Compstronaut

Browser-style back and forward navigation for After Effects - jump to previous compositions and timeline positions.

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Description
Compstronaut
Compstronaut

Finally, a True Back Button for After Effects

Compstronaut is the missing navigation upgrade for motion designers: an interactive, browser-style history panel that tracks every composition switch and timeline jump as you work. Instantly retrace your creative steps with keyboard or mouse control. Move backwards, forward, or jump to any moment in your session just like a web browser.

No more hunting through the project panel or composition tabs to find your previous position. Compstronaut keeps a living history of your workflow, always ready for you to revisit or branch off as inspiration strikes.

New in Version 1.1

The latest update brings major new features and quality-of-life improvements:

Stream Deck Support

Compstronaut now features first-class Stream Deck integration with a bespoke plugin that brings navigation controls to your hardware:

  • Timeline Navigation: Navigate Back and Navigate Forward buttons for stepping through your timeline history.
  • Composition Navigation: Previous Composition and Next Composition buttons for jumping between compositions in your history.
  • Quick Settings Access: Toggle Settings button for instant access to the settings page.
  • Dynamic Button States: Button icons update in real-time to reflect navigation availability. Unavailable actions display a dimmed inactive state.
  • Device Profiles: Pre-configured profiles for Stream Deck Classic, Mini, XL, and Plus.

The Stream Deck plugin and device profiles are bundled with Compstronaut. Double-click the included .streamDeckPlugin file to install. Requires Stream Deck software 6.6+, macOS 13+ or Windows 10+.

Additional Improvements

  • Collapsible settings: Settings page now features collapsible sections for substantially improved organisation.
  • Discussion thread: New embedded link to the official r/aescripts discussion thread in the help popup and store page.
  • Improved diagnostics: Expanded warning text when SBShortcutManager is not connected, with clear instructions on how to resolve.
  • Bug fixes: Resolved issues with floating notification panel animations when closing.

History On Command

  • One-Click History: Every composition switch and timeline jump is automatically captured. Open any previous comp or time in a single click or with a keyboard shortcut.
  • Back and Forward Controls: Seamlessly retrace your steps, just like hitting the back button in a browser.
  • Live Panel: See your full navigation trail at a glance, complete with comp names and timecodes.
  • Lightning Fast: Eliminate wasted time navigating; Compstronaut saves you time, letting you bounce between nested comps and edits faster without losing context.

Key Features

  • Browser-Style History: Interactive timeline of your project session.
  • Advanced UI: A fully animated panel grows and reacts gracefully in real-time to your shortcuts, scrolls and clicks.
  • Instant Jump: Click any entry in your history to open that comp and time instantly.
  • Session Momentum: Your navigation feed grows as you work, giving you a living map of your project for reviews and revisions.
  • Global Shortcuts: Move backwards and forward without touching the mouse. Assign your preferred shortcuts for maximum speed. Panel visibility is optional - Compstronaut is designed for rapid, pro-level, keyboard-first workflows.
  • Audio & Visual Feedback: Sound cues and mouse-linked notifications keep you aware of each action, all individually toggle-able per-action.
  • A complimentary SFX soundboard, Kalimba Bottle, is included to help build muscle memory with the new controls for After Effects facilitated by Compstronaut. You can also assign your own custom sound effects.
  • History Configuration: Expand the possible numberÙ of working history entries up to a maximum of 150.
  • Configurable Tracking: Choose a custom sensitivity for tracking changes in CTI (current time indicator) positions, including all possible changes, or only composition switches.
  • Persistence: Your navigation history persists between After Effects sessions, and even between different project files. Remain in context even when switching between projects.

Stream Deck Integration

Compstronaut now features first-class Stream Deck integration with a bespoke plugin that brings navigation controls to your hardware:

  • Timeline Navigation: Navigate Back and Navigate Forward buttons for stepping through your timeline history.
  • Composition Navigation: Previous Composition and Next Composition buttons for jumping between compositions in your history.
  • Quick Settings Access: Toggle Settings button for instant access to the settings page.
  • Dynamic Button States: Button icons update in real-time to reflect navigation availability. When you can't navigate back or forward, the corresponding button displays a dimmed inactive state, giving you instant visual feedback.
  • Device Profiles: Pre-configured profiles for Stream Deck Classic, Mini, XL, and Plus.

