Autograph Disappears, But Its Team is Reborn Within Maxon
The software Autograph, which promised to be a modern alternative to After Effects for motion graphics and VFX compositing, has come to an end following the sudden closure of Left Angle. Its website has vanished, licenses stopped working, and its community was left in limbo... at least for a moment 🎞️🚫.
An Abrupt End for Software with Fresh Ideas
Launched in 2023, Autograph combined a 2D layer system with 3D compositing based on USD (Universal Scene Description), all powered by the Filament render engine. It aimed to be a viable alternative to After Effects, especially in the realm of motion graphics.
But neither its constant updates nor the price cut in 2025 could save Left Angle from bankruptcy. The final blow came when the license servers were shut down, leaving users unable to open the software, even with a valid license 😬.
RE:Vision Effects Offers a Lifeline
To the relief of many, RE:Vision Effects —known for their post-production plugins— released an offline solution that allows continued use of Autograph without a connection. It's not an official solution, but at least it prevents the software from becoming completely unusable.
However: it is no longer possible to purchase or obtain new licenses. What remains is an orphaned program, but with the soul of an innovator.
The Team Joins Maxon... Ironic or Poetic?
In an unexpected twist, the entire Autograph development team has been taken in by Maxon, the home of Cinema 4D and the Red Giant plugins. Curious, considering Maxon has a close relationship with Adobe, the very giant Autograph wanted to challenge in the motion design arena 🎯.
Fate has its own sense of humor: the ideas behind Autograph may survive within the Maxon ecosystem, integrated into future products or more open workflows.
From wanting to topple After Effects... to sharing coffee with those who collaborate with Adobe. Such is the life of software: short, intense, and sometimes with a happy ending between the lines of code ☕💻
Summary of Events:
- Left Angle closes and Autograph is no longer available
- The license servers stopped functioning
- RE:Vision Effects publishes an offline patch for existing users
- The development team joins Maxon
- There will be no more updates or official support
For those who tried it, Autograph will be remembered as software that dared to think differently. For those who didn't get to use it... well, now you know why.