After Effects – Tips n Tricks
Quick Tips
Using Eyedropper Color Picker Correctly
To use the eyedropper tool to color pick outside After Effects, Hover and press Enter (Return) – don’t click. Boom.
Scripts
EasyCopy
If I had to choose only one script it would be this one. Allows you to copy and paste ease values between keyframes. Bless this script.
Motion 2
I use this every day to set rough ease values (always refine in the graph editor btw). Also use the “Null” button and Reposition Anchor Point functionalities errday all day.
ButtCapper
It’s really dumb that After Effects needs a script to do this…but it does. And if you ever work with Shape Layers and strokes, this will save you a heckin lot of clicks.
Save Comp As Project
Does exactly what it says…save a comp as its own project. Makes it much cleaner sharing comps between projects. There’s also a bunch of other settings I don’t use.
Rift
Extensions/Plugins
Overlord
KBar
FXConsole
Keyboard Shortcuts
| (In timeline) CTRL+ALT click keyframe | Convert to Hold Keyframe |
| B / N | set beginning and end of Work Area |
| Shift +/- | cycle through blend modes |
| CTRL+J | Full resolution |
| CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+J | Quarter resolution |
| Shift+Home/End | jump to start/end of work area |
| CTRL+ALT+Home | center anchor point |
| CTRL+Home | center your layer in comp |
| SHIFT+click on pickwhip | unparent layer |
| CTRL + Double click Pan Behind tool | center the anchor point |
| CTRL+D | duplicate |
| CTRL+SHIFT+D | split and duplicate layer |
| CTRL+ALT+/ | replace selected layer in comp with selected source in project window (also can hold ALT and drag to replace) |
| SHIFT+1/2/3 | set numerical markers |
| CTRL+` | |
- “Tab” to move between comps
- Hold down “ALT” and drag layers in/out point to stretch the layer
- Hold down “ALT” when dragging a shape to use paths instead of parametric shapes.
Customized Shortcuts
- Shift+D: separate dimensions
- F5: toggle graph editor