Mouth Shapes
NOW SERVING 1,500+ UNIQUE USERS
Mouth Shapes is a FREE and simple script born from a deep seated hatred of lip syncing and the setup that goes into it. We take that boring long process and boil it down to a single button press; lip syncing made easy. We’ve made a very effective tool in creating character animation, but it also makes for a powerful asset in your After Effects workflow anytime you need to toggle multiple layers, and much more. An excellent choice in asset swapping for character rigs!
To use Mouth Shapes, highlight the layers you wish to have in your master composition and hit the “Create New Comp” button; you can name your composition in the text field. All selected layers will be moved to one master composition and will remain editable within their respective sub-comps. Vectors will retain quality on scaling and the master comp will be automatically cropped to match the largest height and width.
A corresponding window will appear with buttons containing your selected layers’ names. Pressing a panel button will toggle that corresponding layer with the same name using a hold keyframe on the timeline. If there is already a keyframe at your playhead it will be replaced.
If you accidentally close or misplace the window panel, you can simply re-open it by selecting your master comp and pushing the “Open Control Panel” button.
N.A.Q. (Nobody Asked questions)
Why are you giving this script out for free?
We never intended to charge money for our work. If we put our code up behind a paywall I'm sure no one would download it, but being free, we also feel that anyone who DOES download it will easily find a way to incorporate it into their AE workflow as we have. Mouth Shapes may have been built with lip syncing in mind but it's basic functions are capable of so much more in the realm of time savers. If you do feel obligated to pay for the script we have a donation link set up on the page and we'll take your donation as a sign to continue using our programming powers for good!
Why do you need my email address to download it?
Simply put we have no way of tracking how many different people are using Mouth Shapes, we won't be doing anything nefarious with your contact info. Down the line we may email current users about a major update, patch, or brand new script you may be unaware of when it releases.
I Get an error while loading the script: "File or Folder does not exist"
Sounds like something weird happened. Go into your After Effects Preferences Folder located in your current version folder of After Effects and delete the "MouthShapes" folder within. Restarting After Effects and running the script again will rebuild the contents of that folder the way they were meant to be used.
I Got a different error: "File or Folder not found"
This one is a different case entirely. Our script has been updated with some generously provided code from @AdamPlouff that allows the script to build a folder containing the proper icons exactly where it needs to be located in windows/mac making for an easier install. Unfortunately this also requires the user to go to their "Preferences", go to "General" and enable the checkbox that reads "Allow Scripts to Write Files and Access Network". This box needs to be checked for most AE scripts available online and could fix multiple issues you've been having with others.
I have comments, questions, AND suggestions, How can I let you know?
Well there's no use screaming into the void, we have a contact form set up on the site; just set your subject line to "Mouth Shapes" or you can do the same by emailing brandy@scarecrowarts.com. If it's a public shaming you're after you can always roast us on twitter @Scarecrow_Arts.