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Install Hextion

In short

Unzip, close After Effects, run the installer for your computer, then open Window > Extensions > Hextion. macOS and Windows show a warning the first time, because Hextion isn't signed with a developer certificate yet. No admin password is needed.

On a Mac

  1. Unzip the download. Keep everything in the folder together.
  2. Close After Effects and Premiere Pro.
  3. Right-click install-mac.command and choose Open. If macOS says it can't verify the file, open System Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll down, click Open Anyway, then open it again. Another way: open Terminal, type bash and a space, drag install-mac.command into the window and press Return.
  4. Open After Effects and choose Window > Extensions > Hextion.

On Windows

  1. Unzip the download. Keep everything in the folder together.
  2. Close After Effects and Premiere Pro.
  3. Double-click install-windows.bat. If Windows says it protected your PC, choose More info, then Run anyway.
  4. Open After Effects and choose Window > Extensions > Hextion.

Using a ZXP installer

Download the .zxp from the download page and open it in your ZXP installer. Then install the fonts in the fonts folder of the zip yourself, because a ZXP installer doesn't add them.

Fonts

The installer adds 13+ free font families the templates use, for your user only. Templates pick their fonts from After Effects' own font list, which exists from After Effects 2024 (24.0). On 2022 and 2023 some templates use system fonts instead, and running the installer again won't change that.

What it needs

After Effects
Installs in 2022 (22.0) or newer. Version 1.0 has been tested in After Effects 2026 on Mac and Windows, so the free trial is the easiest way to check yours. Templates use their exact fonts from 2024 (24.0); on 2022 and 2023 some use system fonts instead.
Premiere Pro
Not tested yet. The 21+ grades are in the download as .cube files, which load in Lumetri in Premiere Pro.
Mac
Apple silicon and Intel.
Windows
64-bit. The ring helper uses Microsoft WebView2, which is part of Windows 11 and is on most Windows 10 computers.
Panel
From 250 px wide to full screen.
Download
One 164 MB zip with installers for Mac and Windows, or a .zxp for ZXP installers.
Fonts
13+ free template font families, installed for your user only. No admin password.
Icon library
about 900 MB, downloaded once from inside the panel. Works offline after.
Internet
A licence check about every 10 days. Works offline for up to 20 days between checks.
Auto captions
Your own key for the supported speech-to-text service (pay as you go, set up in the panel) and the free ffmpeg. SRT and VTT import need neither.
ffmpeg
Also used for beat markers, and for video previews and waveforms in Media.
Licence
One key, one computer. Move it whenever you change computers.

Not in Hextion: AI image or video generation, AI voice removal, video upscaling or downloaders. Auto captions turn speech into text on your own pay-as-you-go speech-to-text account.

The first time you run the installer, macOS or Windows shows a warning, because Hextion isn't signed with an Apple or Microsoft developer certificate yet. The install guide shows the two clicks that get past it. Read the install guide

Troubleshooting

Hextion isn't in Window > Extensions

Close After Effects, run the installer again, then open After Effects.

The panel is blank

Run the installer again. It switches on Adobe's setting for panels from outside Adobe's store.

Removing Hextion

Run uninstall-mac.command (open it the same way as the installer if macOS blocks it) or uninstall-windows.bat from the download folder.