FAQ
Getting Started
Section titled “Getting Started”What version of After Effects does Railcut require?
Section titled “What version of After Effects does Railcut require?”Railcut requires After Effects CC 2019 (16.0) or later. It has been tested up to After Effects 2025.
What operating systems are supported?
Section titled “What operating systems are supported?”Railcut supports macOS 10.15 (Catalina) or later, and Windows 10 or later.
Does Railcut work with After Effects on Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4)?
Section titled “Does Railcut work with After Effects on Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4)?”Yes. Railcut runs natively on Apple Silicon.
Installation & Licensing
Section titled “Installation & Licensing”Where do I find my license key?
Section titled “Where do I find my license key?”Your license key was emailed to you after purchase. Check your inbox (and spam folder) for an email from Jake In Motion. You can also find it in your Lemon Squeezy order portal.
How many computers can I install Railcut on?
Section titled “How many computers can I install Railcut on?”Your license covers 2 computers. You can deactivate a machine in Settings → License to move your license to a new computer.
How do I move my license to a new computer?
Section titled “How do I move my license to a new computer?”Open Railcut on your old computer, go to Settings → License, and click Deactivate. Then install Railcut on your new computer and activate with the same key.
How do I update Railcut?
Section titled “How do I update Railcut?”When a new version is available, Railcut will show a notification in the panel. Download the latest .zxp installer from railcut.com and install it over the existing version.
What is the refund policy?
Section titled “What is the refund policy?”Railcut has a 30-day no-questions-asked refund policy. Email jake@jakeinmotion.com with your order details.
Editing & Features
Section titled “Editing & Features”Why don’t I see waveforms on some clips?
Section titled “Why don’t I see waveforms on some clips?”Waveforms are only generated for clips with a file-based audio source. They will not appear on:
- Precompositions
- Solids, text layers, and shape layers
- Any layer without a source file path
See Audio Waveforms for details.
Why don’t I see thumbnails on some clips?
Section titled “Why don’t I see thumbnails on some clips?”Thumbnails require a video or image source file. They will not appear on precompositions, solids, text layers, or shape layers. Still images (PNG, JPEG, PSD) are supported.
Can I use Railcut with adjustment layers, text layers, or shape layers?
Section titled “Can I use Railcut with adjustment layers, text layers, or shape layers?”Yes — these layer types appear on the timeline as clips. You can cut, move, and trim them. Audio waveforms and thumbnails won’t be generated for these types, but all editing functions work normally.
Does Railcut affect render quality or output?
Section titled “Does Railcut affect render quality or output?”No. Railcut is a display and editing interface — it adjusts layer timing and in/out points, but has no effect on render settings, effects, or output quality.
My clips aren’t in the right order after reloading
Section titled “My clips aren’t in the right order after reloading”Railcut reads layer order from AE. If layers were reordered directly in the AE timeline, reload the Railcut panel to sync.
Railcut says “No active composition” — what does that mean?
Section titled “Railcut says “No active composition” — what does that mean?”Railcut reads the currently active composition in After Effects. Make sure a comp is open and active (clicked on) in AE before opening or reloading the panel.
Can I undo edits made through Railcut?
Section titled “Can I undo edits made through Railcut?”Yes. Railcut uses After Effects’ native undo system. Press Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Cmd+Z (Mac) to undo.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Section titled “Keyboard Shortcuts”Why don’t Cmd+key shortcuts work on Mac?
Section titled “Why don’t Cmd+key shortcuts work on Mac?”This is a known limitation of Adobe CEP (the technology Railcut is built on). On macOS, Cmd+key combinations are intercepted by After Effects before the panel receives them. Railcut uses Ctrl instead of Cmd for all shortcuts on Mac.
See the full list in Keyboard Shortcuts.
My keyboard shortcuts aren’t responding
Section titled “My keyboard shortcuts aren’t responding”Make sure the Railcut panel has focus — click anywhere in the panel before using keyboard shortcuts. If the AE composition viewer is active, keyboard input goes to AE instead.
Troubleshooting
Section titled “Troubleshooting”The panel is blank or shows an error
Section titled “The panel is blank or shows an error”Try clicking Reload in the panel, or close and reopen it from Window → Extensions → Railcut. If the issue persists, restart After Effects.
Waveforms aren’t generating
Section titled “Waveforms aren’t generating”Waveform generation requires the bundled ffmpeg binary. If you see no waveforms on video clips, check that the ZXP was installed correctly. You can also try Settings → Cache → Clear all waveform cache and reload.
Thumbnails aren’t showing
Section titled “Thumbnails aren’t showing”Make sure thumbnails are enabled in Settings → Cache. If they were recently enabled, thumbnails generate progressively as you use the panel. Try scrolling through your clips to trigger generation.
The panel crashed or stopped responding
Section titled “The panel crashed or stopped responding”Reopen the panel from Window → Extensions → Railcut. If After Effects becomes unstable, restart it. CEP panels run in a sandboxed process and panel crashes do not affect your AE project.
Pricing & Support
Section titled “Pricing & Support”Is Railcut a subscription?
Section titled “Is Railcut a subscription?”No. Railcut is a one-time purchase with free updates.
Do you offer a student discount?
Section titled “Do you offer a student discount?”Not currently, but the 30-day refund policy means you can try it risk-free.
Where can I get help?
Section titled “Where can I get help?”Email jake@jakeinmotion.com or submit feedback directly from the panel via the menu → Submit Feedback.