Rebuild an animation from a reference video

You found a UI animation you like and want something in that style. Describing it in words rarely gets the timing right. Give Claude the file instead. MotionUI lets After Effects decode it and measures it: cuts, shots, how long each move takes, holds and accents. Claude also gets contact sheets of the main moves and stills of the settled layouts.

What you can use

Video files such as MP4, MOV and GIF, and images such as PNG, JPG and PSD. The file has to be on your computer. Claude cannot download from YouTube or other websites, so use a local copy, for example a screen recording.

Rebuild it

1. Copy the path of the file. On a Mac, select it in Finder and press Option+Cmd+C. On Windows, Shift+right-click it and choose Copy as path.

2. Paste the path into your chat with Claude and say what to build. Try: “Rebuild the motion of this reference with our dashboard and logo.”

3. Claude writes a short breakdown first: format, colors, type, layout and what happens in each shot, with timings. Correct it or answer its questions before it builds.

4. Claude builds a new comp with the size, frame rate and length of the reference and compares frames against it.

5. Review the result in After Effects and give feedback one change at a time.

Nothing from the reference file is added to your project.

Keep the look for later

Ask Claude to save the look as a style. It stores the craft, such as palette, type, spacing, timing and easing, under a neutral name. Your next project can start from it.

Your content, not theirs

MotionUI rebuilds timing and motion, not someone else’s brand. Claude works with your own text, logos and images and does not recreate logos or brand assets from the reference.