The Stream Deck plugin and device profiles are bundled with Compstronaut. Double-click the included .streamDeckPlugin file to install. Requires Stream Deck software 6.6+, macOS 13+ or Windows 10+.

Synergy with Control Groups

Compstronaut and Control Groups are designed to work together, providing a seamless, deeply integrated workflow in After Effects.

  • Unified Navigation History: Navigation events triggered within Control Groups (such as jumping to bookmarked timeline locations, or navigating using layers) are automatically tracked in Compstronaut's session history. Every jump in your project becomes part of your accessible navigation feed.
  • Shared Notification Layer: Both extensions use the same floating, mouse-linked notification system to provide real-time visual and audio feedback for every action.
  • Complementary Workflow: Move between compositions and layer groups with Control Groups, then retrace your steps or instantly revisit any moment using Compstronaut's browser-style history. Each tool is powerful individually, but together they deliver a fundamental workflow upgrade, all fully drivable through global keyboard shortcuts.

For the best After Effects workflow, use Compstronaut and Control Groups side by side. This pairing delivers a monumental speed increase, letting you move between ideas, assets, and edits with a level of fluidity that simply is not possible natively. Once you have used both, you will wonder how you ever worked without them.

SB Shortcut Manager Support

Our advanced, native companion plugin enables the extension's most robust and powerful shortcut handling. The bundled plugin allows extension control and use with definable global shortcuts, dramatically enhancing speed and convenience.

The development of this plugin was in service of creating a user experience platform for faster, optimised workflows. Saving time is a serious value proposition in and of itself; every second saved furthers your value and offering as a designer to clients.

SB Shortcut Manager

Compatibility

Adobe After Effects

Versions tested and supported:

  • Apple macOS (Intel processors): 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 releases.
  • Apple macOS (Apple Silicon processors): 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 releases.
  • Microsoft Windows: 2024, 2025 and 2026 releases.

Note: Releases from calendar-year 2022 may operate successfully but have not been validated. Versions from 2021 and older are not supported.

Note: performance may vary on older hardware.

Operating System

Minimum required operating system versions:

  • Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit) or later.
  • Apple macOS 13 Ventura or later.

One Small Step for After Effects

Compstronaut gives professionals a direct, browser-inspired way to move through their ideas and animations without ever breaking momentum or losing context. Experience history on command, shortcut-driven navigation, and time savings that add up with every project.

Comments

Discussions

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Version History

1.1 -

Dec 31, 2025

Stream Deck Support



- Major new feature - Stream Deck Support. Compstronaut now fully supports the Stream Deck with a bespoke first-class plugin:

- Navigate Back and Navigate Forward buttons for timeline history navigation.

- Previous Composition and Next Composition buttons for jumping between compositions in your history.

- Toggle Settings button for quick access to the settings page.

- Dynamic button states: Button icons update in real-time to reflect navigation availability. When navigation is unavailable, buttons display a dimmed inactive state.

- Pre-configured device profiles for Stream Deck Classic, Mini, XL, and Plus.

- The Stream Deck plugin and device profiles are bundled with Compstronaut. Double-click the included .streamDeckPlugin file to install. Requires Stream Deck software 6.6+, macOS 13+ or Windows 10+.



Added



- Significantly improved the settings page organisation by introducing collapsible sections in the settings page, and reorganising the existing General tab.

- Added a new warning system if certain user-defined After Effects shortcuts/settings aren't configured correctly, in addition to new settings to configure whether to suppress these (showing a popup in the main UI by default).

- Added an embed in the help popup and store page linking to the r/aescripts discussion thread.



Changed



- Expanded the wording of the warning text that appears in the panel when the SBShortcutManager companion plugin is not connected to provide instructions on how to fix the issue (i.e., reinstalling the extension).

- Background architectural improvements.

- Updated license.



Fixed



- Fixed a bug that would distort the floating notification panel animations when closing.

1.0.3 -

Nov 8, 2025

Changed



- Updated the aescripts licensing framework to the latest version.

1.0.2 -

Nov 5, 2025

Initial Release

Compatibility

After Effects

2026, 2025, 2024, 2023