About Box It

Box It adds a shape layer box beneath a text layer in After Effects, fitting the text precisely and updating automatically whenever the text changes. It works with paragraph text, vertical text (Full Height mode), and in 3D compositions. Applying the script adds effect controls to the text layer and creates a shape box with its own controls, allowing individual or collective adjustments.

Corner handling includes per‑corner control, four profiles (convex, concave, flat, step), and adjustable curvature for a squircle look, with radius set in pixels or percent. Alignment options anchor boxes to the composition on the x and y axes, with optional x, y, z offsets or attachment to a parent layer across 25 positions, updating as the composition or text changes.

Additional controls cover expansion, roundness, skew, minimum width and height, and matching a chosen layer’s dimensions. Users can animate text separately, push text outside the box for track mattes, and select when the box reads the text to size itself: Current Time, Layer In, Mid, Out Point, or Custom Time.

Features

• Self-resizing shape box added under the text layer that updates when the text changes; works with paragraph text, vertical text (Full Height), and in 3D
• Per-corner control with four profiles (convex, concave, flat, and step), adjustable curvature for squircles, and radius in pixels or percent
• Corner brackets that fit the bounding box, with per-bracket show/hide, length, and tapering
• Alignment to the composition on the x and y axes with x, y, z offsets, or to a parent layer across 25 positions
• Percentage-based offsets so animations update when text length, scale, or position changes
• Selectable size-reference timing: Current Time, Layer In, Mid, or Out Point, or Custom Time
• Trim to a perfect square, minimum width and height, and matching a chosen layer’s width or height

Best for

Creating dynamic text boxes and lower‑thirds in After Effects where the box must automatically resize around changing text.