Install Altar.
Get the Altar plugin running inside After Effects in a few minutes.
Prerequisites
Before installing Altar, make sure you have:
- Adobe After Effects 2022 or newer
- macOS 12+
Quick start
Head to motionaltar.com/download and grab the macOS .pkg.
Run it; it installs Altar just for your user, so no admin password is needed.
After installing, open After Effects. Altar appears under Window → Extensions → Altar. Dock it like any other panel - the plugin opens dark, to match AE. Altar downloads supported updates automatically. Restart After Effects to apply a normal update; a future native update may ask you to run the downloaded installer again.
Windows is not supported during the closed beta. It will return after the installer is Authenticode-signed and the install and sidecar flow pass in a real Windows After Effects setup.
The toolbox
Altar opens as a toolbox plus a Settings window you use when needed:
- Altar Forge - the Canvas you shape, starting with 24 certified Tools
- Settings - account, appearance, and toolbox configuration
Selected existing testers may also see Chat or Vault private previews. They are not part of the current public beta offer.
Verify
Open Altar Forge with a comp open, then run any Block that only reads, such as a selection Block. If it reports your layers back to you, Altar can see your project and you are ready to work.
Next steps
- New to Altar? Read What is Altar? first.
- Try your first win with a Selection Tool.
- Curious what happens between your click and the comp? See How Altar works.