Free Motion Design Assets And Plugins From Mt Mograph And Industry Partners
The motion design industry offers numerous free resources for professionals and enthusiasts seeking to enhance their creative projects without financial investment. Among these resources are free plugins, asset packs, and tools from established developers like Mt. Mograph, as well as complementary offerings from industry partners. These freebies provide valuable functionality for Adobe After Effects users, motion designers, and video editors looking to expand their toolkit without cost.
Mt. Mograph's Free Offerings
Mt. Mograph, a well-regarded developer in the motion design community, provides several tools that enhance workflow efficiency for Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro users. While the company is primarily known for its premium products, certain free options and trial functionalities are available to users.
Free Plugins from Mt. Mograph
Two notable free plugins from Mt. Mograph include Rift and Zorro, both designed to streamline After Effects workflows:
Rift: This plugin offers various methods for shifting, sequencing, staggering, or randomizing layer properties such as in and out points, keyframes, and markers. It features a compact user interface that allows motion designers to manipulate multiple elements efficiently without manual adjustments. Rift is particularly valuable for creating complex animations with randomized elements or repositioning multiple layers simultaneously.
Zorro: This plugin enables users to group layers in After Effects by adding tags to them, similar to how photos might be tagged on social media platforms. Once tagged, layers can be easily selected or isolated in groups based on their assigned tags. This functionality significantly improves organization in complex compositions with numerous layers, making it easier to manage and navigate large projects.
Both plugins demonstrate Mt. Mograph's commitment to providing practical solutions that address common challenges faced by motion designers, even in their free offerings.
Vector Visuals Royalty-Free Asset Pack
Another notable free offering from Mt. Mograph is the Vector Visuals royalty-free visual asset pack. Created collaboratively by Nick Greenawalt and Devon Burgoyne, this asset pack can be used on both personal and commercial projects. The inclusion of royalty-free assets is particularly valuable for motion designers who need visual elements without worrying about licensing restrictions or attribution requirements. This type of freebie represents a significant cost savings for professionals who would otherwise need to purchase similar assets from stock media libraries.
Mt. Mograph Wander: Media Search and Asset Collection
While primarily a premium product, Mt. Mograph Wander deserves mention as it offers functionality that could be considered free in its basic implementation. Described as "the ultimate media search and asset collection extension for motion designers," Wander provides a synchronized search engine that helps users find and collect media effortlessly.
Wander allows users to: - Access more than 62 million media files - Search through images, GIFs, emojis, SVGs, and icon packs - Download, sort, and add media directly to projects - Use a customizable and compact user interface
The extension is compatible with Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro CC 2019, 2020, 2021, or later. While the source doesn't explicitly state a free version of Wander, its description as having "lightning-quick results pulled from the infinite World Wide Web" suggests it may provide access to free public domain or open-source media assets.
Mt. Mograph Motion: Premium Tool with Potential Trial
Mt. Mograph Motion represents the company's premium offering, priced at $99. Described as "a keyframe assistant plugin that offers over 50 tools that automate repetitive tasks," Motion is positioned as a comprehensive solution for motion designers. The source highlights its features including:
- Curve Graph for easing
- Easing Sliders
- Custom User Library
- More than 50+ tools and custom Effect Controls
- Built-in tools like Eyedropper, Palette Library, and HSB sliders
- Focus feature to create custom Groups for visually isolating Layers
While not explicitly mentioned as having a free version, many premium plugins offer trial periods or limited functionality versions. The source indicates that Motion is "the most helpful extension for motion designers using Adobe After Effects," suggesting its value proposition despite the cost.
Free Alternatives and Complementary Tools
Beyond Mt. Mograph's offerings, the motion design community provides several free alternatives and complementary tools that enhance productivity and creative possibilities.
Rift and Zorro: Direct Competitors to Mt. Mograph Tools
Rift and Zorro, mentioned earlier as free plugins from Mt. Mograph, actually have counterparts with similar names from other developers. The source mentions Rift as offering "various methods for shifting, sequencing, staggering, or randomizing layer properties" and Zorro as allowing users to "group layers in After Effects by adding tags to them." These free tools provide similar functionality to some of Mt. Mograph's premium offerings, making them valuable alternatives for budget-conscious motion designers.
CopyMask2Layer: Affordable Alternative
While not free, CopyMask2Layer is positioned as an affordable alternative at $9.99. This plugin allows users to "seamlessly copy masks while preserving their exact placement, regardless of layer movement or keyframed mask paths." For motion designers who frequently work with masks, this functionality can save significant time compared to manual methods.
GifGun and Auto Crop 3: Specialized Tools
Two other specialized tools mentioned in the source include GifGun and Auto Crop 3:
GifGun: Priced at $29.99, this After Effects script simplifies animated GIF creation directly within After Effects. It allows users to customize settings, optimize file sizes, and generate GIFs directly from compositions.
Auto Crop 3: Another After Effects script that enables users to quickly crop a composition to match the size of its contents. While not explicitly priced in the source, its inclusion among other tools suggests it's part of the motion designer's toolkit.
Industry Partnerships and Free Asset Libraries
Beyond individual plugins and tools, the motion design industry offers numerous free asset libraries and toolkits through partnerships and promotional offerings.
