- EffectCraft is a free open-source program for creating animated captions and graphics by stacking text, shapes, and video clips in layers. The original text says it aims for a screen layout and feel similar to Adobe After Effects.
- It can import and export Lottie files, a lightweight animation format used on the web and in apps. The original text explains that project files use a human-readable JSON format (.ecproj), which makes it easier to compare change history.
- The developers claim the program has 306 effects and includes all 298 After Effects effects. This is the developers' claim and not a figure verified externally.
- Video output supports H.264, ProRes, HEVC, AV1, WebM, and more. The original text says the encoders are implemented in pure Rust without an external FFmpeg, and lists macOS, Windows, Linux, and web browsers as runtime environments.
O: A motion graphics designer who has been making subtitle animations in After Effects could recreate one short scene in EffectCraft, export it to Lottie, and compare the results.
X: The source says this is an alpha stage, that After Effects project files (.aep) cannot be opened, and that plugins do not run, so you should not expect existing working files to carry over as they are.