INSTALL GUIDE

Manual installation.

The download includes one-click installers (.command on Mac, .bat on Windows) — use those if you can. This page is the manual route, for locked-down machines or if you just like knowing where everything goes.

Two pieces to install: the panel (a CEP extension that appears in Window → Extensions) and the native plugins (effects that appear in Effects → Lupe Cosmo). They're independent — you can install either one alone.

Panel MACOS

Copy the panel folderCopy the LupeCosmo folder from the download into:
/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CEP/extensions/
If the extensions folder doesn't exist, create it. (You can also use the per-user path ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CEP/extensions/.)
Enable unsigned extensions (only if needed)If the panel doesn't show up, run this in Terminal, then log out and back in:
defaults write com.adobe.CSXS.11 PlayerDebugMode 1
defaults write com.adobe.CSXS.12 PlayerDebugMode 1
Restart After EffectsThe panel appears in Window → Extensions → Lupe Cosmo.

Panel WINDOWS

Copy the panel folderCopy the LupeCosmo folder into:
%APPDATA%\Adobe\CEP\extensions\
Paste that path into the File Explorer address bar — it resolves to your user's AppData folder. Create extensions if it doesn't exist.
Enable unsigned extensions (only if needed)If the panel doesn't show up, press Win+R, type regedit, and add a String value named PlayerDebugMode with value 1 under:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\CSXS.11
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\CSXS.12
Restart After EffectsThe panel appears in Window → Extensions → Lupe Cosmo.

Native plugins MACOS

Copy the .plugin filesCopy every .plugin file from the Plugins macOS folder into:
/Applications/Adobe After Effects [version]/Plug-ins/
You can also drop them in a subfolder (e.g. Plug-ins/Lupe Cosmo/) to keep things tidy.
Allow them to run (first launch)If macOS blocks a plugin, open System Settings → Privacy & Security and click Allow Anyway, then relaunch After Effects.
Restart After EffectsThe effects appear under Effects → Lupe Cosmo.

Native plugins WINDOWS

Copy the .aex filesCopy every .aex file from the Plugins Windows folder into:
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects [version]\Support Files\Plug-ins\
Windows will ask for administrator permission — accept it.
Restart After EffectsThe effects appear under Effects → Lupe Cosmo.

Troubleshooting

The panel doesn't appear in Window → Extensions

Double-check the folder path (the LupeCosmo folder itself must sit directly inside extensions, not nested in another folder), apply the PlayerDebugMode step for your OS, and make sure you fully quit and reopened After Effects. On Mac, log out and back in after setting PlayerDebugMode.

The effects don't appear in the Effects menu

Confirm the files are in the Plug-ins folder of the After Effects version you're actually running, and that Mac files are .plugin / Windows files are .aex. Then restart AE — plugins are only scanned at launch.

I had an older version installed

Remove the old LupeCosmo folder from the CEP extensions directory and any old .plugin/.aex files before installing the new version — two copies with the same extension ID will conflict.

Something else broke

Write to us and we'll sort it out — include your OS, AE version, and a screenshot if you can.