Light even on an adjustment layer
Rebuilt so that SmartFX and Multi-Frame Rendering work normally, which keeps scrubbing from stalling even when it's applied to an adjustment layer.
Pro
TMCPosterize Time
A light, fast frame-dropping plugin
A frame-dropping plugin that runs faster and lighter than the built-in Posterize Time and third-party alternatives. Apply it to a single layer or an adjustment layer to lower the frame rate of specific scenes.
Posterize Time
Key features
Phase Offset
Use Phase Offset to deliberately stagger when each layer steps, for the feel of limited animation.
Time Mode · Sync to Comp FPS
Choose Time Mode (Floor, Round, Ceil) and Time Base (Comp Time, Layer Time), and use Sync to Comp FPS to remove the slight drift that non-integer ratios cause.
Quick start
Follow these steps in order the first time.
- Apply Effect › TMC › TMC Posterize Time to the layer or adjustment layer you want to make choppy.
- Enter the frame rate you want in Frame Rate. 8–12fps is common for an animation look.
- To offset the steps across several layers, give each layer a different Phase Offset.
- To switch it off briefly and compare, turn on Bypass.
Parameter guide
Listed in the same order as the Effect Controls panel.
Effect Controls · TMC Posterize TimeClick a group to expand it
Basic parameters7
Frame Rate
The frame rate used to make motion look stepped. Lower values look choppier.
Time Mode
Chooses how the current time snaps to the Frame Rate grid: rounded down (Floor), to the nearest step (Round), or up (Ceil).
FloorRoundCeil
Time Base
Chooses where the grid is counted from. Comp Time counts from 0 seconds in the composition; Layer Time counts from the layer's In point.
Comp TimeLayer Time
Phase Offset
Shifts the whole hold grid forward or back, in composition frames, to change which frames are held.
Sync to Comp FPS
When on, snaps the held time to the nearest composition frame, so a Frame Rate that doesn't divide evenly into the comp FPS never samples between frames.
Bypass
When on, the effect passes the image through unchanged without holding frames.
Debug Overlay
When on, draws a colored square in the top-left corner of the layer. Its color changes each time the held frame changes, so you can see where each hold begins.
Practical tips
- To check where each hold changes, turn on Debug Overlay. A colored square in the top-left corner of the layer changes color every time the held frame changes.
- Results within a held span go into the After Effects frame cache, so replaying the same span is fast.
Where to use it
- Limited motion with a 2D animation feel
- Choppy, stepped motion timed to the beat
- Shots where lowering the frame rate of just one layer makes it stand out
Pairs well with
Technical notes
- It passes pixels through unchanged, so it doesn't use GPU acceleration.
- It properly declares its time dependency so caching works correctly, and supports 8 · 16 · 32 bpc and Multi-Frame Rendering.
This is a Pro-only plugin
A one-time purchase of Pro for $199 gets you all 25 plugins, plus any plugins added later.