the emptiness stares back at you
Is this something or nothing?
We try to use native Ae functionality whenever possible. Unfortunately, Nulls tend to clog up project files (especially when sharing with teammates), and that's giant bummer.
Void started as a replacement for Nulls, but it turned into so much more.
A new way to make empty layers?
Yes. Designers are opinionated folk, and Null layers in After Effects are a small area where we dig our heels in.
It might not matter to you. Or it might save your life.
This doesn't sound helpful
There are those who are instantly pulled into the gravity of the Void, and those who are not. Resist for as long as you can.
Overview of the Void
Controllers built for what you are controlling
Nulls don't exist in a vacuum –they become parents and controls for visible layers. Voids are created based on what you already have selected.
A clean Solids folder
Create layers inside the comp instead of taking up space in the Project panel.
Volumes
A shape layer replacement for Solid layers
Variants
A shape layer replacement for Adjustment layers
Volumes and Variants aren't for everything
xxx Some notes about when you wouldn't want to use shape layers xxx