Magic Nodes is an extension for Adobe After Effects that provides a node-based editing environment in the program.
At the beginning of the year 2023, the
first version of Magic Nodes was presented. Less than five months later, the developer now provides a first update to version 1.5, which brings some new features.

With Magic Nodes 1.5, it is also possible to work node-based in After Effects.
For example, new "dot nodes" can be used to visually bend existing connections to provide a better overview in complex composings. It's also possible to copy or duplicate entire node trees.
Other workflow improvements include a number of new keyboard shortcuts, as well as more tooltips and contextual information displayed when the mouse pointer is hovered over a node in the diagram.
The following video not only demonstrates the new features of version 1.5, but more importantly provides an in-depth look at the workflow within After Effects:
Magic Nodes is compatible with After Effects (macOS/Windows) from version 2017 and is fortunately available as a perpetual license. The Basic version costs and includes "only" bug fix updates, but no new upcoming features. The Premium license for , on the other hand, includes a year of free feature upgrades as well as sample projects. A free trial version, on the other hand, still does not seem to be available.
If you are interested in node-based workflows, you can get your first experience without spending money at
Blender Compositor or in the free DaVinci Resolve version (in the Fusion space).