Adobe adds new 3D features to After Effects 25.6 and the AE beta
Adobe has released After Effects 25.6, the latest version of the compositing tool for motion graphics, post-production and VFX work, and updated the public beta build of the software.
Both include changes to After Effects’ 3D toolset, with After Effects 25.6 making it possible to manipulate multiple 3D layers with a single gizmo.
In addition, the latest public beta adds a new Parametric Mesh tool for creating simple 3D primitives inside After Effects, and support for Substance materials in .sbsar format.
The beta also gets a new Unmult keying effect for keying stock VFX elements, better timeline caching, and the option to import SVG files as editable shape layers.
After Effects 25.6: improvements to 3D workflow
After Effects 25.6 itself isn’t a huge release – the first entry in the release notes is the list of bugfixes – but it does include workflow improvements to the 3D toolset.
It is now possible to move, scale or rotate multiple 3D layers at the same time using a single 3D gizmo, rather than each 3D layer having its own individual gizmo.
In addition, it is now possible to use the View menu to modify the default camera settings for camera layers, used to view the scene in 3D compositions.
The other new feature is a Tip of the Day, displayed whenever the Composition, Footage or Layer panels are reloaded, or when they are empty.
And if you’re a regular CG Channel reader, and are wondering about the jump in version number since our story on After Effects 25.4, After Effects 25.5 was a bugfix-only release.
After Effects beta: new Parametric Mesh tool and support for Substance materials
However, there are also new 3D features in the latest public beta of After Effects.
First, it is now possible to create simple 3D primitive shapes directly inside After Effects, rather than having to import them as 3D assets, via a new Parametric Mesh tool.
Users can also animate the shape and material properties of parametric 3D meshes.
Secondly, the beta supports Substance materials, with users able to import and assign .sbsar files created in Substance 3D Designer, or downloaded from online asset libraries.
After Effects beta: new Unmult keyer for stock VFX elements
Other new features in the beta include a new Unmult keying effect for compositing effects elements like fire or smoke.
It removes the solid black or white backgrounds from stock FX clips without affecting the foreground element, and supports 8-, 16- and 32-bits-per-channel color.
The beta also includes a new lossless compressed playback system intended to make it possible to preview longer segments of the timeline without significantly affecting visual quality.
The new feature is the latest update to After Effects’ caching system, following the rollout of High Performance Preview Playback in After Effects 25.2.
Other new beta features include the option to import SVG files as editable vector shapes, and better conversion of layers in imported Illustrator files.
Price and system requirements
After Effects 25.6 is available for Windows 10+ and macOS 13.0+ on a rental-only basis. Single-app After Effects subscriptions cost $34.49/month or $263.88/year.
In the online documentation, the update is also referred to as the November 2025 release.
The beta features covered in this story are available in 26.0 beta builds. Adobe hasn’t announced when they will become available in a stable release.
Beta builds are available via the Creative Cloud desktop app. You can find information on how to save projects in a format that can be opened in the current public release here.
Read a full list of new features in After Effects 25.6 on the Adobe Community site
Read a full list of new features in the latest After Effects beta
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