Shape Sphere is a small tool I built to make my workflow faster and more flexible. It generates a clean, pseudo-3D sphere directly inside After Effects using only shape layers and expressions. The preset simulates two hemispheres rotating together, which lets me create simple spherical motion without opening a 3D application or rebuilding the rig from scratch every time.
Originally inspired by Sander van Dijk’s rig from School of Motion, I refined the structure to be as lightweight and intuitive as possible. Just double-click the preset to generate a brand-new shape layer with all controls accessible right in the Effect Controls panel, letting you skip the tedious manual setup and dive straight into animating.
Vector-Based & Customizable
Built entirely with native After Effects vector shapes, Shape Sphere stays crisp at any scale. You can easily adjust its size, rotation, and colors to fit your animation or visual style.
Built-In Matte Utility
Use the sphere as a luminance matte to reveal footage, textures, or graphics through the rotating shape. Simply switch to a high-contrast black and white setup and turn the sphere into a dynamic mask.
Automated Rolling Physics
Toggle automated rolling to make the sphere react dynamically to its movement. The expressions calculate natural, wheel-like rotation along the X or Y axis based on the sphere’s actual size, keeping the physics accurate without any manual keyframing.
Great tools should solve problems, not create paywalls.
Shape Sphere is completely free. Just enter $0 on the download page and you’re ready to go.
The download is hosted on Gumroad so you can easily receive notifications whenever new versions or updates are released.
If Shape Sphere improves your workflow, the best way to support the project is by sharing it with fellow motion designers. The goal is to create practical tools for the Motion Design and Adobe communities that make everyday work faster, simpler, and more enjoyable.
How to install
After downloading the ZIP archive, extract its contents and locate the included preset file. Copy the preset into a folder named Bartlomiej Otlowski inside your After Effects Presets directory. If the folder already exists, simply place the new preset inside it. Keeping all presets in a dedicated folder makes them easier to find both on your hard drive and within the Effects & Presets panel in After Effects.
You can install the preset in any of the standard preset locations:
Windows
- Windows (Program Directory): Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects\Support Files\Presets
- Windows (User Directory): Documents\Adobe\After Effects\User Presets
Mac
- macOS (Application Directory): Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects\Support Files\Presets
- macOS (User Directory): Documents\Adobe\After Effects\User Presets
How to use
Once installed, locate Shape Sphere in the Effects & Presets panel and double-click the preset.
Shape Sphere automatically creates a new Shape Layer with the sphere rig already set up and ready to use. All the main controls are available directly in the Effect Controls panel, so you can adjust the size, rotation, and colors without touching the underlying shapes or expressions. Simply generate the sphere and start animating.
Note: Before using Shape Sphere, make sure your project is using the JavaScript expression engine. You can check this under File > Project Settings > Expressions > Expression Engine, then select JavaScript.
How to use with KBar
Shape Sphere includes a custom SVG icon, making it easy to integrate directly into your KBar workspace for even faster access.
To create a dedicated Shape Sphere button, open KBar Settings, click Add Button, select Apply Preset, and choose the included Shape Sphere.ffx file. Then assign the provided SVG icon, enter a button name, and confirm your settings.
Once configured, Shape Sphere can be applied directly from your KBar panel, making it a natural addition to an efficient After Effects workflow.
FAQ
Yes. Shape Sphere is available free of charge. Simply enter $0 on the download page to get the latest version.
Gumroad requires a “pay what you want” price for free products. If you’d like to download Shape Sphere for free, simply enter $0 in the price field.
Hosting Shape Sphere on Gumroad makes it easier to notify users about new releases, updates, bug fixes, and future improvements. This helps ensure everyone has access to the latest version of the tool without needing to manually check for updates.
Shape Sphere was built in After Effects 2025. Due to how After Effects handles animation presets (.ffx), backwards compatibility is not supported. If you’re using After Effects 2025 or newer, Shape Sphere should work as expected.
Yes. Shape Sphere can be used in both personal and commercial projects, including client work and professional productions.
Changelog
Version 2.0 — 2026.08.26
- New
- Added Automated Rolling Physics to rotate the sphere automatically based on its position along the X or Y axis.
- Improvements
- Fixed semi-transparent pixel bleeding between trimmed hemisphere paths to eliminate the seam line along the center split.
Version 1.0 — 2022.08.22
- New
- Initial public release of Shape Sphere.
Do you like this tool?
Tell me about your thoughts. I would love to hear your feedback.
