Motion Tools After Effects & Cinema 4D
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Snap

FreePro

Instant frame snapshots, an organized roll, true A/B compare and so much more. The modern snapshot workflow every artist is looking for.

Plugin · After Effects · Windows & Mac

Why it exists

Comparing versions usually means a folder of PNGs named v2_final_FINAL, or flipping between two renders and holding the difference in your head. Snap fixes that, and four things set it apart.

One keystroke, full resolution
A global hotkey captures the active comp at 100%, from any After Effects panel. No render queue, no export dialog.
A/B compare that shows what changed
Pick any two snaps and drag the wipe across the frame. It happens in place, with nothing to export.
A gallery that remembers
Every snap keeps its comp and time. Favorite, comp and group filters are still there next session.
Effect stacks that travel with the lookPro
Every snap remembers the comp's effect stack, by layer. Save those effect stacks as presets and apply them to other layers.

When a look needs client eyes, Pro adds markup and branded contact sheets, perfect for handing off to clients.

How it works
  1. Capture

    Snap & open captures the active comp and opens the gallery. Silent snap captures without opening anything. Both hotkeys are rebindable.

  2. Browse

    Every snap lands in a persistent gallery. Filter by comp, favorite or group, and it is all still there next session.

  3. Compare

    Pick any two snaps and wipe between them. Change the background color behind the frames when your alpha needs a different backdrop.

  4. Use it

    Import to the project, drop into the comp, copy to the clipboard with alpha, or reveal the file in Explorer or Finder.

Free features
Free

The full capture workflow

Every tool has a free version. Not a trial, not a watermark. These are yours to keep.

Capture

Always full resolution
Rendered natively from the active comp and saved as PNG, with alpha. Snaps come out at 100% no matter what the comp's preview resolution is set to.
Two global hotkeys
Snap & open and Silent snap work from any After Effects panel, and both are rebindable. Defaults are Ctrl+Shift+Space and Ctrl+Alt+S on Windows, and ⌃⌥S and ⌃⌥⇧S on Mac.
Your capture folder
Choose where snaps are saved. New files in that folder show up in the gallery on their own.

Gallery

Persistent roll
Snaps stay between sessions, with their comp and time attached, so nothing gets mixed up between versions.
Comp, favorite and group filters
Mark the keepers as favorites, group related takes, and filter down to one comp when the project gets crowded.
Full viewer
Zoom and pan any snap to check it at the pixel level.
Reveal or trash
Show any snap in Explorer or Finder, or send it to the Recycle Bin or Trash from the gallery.

A/B compare

True wipe compare
Pick any two snaps and drag the divider across the frame to see exactly what changed.
Your choice of background
Set the color behind the frames, so transparent areas read clearly while you compare.

Get it back into your work

Import any snap to project
Bring any snap into the Project panel as footage.
Add active to comp
Drop the active snap straight into the composition as a layer.
Copy with alpha
Paste a snap into other apps with its transparency intact.
Export anywhere
Pick a destination folder and copy out the snaps you choose.

Built for the way you work

Floating window
Sits above After Effects without staying on top of every other app. Resize it, and Snap remembers where you left it.
Undo stays with After Effects
Undo and redo pressed in the Snap window go to After Effects.
Pro features
Pro

Makes it yours

The parts you'll want by the third project. One payment, no subscription.

Markup

Draw on a snap and send it back with notes. Pen strokes are smoothed into clean curves.

  • Pen, arrow and box tools
  • Full color picker with HEX, RGB and HSL
  • Screen eyedropper
  • Saveable color swatches

Branded contact sheets

Turn a set of snaps into a sheet with your logo and your colors. Perfect for handing off to clients.

  • Your logo, or the Clutch wordmark by default
  • Background, header, text and rule colors
  • Drag tiles to reorder
  • Live preview in the sheet arranger

Shared folders

Send snaps to a synced folder, and the rest of your team can see them the same way you do.

  • Name and save any number of folders
  • Send a snap to a folder from the gallery
  • Switch the gallery to any folder

Effect stacks

Every snap remembers the comp's effect stack, by layer. Save those effect stacks as presets and apply them to other layers.

  • Preset library: save, rename, reorder, duplicate, search and delete
  • Update a preset from the selected layer
  • Choose which effects to bring across
  • Several layers at once, in one undo
Integration

Works with FX Console

Point Snap's capture folder at the one FX Console uses, and your FX Console snapshots show up in the Snap gallery, ready for A/B compare, markup and contact sheets.

Effect stacks are saved for snaps captured in Snap.

Free vs Pro
Free

The full capture workflow

  • Full-resolution frame capture
  • Persistent gallery with comp, favorite and group filters
  • A/B wipe compare with background color
  • Two rebindable global hotkeys
  • Import any snap to project or add active to comp
  • Copy to clipboard with alpha
  • Reveal in Explorer or Finder, trash to Recycle Bin or Trash
  • Markup
  • Branded contact sheets
  • Shared folders
  • Effect stacks and presets
Pro · Unlocked

Makes it yours

$30, one time

  • Everything in Free
  • Markup with pen, arrow, box and a full color picker
  • Branded contact sheets for client handoff
  • Shared folders for team snapshots
  • Effect stacks saved with every snap, plus a preset library
Details
Compatibility
After Effects
Platform
Windows and Mac
License
One-time purchase, no subscription
Install
Windows installer, or the plugin file on Mac

Windows

  1. Close After Effects, then run the ClutchSnap installer. It finds your After Effects install and adds the Microsoft WebView2 runtime if it is missing.
  2. Start After Effects and press Ctrl+Shift+Space to capture a frame and open Snap.
  3. Free works right away, with no account. Pro: enter the license key from your Gumroad receipt.

Mac

  1. Quit After Effects. Copy ClutchSnap.plugin into a Clutch folder inside your After Effects Plug-ins folder. It runs natively on Mac, and it is signed and notarized, so there is no Gatekeeper warning.
  2. Start After Effects and choose Window > Clutch Snap, or press ⌃⌥S to capture a frame and open Snap.
  3. Free works right away, with no account. Pro: enter the license key from your Gumroad receipt.

Try Snap on a real project