Import with a single Ctrl+V
Just press Ctrl+V and the file is imported into the project and added to the composition as a layer.
Pro
TMCClipboard
Paste images and videos from the clipboard with Ctrl+V
Press Ctrl+V to bring an image or video you've copied to the clipboard straight into the current composition. There's no need to drag files in, and you can paste reference images copied from the web without downloading them first.
Clipboard
Key features
Keeps original file names and formats
Files copied in File Explorer or Finder, such as png, jpg, gif, and mp4, come in with their original names and formats, and multiple files are stacked in order.
Web images come in as original files too
For images copied in a browser, TMC Clipboard finds the image's address and downloads the original file, so the file extension and any animation are kept. Error pages are filtered out.
No duplicate files
Paste the same image several times and only one file on disk and one footage item in the project are created; each paste just adds another layer.
Quick start
Follow these steps in order the first time.
- Install TMC Clipboard from TMC Hub and restart After Effects. You don't apply it like an effect; it works as soon as it's installed.
- Copy a file in File Explorer or Finder, or copy an image in your browser.
- With a composition open in After Effects, press Ctrl+V (Cmd+V on macOS).
- If Cmd+V doesn't work on macOS, grant Accessibility permission in System Settings. Even without it, you can paste with Edit › Paste Image from Clipboard (TMC).
Practical tips
- When you've copied layers, keyframes, or an Illustrator path, After Effects' normal paste runs as usual.
- Files copied in File Explorer or Finder are imported from where they already are. Files that have to be saved first, such as images copied in a browser, are collected in a TMC Clipboard Pasted folder: next to the project file if the project has been saved, or in your Documents folder if it hasn't.
- Keypress detection runs on its own thread, so system-wide typing doesn't slow down even while After Effects is busy with heavy work.
Where to use it
- Dropping a reference image found online straight into your comp
- Bringing in an animated GIF copied from social media as-is
- Copying several source files from a folder and stacking them all at once
Pairs well with
Technical notes
- It's an After Effects general plugin (AEGP), so it doesn't appear in the effects list, and because it's not part of the render pipeline, color depth and GPU settings don't affect it.
- Without a licence, it passes the keystroke through instead of intercepting it, so the normal Ctrl+V behavior isn't affected.
This is a Pro-only plugin
A one-time purchase of Pro for $199 gets you all 25 plugins, plus any plugins added later.