u/Misterracart

I’ve been building an After Effects extension called AetherFlow, and I’m curious if this solves a problem other people actually have.
One of the newest workflows I added is something I’m calling Footage Sync.

The idea is simple:

An editor gives you a reference export and a source stringout with handles.

Instead of manually cutting up the stringout, matching timing, recreating split screens, scaling shots, and rebuilding the edit layer by layer in After Effects the extension analyzes the reference, cuts the source footage into individual layers, and reconstructs the edit as an editable After Effects composition.

The goal is to eliminate one of the most repetitive parts of conforming editor references for motion graphics.

I’m still actively developing it, so I’d really like some honest feedback.

Do you find yourself rebuilding editor references by hand?

If so:
Is this a workflow you’d actually use?
What kinds of edits would you expect it to handle?

What’s the most frustrating part of rebuilding someone else’s edit?

I’m not looking for compliments - I genuinely want to know if this is solving a real problem or if I’m optimizing for a workflow that’s unique to my experience.

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I’ve been building an After Effects extension called AetherFlow, and I’m trying to validate whether I’m solving a real problem or just one that I’ve experienced myself.
One of the core ideas behind AetherFlow is that it runs supported open-source AI models locally inside After Effects.
That means:
● No uploading footage to cloud services
● No sending client assets to third-party servers
● Everything runs on your own workstation
● You stay inside your existing After Effects workflow
The reason I started building it is because I work in advertising, where client footage often can’t leave the building due to NDAs or company policy. AI tools are becoming incredibly useful, but many studios simply can’t use cloud-based services for sensitive work.
Beyond local AI, AetherFlow is evolving into a node-based workflow extension for After Effects. Some of the things I’m currently working on include:
• AI-powered Footage Sync that can reconstruct editor reference cuts from source footage
• Depth, segmentation, and computer vision workflows
• Local inference using supported open-source models
• Workflow automation designed specifically for motion designers
I’m still actively developing it, so this isn’t a product launch. I’m genuinely interested in hearing from people who use After Effects professionally.
I’d love to know:
● Does your studio allow cloud AI tools?
● If not, what’s the biggest concern?
● Would running AI entirely on your local machine change whether you could use it?
● Are there workflows inside After Effects that you wish AI could automate?
I’m trying to build something that’s genuinely useful for artists instead of chasing AI hype, so I’d really appreciate any feedback—even if it’s critical.

I’ve been building an After Effects extension called AetherFlow, and I’m trying to validate whether I’m solving a real problem or just one that I’ve experienced myself.
One of the core ideas behind AetherFlow is that it runs supported open-source AI models locally inside After Effects.
That means:
● No uploading footage to cloud services
● No sending client assets to third-party servers
● Everything runs on your own workstation
● You stay inside your existing After Effects workflow
The reason I started building it is because I work in advertising, where client footage often can’t leave the building due to NDAs or company policy. AI tools are becoming incredibly useful, but many studios simply can’t use cloud-based services for sensitive work.
Beyond local AI, AetherFlow is evolving into a node-based workflow extension for After Effects. Some of the things I’m currently working on include:
• AI-powered Footage Sync that can reconstruct editor reference cuts from source footage
• Depth, segmentation, and computer vision workflows
• Local inference using supported open-source models
• Workflow automation designed specifically for motion designers
I’m still actively developing it, so this isn’t a product launch. I’m genuinely interested in hearing from people who use After Effects professionally.
I’d love to know:
● Does your studio allow cloud AI tools?
● If not, what’s the biggest concern?
● Would running AI entirely on your local machine change whether you could use it?
● Are there workflows inside After Effects that you wish AI could automate?
I’m trying to build something that’s genuinely useful for artists instead of chasing AI hype, so I’d really appreciate any feedback—even if it’s critical.