Video Tutorial: Convert Figma to Adobe After Effects
This video tutorial is a complete step-by-step guide showing you how to automatically convert your designs from Figma to After Effects (in one click) directly from Figma using the Convertify plugin.
To export your designs from Figma for Adobe After Effects, you can follow the steps to convert, download and open your .xd file, which can then be exported from Adobe XD into Adobe After Effects.
Selecting a single Figma page to convert for use in Adobe After Effects
Once the Convertify plugin is running, ensure the Export Figma to Adobe After Effects option is selected, you can select the Figma page you would like to convert for use in Adobe After Effects.
The plugin will automatically export the Figma page that you're currently viewing. You can change the Figma page you would like to export by clicking on any page in your Figma file listed in the left-hand column in Figma, under the Pages column heading.
After you've selected your Figma page, you can convert your design to an Adobe XD file (to then export to After Effects) by clicking the Export to Adobe After Effects button in the Convertify plugin. This will begin the automated conversion process.
Time Estimates The time estimate (eg. ~14 seconds to convert 555 layers) is based on the number of layers in your Figma page to give you an indicator of how long the conversion will take. Please note that Figma pages that contain large images will likely increase the time needed to finish converting your Figma page to your Adobe XD file.
Adobe XD doesn't support multiple pages in a document. Please note, selecting multiple pages only applies to Sketch exports, as the Adobe XD app only supports single page files right now.
Exporting selected Figma frames on your page to XD
Alternatively, if you don't want to convert full Figma page to an Adobe XD file (to then export to After Effects), you can convert certain frame layer(s) in your Figma design to Adobe XD by selecting the Figma frame(s) you want to convert, then click the Export Selected Frames button in the Convertify plugin. This will begin the automated conversion process.
Adobe XD doesn't support multiple pages in a document. Please note, selecting multiple pages only applies to Sketch exports, as the Adobe XD app only supports single page files right now.
Downloading your .xd file for exporting into After Effects
After Convertify has finished processing your Figma page, you'll be shown a confirmation message; you can download your .xd file by clicking the Download .xd file button.
After you've downloaded your .xd file from Figma to your computer, you can open your file explorer to the directory where it was saved. Double clicking on the exported .xd file will open it up in the version of Adobe XD] that you have installed on your computer.
Saving file downloads from Figma If you're using the Figma desktop app, you'll see a prompt appear to download your file. However, if you're using Figma in a web browser, your file will automatically be downloaded to your computer by default (usually to the Downloads directory on your computer).
Exporting your artboard from Adobe XD into After Effects
Installing Adobe XD If you're a Mac or Windows user, and if you have a paid Adobe CC account, you can install Adobe XD in Creative Cloud (or download the .dmg installer directly from here), which should allow you to run it on your computer. You can also find the Windows standalone installer online, too.
After you've opened your .xd file in Adobe XD, you can natively export artboards to After Effects by clicking on any artboard in your page (the one that you would like to use in After Effects), then click File → Export → After Effects.
If XD isn't exporting your artboard to After Effects, please try checking the Mark for Export checkbox in the right side panel first.
Viewing your exported layers in After Effects
After you've clicked File → Export → After Effects in for your selected artboard in Adobe XD, the Adobe After Effects app (please ensure it's installed) will automatically open up on your computer, and natively export your selected artboard and all its layers from Adobe XD into your After Effects timeline.
Once the export has finished, you can save your new After Effects file, and close off Adobe XD to continue working on your motion design using the layers originally from your Figma file, which are now all available to animate in After Effects.
Configuring your Adobe After Effects export options
Before exporting your designs from Figma to Adobe After Effects (via .xd file import), you can configure some optional settings that may be useful.
Render layers starting with an * as images
Enabling the Render layers starting with an * as images toggle will automatically export any Figma layers with layer names that start with "*" (eg. "*Frame 1") as image layers instead of their normal layer type.
Include reference image overlays for artboards
Enabling the Include reference image overlays for artboards toggle will automatically include image references of each artboard on top of each one in your exported file, with a layer opacity of 50%; this can be helpful to make any manual edits or layer positioning tweaks.
Flatten/ungroup all Figma "Group" layers
Enabling the Flatten/ungroup all Figma "Group" layers toggle will automatically ungroup any "Group" layers in your Figma file.
Scale After Effects comps
Selecting a Scale After Effects Comps option will automatically scale your existing Figma artboards to a scale from @0.25x - @4x (the default is @1x, which won't change the scale of your designs at all). This will ensure your comps are scaled up or down when you exported the converted .xd file into After Effects.
Render more visually accurate text
Adobe XD doesn't support text properties like vertical text alignment, and calculates line-heights differently than Figma.
Enabling the Render more visually accurate text toggle will more export your Figma text values more accurately for XD (for any fonts in the design that are installed on your machine).
Slower conversion times. Please note, enabling the Render more visually accurate text option may cause the conversion to be much slower than usual (depending on number of text layers).
Understanding differences between Figma and After Effects
Convertify does its best to convert all of your layers and atrributes from Figma over to Adobe XD for exporting into After Effects, however, there are some natural limitations based on Adobe XD supporting a smaller number of native features than Figma does.
Figma features that are missing in Adobe XD (and won't be exported over to After Effects from XD).
These features are available in Figma, but aren't native to Adobe XD, so they won't be carried over to After Effects when you export your file there.
- Hiding parent artboards
- Rotated parent artboards
- Ellipsis with "arc" properties
- Mulitple fills/strokes on a layer
- Vector layers that use corner radius
- Strokes/fills applied to groups
- Vertical alignment for text layers
- Nested layer masks