name: Lower Third
    width: 1920
    height: 200
    duration: 5
  - name: Main Comp
    framerate: 30
    folder: Renders

transform:
  rotation: 45
  position:
    - time: 0
      value: [0, 0]
    - time: 5
      value: [1920, 1080]

effects:
  - name: Gaussian Blur
    properties:
      Blurriness: 10
      Repeat Edge Pixels: true

Powerful workflows

Grows with your needs.

Nest comps, wire footage, and build reusable systems without leaving After Effects.

folders:
  - name: Assets
  - name: Audio
    parent: Assets
  - name: Scenes
compositions:
  - name: Scene 1
    folder: Scenes

compositions:
  - name: Lower Third
    layers:
      - name: label
        type: text
        text: Breaking News
  - name: Main Comp
    layers:
      - name: lower third
        comp: Lower Third

folders:
  - Footage
  - Renders
  - Plates
    parent: Footage
files:
  - id: bg
    path: /path/to/background.png
  - id: seq
    path: /path/to/sequence/frame_[0001-0100].png
    sequence: true
compositions:
  - name: Lower Third
    width: 1920
    height: 200
    duration: 5
    layers:
      - name: label
        type: text
        text: Breaking News
        transform:
          opacity:
            - time: 0
              value: 0
            - time: 1
              value: 100
  - name: Main Comp
    width: 1920
    height: 1080
    duration: 10
    framerate: 30
    folder: Renders
    layers:
      - name: bg plate
        file: bg
        transform:
          position: [960, 540]
          scale: [100, 100]
      - name: lower third
        comp: Lower Third
        transform:
          position:
            - time: 2
              value: [960, 1280]
            - time: 3
              value: [960, 980]
      - name: adjustment
        type: adjustment
        blendingMode: softLight
      - name: guide
        type: null
        threeDLayer: true
        locked: true
        shy: true

Why use text?

Portability. When motion lives as text, presets and templates move between projects without exporting binary files or rebuilding scenes by hand. You can store them in a repo, version them, and share them like any other creative asset.

Simplicity. Text is easier to review, easier to diff, and easier to extend over time. As your needs grow, you add layers, effects, and keyframes without changing the way the system works.

Extensibility. Start small and scale up as the work demands it, from a single scene to a shared library of components.

AI‑friendly. If an AI can read and write the same text you use, it can help draft scenes, explore variations, or build first passes — while you stay in control of the final result.

Get Started

Download and start building scenes faster.

A markup language for After Effects, ready for modern studio workflows.

Download

A natural language for After Effects.