JIGPX
JIGPX

After Effects Directories

Essential file paths and directory management in After Effects and Media Encoder

Installation Directories

Default installation paths for After Effects:

# Windows
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects [version]

# macOS
/Applications/Adobe After Effects [version]

Cache Directories

After Effects maintains several cache types to improve performance:

  • Disk Cache: Rendered frames
  • Media Cache: Indexed media files
  • Conformed Audio: Processed audio files

Default Cache Locations:

# Windows Disk Cache
C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Common\

# Windows Media Cache
C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Common\Media Cache Files\

# macOS Disk Cache
/Users/[username]/Library/Caches/Adobe/After Effects/

# macOS Media Cache
/Users/[username]/Library/Caches/Adobe/Common/Media Cache Files/

Changing Cache Locations:

  1. Open After Effects
  2. Go to Edit → Preferences → Media & Disk Cache (Windows) or After Effects → Preferences → Media & Disk Cache (macOS)
  3. Click "Choose Folder" next to "Empty Disk Cache" to change the disk cache location
  4. Click "Browse" in the Media Cache section to change the media cache location
  5. Click "OK" to apply changes

Pro Tip: Store cache files on a separate fast drive for better performance.

Plugins Directory

After Effects looks for plugins in several locations:

# Windows
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects [version]\Support Files\Plug-ins\
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Plug-ins\[version]\MediaCore\

# macOS
/Applications/Adobe After Effects [version]/Plug-ins/
/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Common/Plug-ins/[version]/MediaCore/

Note: Some plugins may have custom installation paths. Always follow the plugin installer's instructions.

Presets Directory

After Effects presets are stored in specific locations based on type:

# Windows User Presets
C:\Users\[username]\Documents\Adobe\After Effects [version]\User Presets\

# macOS User Presets
/Users/[username]/Documents/Adobe/After Effects [version]/User Presets/

# Animation Presets (Built-in)
[AE Installation Directory]/Presets/

Quick Tip: Easy Preset Access

  1. Open the "Presets" workspace/window in After Effects
  2. Right-click in an empty area
  3. Choose "Reveal in Explorer" (Windows) or "Reveal in Finder" (macOS)
  4. Create a shortcut/alias to this folder
  5. Drop the shortcut into your presets panel

Now you can drag files directly into this folder, and they'll appear in After Effects immediately.

Adobe Media Encoder Directories

Important directories for Adobe Media Encoder:

Installation Directory:

# Windows
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Media Encoder [version]\

# macOS
/Applications/Adobe Media Encoder [version]/

Encoding Presets:

# Windows
C:\Users\[username]\Documents\Adobe\Adobe Media Encoder\[version]\Presets\

# macOS
/Users/[username]/Documents/Adobe/Adobe Media Encoder/[version]/Presets/

Watch Folders:

Watch folders can be set up anywhere, but default locations are:

# Windows
C:\Users\[username]\Documents\Adobe\Adobe Media Encoder\[version]\Watch Folders\

# macOS
/Users/[username]/Documents/Adobe/Adobe Media Encoder/[version]/Watch Folders/

Managing Encoding Presets:

  1. Create and save presets in Media Encoder's Export Settings
  2. Use "Save Preset" to store in the default location
  3. Export presets using the Preset Browser for sharing
  4. Import presets using the Preset Browser's menu

Best Practices

  • Store cache files on a separate SSD for better performance
  • Regularly clean up unused cache files
  • Back up your presets folder regularly
  • Create shortcuts to frequently accessed folders
  • Use consistent naming conventions for custom presets
  • Document any custom plugin installations

Troubleshooting

Common directory-related issues and solutions:

  • Missing Plugins: Check both plugin directories and verify file permissions
  • Cache Issues: Try purging all cache files through Preferences
  • Preset Not Showing: Verify the preset is in the correct version folder
  • Permission Errors: Run AE as administrator or check folder permissions