Motion Studio's Grids tool overlays composition rules and technical layouts: Rule of Thirds, the Golden Section (golden ratio), Golden Spiral, Dynamic Symmetry, plus isometric and dimetric grids.
Setting up grids natively
In Premiere, guides go in one at a time. In the Program monitor, turn on View > Show Guides, then View > Add Guide, set the units to Percent, enter a position, pick an orientation, and choose a color. Repeat for each line: two vertical, two horizontal for a basic rule of thirds. The alternative is importing a PNG or MOGRT overlay and toggling its visibility with the eye icon.
After Effects has a proportional grid that maps to the rule of thirds, toggled from the Grid and Guide Options menu at the bottom of the Composition panel. There's also a standard grid (Ctrl/Cmd + '). Both work, but each rule is a separate setup, and the proportional grid won't snap. The standard grid supports View > Snap to Grid, though its spacing lives in Preferences > Grids & Guides rather than following composition rules.
Neither app ships golden ratio, spiral, or dynamic symmetry layouts, and there's no built-in isometric or dimetric grid. Those you build by hand or source elsewhere.
What's the fastest way to add a rule of thirds grid in After Effects?
Open Motion Studio's Grids page, select Rule of Thirds, and run it. Grids drops the layout onto your comp. In After Effects, each grid comes in as a locked composition layer, so it won't get grabbed or nudged while you work.
Multi-select by Cmd/Ctrl clicking to stack rules — Rule of Thirds with the Golden Section, for example — then run them together. Certain grids mirror horizontally and vertically for flipping asymmetric layouts, like the Golden Spiral.
How do I snap layers to a rule of thirds grid in After Effects?
Turn on Snapping in the toolbar. Because Grids builds the layout as locked layers, Snapping catches their edges and vertices. Drag a layer near a line and its position or anchor point snaps to it. That's the piece the native proportional grid can't do. This works for any of the grids included in Motion Studio.
How do I add an isometric grid in After Effects?
Open the Grids page, select Isometric or Dimetric, and run it. The isometric grid uses a 30° axis; the dimetric grid uses a 2:1 ratio. Both drop in ready to build on, and in either app you can increase or decrease the number of cells to match your scene. More cells for detailed work, fewer for a loose guide.
How do I overlay the golden ratio while animating in Premiere?
Open the Grids page, select the Golden Section, and click Run Grids. The grid overlays your composition. Set opacity, color, and stroke width from the properties bar up top. The Opacity and Stroke Width fields take click+drag to scrub values. Click Remove Grids to clear everything in one pass.
Common Questions about Grids in After Effects and Premiere Pro
What grids are included?
Rule of Thirds, Golden Section, Golden Triangle, Golden Spiral, Spiral Section, Dynamic Symmetry, V Arrangement, Isometric (30°), and Dimetric (2:1).
Can I snap layers to Motion Studio grids?
Yes, in After Effects only. You can enable "Snapping" from the menu bar up top. Since the grids are locked layers, Shape Layers will snap to the grids' edges and vertices.
How do I remove a grid overlay?
Click "Remove Grids" to clear every grid on the composition at once—no deleting lines individually.
Can I use more than one grid at a time?
Yes. Cmd/Ctrl click to multi-select on the Grids page, then run them together—stack Rule of Thirds with the Golden Triangle, or any combination you need.
Can I change the cell count on the isometric and dimetric grids?
Yes. In both After Effects and Premiere, the Isometric and Dimetric grids let you increase or decrease the number of cells.
How do I change the grid's color or opacity?
Use the properties bar at the top of the Grids panel to set opacity, color, and stroke width. The Opacity and Stroke Width fields support click+drag.
Can I mirror a grid?
Select grids mirror horizontally and/or vertically, which is useful for asymmetric layouts like the Golden Spiral and Spiral Section.
What's the difference between Grids in After Effects and Premiere?
In Premiere, Grids overlays the layout on your composition. In After Effects, it creates locked composition grid layers you can snap to.
Grids is a Motion Studio exclusive, available now. Try Motion Studio free for 7 days, no credit card required.