Installation

Compdown runs as a CEP panel inside After Effects. There are two ways to install it.

Option 1: Install from Release (Recommended)

1. Download the latest .zxp file from GitHub Releases

2. Install using aescripts ZXP Installer:

   • Open ZXP Installer
   • Drag the .zxp file onto the window
   • Restart After Effects

3. Find the panel under Window > Extensions > Compdown

Option 2: Build from Source

If you want to run the latest development version:

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/compdown/compdown.git
   cd compdown

2. Install dependencies and build:

   npm install
   npm run build

3. Enable unsigned extensions (required for local builds):

   • Open aescripts ZXP Installer
   • Go to Settings > Debug > Enable Debugging
   • Or manually set the PlayerDebugMode flag in your system registry/plist

4. Restart After Effects. The panel appears under Window > Extensions > Compdown

Development mode

For active development with hot reload:

npm run dev

This starts a dev server at localhost:3000. Changes to the panel code will hot-reload without restarting AE.

Verify installation

1. Open After Effects
2. Go to Window > Extensions > Compdown
3. You should see the Compdown panel with a YAML editor

If the panel doesn't appear, check:

• Debug mode is enabled (for local builds)
• After Effects was restarted after installation
• You're using a supported After Effects version (CC 2019+)

Next steps

• Quick Start — Create your first composition