Picasso Shaper is an After Effects plugin that creates a shape layer with built‑in expressions for size and position, allowing the shape to automatically resize based on its content.
Developed by Bending Spoons.
About Picasso Shaper
Picasso Shaper, developed by Bending Spoons, generates a shape layer in After Effects whose size and position attributes contain expressions, enabling automatic resizing to match the layer’s content. Version 2.0.0 (released 19 October 2021) adds a reworked UI, a Snug Fit option that aligns the shape to text lines, and a Colors feature for creating custom palettes that drive shape generation. The plugin requires After Effects 17.0 or later and is distributed through the Adobe Exchange library as a free download. Licensing details are maintained on the developer’s Adobe Exchange page.
Features
- Creates a shape layer with expressions written into its size and position attributes
- Automatically resizes the shape based on its content
- Snug Fit makes the shape follow the lines of the text
- Colors lets you build custom palettes that Picasso uses to generate shapes
- Reworked UI introduced in version 2.0.0
Best for
After Effects users who need shape layers that automatically adjust to their content, with optional text‑line fitting and custom‑color‑palette based shape generation.
Frequently asked questions
Does Picasso Shaper work with older versions of After Effects?
Picasso Shaper works with After Effects version 17.0 and any later release; earlier versions are not supported.
What does the Snug Fit option in Picasso Shaper do?
The Snug Fit option makes the generated shape conform to the lines of the text, aligning the shape’s boundaries with the text layout.
How do the Colors palettes in Picasso Shaper work?
The Colors feature lets you create custom color palettes; Picasso Shaper then uses those palettes to generate shapes in the selected colors.
Is Picasso Shaper free?
The plugin is listed as free on Adobe Exchange, but licensing terms may change, so consult the developer’s page for the current status.
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