The Limb Library
Rigging Shape layers with expressions is one of After Effects' most powerful workflows. This is how Path, Taper, Circle and Shape limbs are made, but there are so many more possibilities, and we can't include all of them as limb types in the New Limb panel.
Instead, Limber can download from an online, continually updated repository of over 100 limbs that massively increase the range of styles available.
Click the
Limb Library button. Limbs are organized into alphabetical folders in one column so you can quickly find them by name. Select one or more tags in the other column, and the folders will be replaced with a list of all limbs that have the selected tags. Select a limb to preview it. When you click OK, it will download and build in the current comp.
3-bone limbs are handled separately to 2-bone limbs - set the Structure dropdown to 3-bone to see them.
Each limb has it's own, unique pseudo effect on the limb layer to control it's special features. They range from the specific to multi-purpose, but all of them can be adapted to some degree.
Browse the library, download a limb, and play with it!
If your character already has limbs and you want to change them into ones from the limb library, you'll need to copy and paste from the library limb, into the rigged limb.
Auto-scale and Outlines
A lot of the Limb Library limbs have an outline, and along with outline properties like color and width, you'll often see a checkbox called Constant Width. This controls whether the outline width changes, or is constant, when the character is scaled using Auto-scale.
If you need a style or combination of features that you cannot reproduce with an existing limb, get in touch, and we may be able to help.