Depth Scanner 1.15.6 (macOS)

Version 1.15.6 of Depth Scanner handles both video clips and still photographs, outputting a depth map that After Effects can use for depth-based transitions or compositing work. It sits alongside Depth Scanner 2 in the Blace Plugins catalogue.

On a typical After Effects session you drop Depth Scanner onto a footage layer, let it process the clip or photo, and the generated depth map appears as a grayscale image. You can then pipe that map into effects that need depth information — camera lens blur, fog, or custom transitions. It is one of several depth-map plugins from Blace, and for straightforward depth extraction it gets the job done without much fuss.

What the recent updates changed

Version 1.15.6 is the current build. The updates leading to it focused on compatibility rather than new features. The plugin now handles a wider range of video codecs without throwing errors, and the initial analysis pass on a 4K frame is a touch more reliable than earlier versions. The developer also tightened the AI model's edge detection — depth maps from earlier builds often had a halo effect around foreground objects; that is much less pronounced now.

For everyday use, the main difference is that Depth Scanner 1.15.6 does not choke on long clips as often. Earlier releases would sometimes stop processing after a few hundred frames; that issue is resolved. The output remains a standard 8-bit grayscale image, so you are not getting any new map types or colour channels.

Avoid applying Depth Scanner to layers with existing transforms

The most common error is applying Depth Scanner to a layer that already has transforms or effects running. The plugin reads the raw pixel data before any layer effects are applied, so if you have scaled or rotated the clip, the depth map will not match the visible frame. Apply it to the source footage, not a nested comp or a layer with active transforms.

Another frequent slip is forgetting to set the project colour depth to 16 or 32 bpc. Depth Scanner outputs a grayscale map, but After Effects clips the values if your project is set to 8 bpc. The depth map still works, but the transition between near and far objects looks blocky. A quick check in the project settings saves a second round of exporting.

New users also try to use the depth map directly as a mask. It is a single-channel grayscale image, not an alpha channel. You need to use the map inside an effect like Camera Lens Blur or a custom expression — it is not a mask that you can drag onto a layer.

Depth Scanner works alongside Depth Scanner 2 without conflict

Does it work with Depth Scanner 2 installed?
Yes. The documentation lists both plugins separately, and they coexist in the same After Effects installation. Depth Scanner 2 offers more control over the map generation, while version 1.15.6 is the simpler, lighter option. You can have both and choose per project.

Do I need a GPU for it to run?
The plugin uses the CPU for its AI processing. A dedicated graphics card does not speed it up. That said, After Effects itself benefits from a decent GPU when you render the final depth-based effects — the plugin is just the map generation step.

Can I use the depth map outside After Effects?
The output is a standard grayscale image sequence or a single image, depending on your input. You can export it as a PNG or TIFF sequence and use it in other applications that accept depth maps — but Depth Scanner itself only lives inside After Effects.

You install it through the standard plugin procedure, and it is ready to go.

• macOS ? (check plugin documentation)
• Architecture: ?
• Adobe After Effects