About this release
GEOlayers 3 is the After Effects extension that turns map making from a manual illustration job into a data driven, animatable one. Instead of tracing a map by hand, you pull real geographic data straight into a composition, pick a region, and it builds the map as editable After Effects layers, land, water, roads, borders, buildings and labels, each of which you style with the full weight of the After Effects toolset behind it.
Because everything arrives as native layers and data, it animates the way motion designers expect. Draw a route between points and animate a line travelling along it, drop and animate location markers, push in and pan across the terrain, and restyle the whole map to match a brand with a few adjustments. Elevation data drives shaded relief for terrain, and the label engine places city and place names cleanly at any zoom.
It slots into an existing motion graphics pipeline rather than replacing any of it, so the map becomes just another set of layers in a larger comp alongside titles and footage. This build is the extension prepared to install into After Effects in an activated state, and it keeps its matched data handling so the geographic pulls work as intended.
What it does
- Real geographic data pulled directly into a composition
- Maps built as editable After Effects layers you can restyle
- Separate land, water, road, border, building and label layers
- Route animation with a line travelling between points
- Location markers that drop and animate
- Shaded relief terrain driven by elevation data
- Clean label placement for cities and places at any zoom
- Full After Effects styling on every map element
- Camera moves for pushing in and panning across terrain
- Fits into an existing motion graphics comp as layers
Changes in this version
- Improved label placement at high zoom levels
- Faster data pulls for large regions
- Reworked route animation with smoother easing
- Better terrain relief detail from elevation data
- Updated the styling presets
What the package contains
- AEScripts GEOlayers 3 After Effects extension
- Map styling preset set
- Readme with the install order written out step by step
- Notes on matching the extension to the After Effects version
- Sample project showing a route animation
Installation notes
Follow these in order. Most reports of a failed install come from skipping a step rather than from the package itself.
- Close After Effects before you start.
- Disconnect from the network.
- Extract the archive to a short path such as C:\Setup.
- Run the extension installer, or copy the files into the scripts folder as the readme directs.
- Open After Effects, load the extension panel, then close it.
- Reconnect to the network.
System requirements
| Operating system | Windows 10 or Windows 11, 64-bit |
| Host application | A matching After Effects build must be installed |
| Processor | Intel or AMD 64-bit multi core processor |
| Memory | 16 GB recommended for large map comps |
| Graphics | GPU with 4 GB VRAM recommended |
| Storage | 1 GB free for the extension and cached data |
Things worth knowing
- This is an extension for After Effects, not a standalone program, it opens as a panel inside it.
- Keep it matched to the After Effects build so the panel loads and the data pulls work.
- Large regions pull a lot of data, expect a heavier comp and give it memory.
Questions about this title
Is this a standalone map maker?
Where does the map data come from?
Can I animate a route?
Will it match my brand style?
What people are saying
Animated a travel route across a styled map in an afternoon. Used to take days of hand illustration.
Every element comes in as a layer so matching the show's brand was easy. Slots right into my comp.
The shaded relief from elevation data looks great on a push in. Give it memory on big regions.
Listing information
This entry is catalogued under Video & Motion and carries the tags below. Language coverage is English interface, and the supported platform list is Windows 10, Windows 11. Version 1.18.0 is the current catalogued build, last checked 1 week ago, and the entry has been in the index since it was added 1 year ago.