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Extension Installation
Installing .zxp files for After Effects

Complete guide for installing Motion Design School extensions (.zxp files)

Extensions Using This Guide

These are CEP extensions that provide panel-based interfaces within After Effects.

Installation Methods

Choose ZXP Installer if you downloaded a .zxp from Motion Design School. Choose aescripts Manager if you purchased on aescripts + aeplugins.

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Manual Extension Installation

If ZXP Installer Fails

If you encounter problems with ZXP installer, you can install extensions manually:

Manual Installation Steps:

  1. 1. Rename the .zxp file extension to .zip
  2. 2. Unzip the file to extract the extension folder
  3. 3. Move the resulting folder to the CEP extensions directory:

Windows:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\CEP\extensions\

macOS:

/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CEP/extensions/

MDS Extensions Settings

Settings Folder Location

Motion Design School extensions store their settings and preferences in these locations:

Windows:

C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\MDS\

macOS:

/Users/<user>/Library/Application Support/MDS/

System Folder Restrictions & Presets

Some tools need to write support files. If your OS blocks access, first enable“Allow Scripts to Write Files and Access Network”in After Effects preferences.

💡 Tip: show hidden files (macOS Finder: Cmd+Shift+.; Windows: enable hidden items).

Troubleshooting Extensions

Panel Shows Black Screen or Will Not Open

If you see a black screen or the panel will not open properly:

  • • Check if the extension supports your After Effects version
  • • Enable debugging mode in ZXP Installer settings (see below)
  • • Restart After Effects completely
  • • Try manual installation if ZXP Installer fails

Enable Debugging Mode Solution

In ZXP Installer settings, enable debugging mode as a temporary solution. This resolves most compatibility issues with CEP panels showing black screens.

View detailed debugging mode instructions →

Extension Not in Window → Extensions Menu

  • • Restart After Effects completely after installation
  • • Check that ZXP Installer showed "Installation successful"
  • • Try reinstalling with ZXP Installer
  • • Verify After Effects version compatibility
  • • On Windows, run After Effects as Administrator and try again

Extension Installation Problems?

Having trouble with extension installation? Our team specializes in CEP extension setup and troubleshooting.

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