Zhiqiang Li has created a shattering script for After Effects that will allow you to break apart layers in After Effects using a Voronoi pattern. Voronoi Shatter will generate a Voronoi diagram in masks on selected After Effects Layers, and can generate shape layers from those masks, which opens up a hole bunch of possibilities.
Voronoi Shatter can generate voronoi diagrams masks on selected layers and create voronoi diagrams shape layers
It is relevant to note that Voronoi Shatter creates the shatter patterns in a layer or shape layer in After Effects, it does not in any way provide a method to “animate” a shatter with keys or physics in any way. For that you would need something like Newton Physics Engine for After Effects which would allow you to actually create a dynamic shatter effect with the layers.
Voronoi Shatter is a name your own price offering available from AEscripts, check out Voronoi Shatter here.
