About Handy Particles Pro

Handy Particles Pro is an After Effects extension from PENCIL Park for constructing particle systems in motion graphics. It supports primitive shapes such as ellipses and stars as well as custom vector shapes. Users can adjust particle size, movement paths, burst behaviours like explosions and implosions, and apply colour settings across a range of effects. A key feature is direct export of particles to Rive, with a BURST option that also supports Lottie workflows, and the ability to choose the destination folder for the generated JSON files. Version 1.0.3, released on January 13, 2025, introduced a helper with respawn functionality for looping animations. The extension is compatible with After Effects 2025, 2024, 2023, and 2022 and is listed as free in the aescripts catalog, though licensing should be verified on the developer’s page.

Features

• Particle systems built from primitive shapes like ellipses and stars, or from custom shapes
• Control over particle size and movement
• Burst effects including explosions and implosions
• Color customization alongside a broad range of effects
• Export particles directly from After Effects projects to Rive, with a BURST option for Rive and Lottie usage
• Option to select the folder where JSON particles are saved
• Helper with respawn for loops, added in version 1.0.3

Best for

Motion designers who need particle animation tools inside After Effects and want to export those particles to Rive or Lottie.