A CEP panel for Adobe After Effects that finds and relinks missing footage automatically using the Everything search engine.
- Scans your AE project for missing footage in one click
- Uses Everything (voidtools) for instant file search across your entire machine
- Auto-relinks single matches, shows choices when multiple found
- PSD-aware relinking via AHK automation to preserve layer references
- Copy-on-relink: moves outside files into your project folder automatically
- Dark UI, pink/purple aesthetic, lives in the Window menu like any native panel
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| After Effects 2018 or later | CC 2018 (v15) through current |
| Windows only | macOS not supported |
| Everything by voidtools | Free, tiny, instant file search |
| AutoHotkey v2 (optional) | Only needed for PSD-layer relinking |
Note: This is an unsigned CEP extension — it is not sold through the Adobe Exchange marketplace. The installer handles everything needed to run unsigned extensions on your machine (one registry key). This is standard practice for free/indie AE tools.
- Download the latest release — grab
MissingFilesFinderAE_v3.zip - Extract the zip anywhere
- Right-click
install.bat→ Run as Administrator - Restart After Effects
- Go to Window → Extensions → Missing Files Finder
That's it. The installer:
- Copies the panel to
%APPDATA%\Adobe\CEP\extensions\ - Sets
PlayerDebugMode=1in the registry (lets Adobe CC load unsigned panels) - Downloads and configures Everything portable (or uses bundled copy)
- Optionally compiles the AHK script to a standalone exe so AutoHotkey isn't required
- Copy the
com.missingfilesae.panelfolder to:%APPDATA%\Adobe\CEP\extensions\ - Run this in an elevated PowerShell or CMD to allow unsigned extensions:
reg add "HKCU\Software\Adobe\CSXS.11" /v PlayerDebugMode /t REG_SZ /d 1 /f reg add "HKCU\Software\Adobe\CSXS.12" /v PlayerDebugMode /t REG_SZ /d 1 /f reg add "HKCU\Software\Adobe\CSXS.13" /v PlayerDebugMode /t REG_SZ /d 1 /f - Make sure Everything is running with HTTP Server enabled (
Tools → Options → HTTP Server, port 8080) - Restart After Effects
Adobe CC requires CEP extensions to be signed with an official certificate to load by default. Signing costs money and requires going through Adobe's marketplace process — not worth it for a free tool.
PlayerDebugMode=1 is a well-known, widely-used registry flag that tells CEP to also load unsigned extensions. It's used by thousands of free and open-source AE/Premiere panels. It does not affect anything outside of CEP extension loading.
- In After Effects, search for missing footage (Edit → Find) and select all missing items (
Ctrl+A) - Click SCAN in the panel
- Everything searches your drives for each file
- Click RELINK on individual items, or RELINK ALL for auto-matched files
- For PSD files with layers, use the individual RELINK button (uses AHK to preserve layer links)
Click the gear icon (⚙) to configure:
- Connection tab — Everything HTTP host/port (default: localhost:8080)
- Copy tab — auto-copy outside files into your project folder structure before relinking
install.bat — one-click installer (run as admin)
com.missingfilesae.panel/ — the CEP extension
index.html — panel UI
js/main.js — panel logic
jsx/host.jsx — ExtendScript bridge (talks to AE)
CSXS/manifest.xml — extension metadata
replace_footage_paste_uia.ahk — AHK script for PSD relinking
tools/
Everything.ini — pre-configured Everything settings
replace_footage_paste.ahk — standalone AHK helper
Delete the folder:
%APPDATA%\Adobe\CEP\extensions\com.missingfilesae.panel
To remove the debug flag (optional):
reg delete "HKCU\Software\Adobe\CSXS.11" /v PlayerDebugMode /f
reg delete "HKCU\Software\Adobe\CSXS.12" /v PlayerDebugMode /f
reg delete "HKCU\Software\Adobe\CSXS.13" /v PlayerDebugMode /f
Made by Mickey Perry