Table of Contents
Version: 1.30 · After Effects CC 2022 or later
Visual States saves layer visibility snapshots as named ***States***per comp – like quick switches between setups.
Common use cases:
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Visual States lets you save and recall layer visibility combinations in After Effects — like taking a snapshot of which layers are on and which are off in a composition.
Imagine you have a comp with 20 layers and you need to quickly switch between a “Client A” version (some logos visible, others hidden) and a “Client B” version. Instead of manually toggling layers every time, you save each setup as a named state and switch between them with a single click.
Some everyday examples:
Visual States is available in two editions:
| Feature | LITE | PRO |
|---|---|---|
| States per composition | 3 | Unlimited |
| Multiselect states | ✅Yes | ✅Yes |
| Comp Navigator | ✅Yes | ✅Yes |
| Include / Exclude Layers | ✅Yes | ✅Yes |
| Duplicate Comp with States | ✅Yes (first 3 states only) | ✅Yes |
| Copy States from | ✅Yes (respects 3-state limit) | ✅Yes |
| Render states to Queue | ✅Yes (visible states only) | ✅Yes |
| Compatible with PRO files | ✅Yes | ✅Yes |
| Visible states from PRO files | First 3 only | ✅All |
| Hidden states indicator | ⚠shown in list | N/A |
| Open / Merge from file | ✅Yes, limited to 3 states per comp | ✅Yes |
Network sharing (.visualstates.json) |
✅Yes | ✅Yes |
| Price | Free | Paid |
Note: LITE can open projects and
.visualstates.jsonfiles created with PRO, but if a composition contains more than 3 states, only the first 3 are shown. States beyond the limit appear in the list as disabled items with a ⚠ indicator. Importing with Merge or Open is also limited by the same 3-state cap.
There are two things to check before using Visual States for the first time.