Shutterstock Video Editor Toolkit
One notable offering is the Shutterstock Video Editor Toolkit, described as "a massive collection of free animations, transitions, overlays, and LUTs." This toolkit includes:
- 46 animated icons (corporate video assets like printers, computers, and map locations, as well as general icons like animated arrows, dollar signs, and text bubbles)
- 34 drag-and-drop shape layers (including animated circle bursts and squares)
- 52 .CUBE files for Look Up Tables (LUTs), compatible with Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, FCPX (with a plugin), and Photoshop
- Various overlays and elements from RocketStock
The toolkit represents a significant value for video editors and motion designers, providing professionally designed assets that would typically require purchase from stock media libraries.
Terra xL's Freebie Pack
Another valuable resource is Terra xL's Freebie Pack, which includes three scans of mountains and mountain ranges at various scales, each provided with three Levels of Detail (LODs). The assets come with:
- Base OBJ files compatible with most modern Digital Content Creation (DCC) applications or game engines
- PBR textures (albedo, occlusion, roughness, specular, and normal maps)
- Textures provided as 4,096 x 4,096px and 8,192 x 8,192px JPG files
While Terra xL's complete asset collections range from $10 for smaller individual scans to just over $100 for the complete collections, the free sample pack provides a no-cost entry point for motion designers needing terrain assets in their projects.
Practical Applications of Free Motion Design Resources
The availability of free plugins, assets, and tools has practical implications for motion designers at various skill levels and project requirements:
Cost Efficiency for Independent Creators
For independent motion designers, freelancers, or small studios, free resources provide an opportunity to maintain high production values without significant financial investment. Tools like Rift and Zorro offer functionality that might otherwise require premium plugins, while asset packs like Vector Visuals and the Shutterstock Video Editor Toolkit reduce the need for purchasing stock assets.
Learning and Skill Development
Free tools also serve as excellent learning resources for motion designers looking to expand their skill sets. By experimenting with plugins like Rift or utilizing the various assets in free toolkits, designers can develop new techniques and approaches to animation and motion graphics without financial risk.
Prototyping and Client Presentations
In professional settings, free resources are valuable for rapid prototyping and client presentations. Designers can quickly assemble mockups using free assets and plugins to demonstrate concepts before committing to premium resources for final production. This approach can save time and provide clients with clearer visual expectations.
Educational Environments
Educational institutions and students benefit significantly from free motion design resources. With limited budgets, schools and students can access professional-grade tools and assets that would otherwise be prohibitively expensive, ensuring equitable access to quality learning materials.
Evaluating Free Motion Design Resources
When considering free motion design resources, several factors should be evaluated:
Compatibility and System Requirements
Before downloading any free plugin or asset, users should verify compatibility with their software and system requirements. For example, Mt. Mograph Wander is compatible with Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro CC 2019, 2020, 2021, or later, while Terra xL's assets are provided in OBJ format for broad compatibility.
Licensing and Usage Rights
Understanding the licensing terms of free resources is crucial. Some assets, like Vector Visuals, are explicitly royalty-free and can be used in commercial projects, while others may have restrictions. Users should carefully review the license terms to ensure compliance with their intended use.
Quality and Performance
Not all free resources are created equal. Users should evaluate the quality of free plugins and assets against premium alternatives, considering factors like performance impact, ease of use, and the professional finish they provide to projects.
Support and Documentation
Free resources often come with limited support and documentation. Users should be prepared to troubleshoot issues independently or seek help from online communities. Premium resources typically offer more comprehensive support and regular updates.
Future Trends in Free Motion Design Resources
The motion design industry continues to evolve, with several trends emerging in the realm of free resources:
Increased Integration with Cloud Services
Future free tools may offer deeper integration with cloud services, enabling collaborative workflows and access to vast online libraries of assets directly within editing software.
AI-Powered Tools
Artificial intelligence is beginning to play a role in motion design, with free AI-powered plugins emerging that can automate complex tasks like rotoscoping, object tracking, and even simple animation generation.
Open Source Development
The open-source movement is gaining traction in the motion design community, with developers collaborating to create free tools that rival premium alternatives in functionality and performance.
Subscription-Based Free Tiers
As the software industry shifts toward subscription models, we may see more premium tools offering limited free tiers or trial periods, allowing users to test functionality before committing to purchase.
Conclusion
The availability of free motion design resources from Mt. Mograph and industry partners provides significant value to professionals, educators, and enthusiasts. From free plugins like Rift and Zorro to comprehensive asset libraries like the Shutterstock Video Editor Toolkit and Terra xL's Freebie Pack, these resources enable high-quality motion design without substantial financial investment.
As the industry continues to evolve, the line between free and premium resources may blur further, with more sophisticated tools becoming available at no cost. By understanding how to evaluate, utilize, and integrate these free resources into their workflows, motion designers can enhance their creativity, efficiency, and production value while managing costs effectively.
The key to maximizing the benefits of free motion design resources lies in careful selection based on project requirements, thorough understanding of licensing terms, and ongoing exploration of new offerings as they become available. With these considerations, motion designers can leverage the wealth of free resources to create compelling visual content without compromising quality or budget.
Sources
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