About BAO Bones

BAO Bones brings inverse‑kinematics rigging to After Effects as a native, GPU‑accelerated plugin. Users can create and animate IK chains with as few as three clicks, and a whole character can be driven from a single layer, eliminating the need for additional null objects or controllers. Because it runs natively and does not rely on expressions, it remains fast and responsive. The distortion mesh is customized to fit joint bending, can be edited at any time, and masks may be used for smooth skinning. The workflow is fully keyframable, offering Automatic and Manual IK modes, and allowing parenting and selection points to be keyframed. The Puppeteer module enables control of multiple Bone instances from one layer. BAO Bones is compatible with After Effects versions from CS6 through the 2026 release.

Features

• IK rigging with setup and animation in as little as three clicks
• Control of a whole character on a single layer without extra nulls or controllers
• Native plugin that does not rely on expressions, with GPU acceleration
• Distortion mesh defined to fit joint bending and editable at any time, with masks for smooth skinning
• Fully keyframable workflow with Automatic and Manual IK modes plus keyframable Parenting and Selection points
• Rigs without requiring straight arms or legs, avoiding the work of unbending layers in Photoshop
• Puppeteer module for controlling many instances of Bones from one layer

Best for

Creating and animating character rigs with inverse kinematics directly inside After Effects.