How can we improve After Effects?

← After Effects

Shortcuts to twirl and untwirl layers

As explained in this video from 2:26 to 5:00
https://youtu.be/5UOfQc1TKaY?t=123

We need THREE shortcuts in total:
1. Twirl DOWN the current layer under the cursor
2. Twirl UP the current layer under the cursor
(For both of those, you should be able to simply hold the key down while moving the cursor across the timeline, instantly closing all layers the cursor touches.)


  1. TOGGLE the twirl status of the timeline layer under the cursor.
    (This shortcut would probably need to be pressed each time it is used.) It is extremely important that this NOT be the only shortcut for twirling. We absolutely also need the two shortcuts listed above! I cannot stress enough how important that is.

ADDITIONALLY, for these shortcuts to reach their full potential, we need a sublt but important tweak to the way the timeline reacts when twirling layers closed - it must not move! Please see this feature suggestion for a full explanation, with video! https://adobe-video.uservoice.com/forums/911311-after-effects/suggestions/35487148-timeline-layers-should-not-jump-downwards-after-a

13 votes
Sign in Sign in with: Adobe ID
Signed in as (Sign out)
Close
Close

We’ll send you updates on this idea

TaranVH shared this idea  ·   ·  Flag idea as inappropriate…  ·  Admin →

3 comments

Sign in Sign in with: Adobe ID
Signed in as (Sign out)
Close
Close
Submitting...
An error occurred while saving the comment
  • TaranVH commented  ·   ·  Flag as inappropriate

    As I say in the video,
    Sometimes I need to go into:

    Text
    Path Options
    More options

    or
    Mask
    Mask 1
    Mask 2

    or
    Effects
    Transform
    Compositing options

    or the hundred or so other untwirlable properties that do NOT have a shortcut associated with them.

  • Michael Szalapski commented  ·   ·  Flag as inappropriate

    What are you wanting to twirl it open to? E is effects and EE is expressions. Again, it's not what's right under the mouse; you have to select a layer first, but it might be a step in the direction you want to go.

  • TaranVH commented  ·   ·  Flag as inappropriate

    NOTE:
    The shortcuts U and UU are insufficient for this, since they affect all layers at once, OR they require a layer selection in order to work on just one layer.
    Also, U and UU cannot be used to open up layers that have not yet been keyframed.

    CTRL ` might seem to cover this one, but it requires that the user CLICK to select the layer first. This can lead to accidentally moving that layer to the left or right, if care is not taken to keep the mouse or wacom pen perfectly stationary. This means that twirling multiple layers one after the other is prohibitively slow when using CTRL `

    I hope that the linked video demonstrates just how useful it is to have the shortcuts I am talking about here. (Again, please note that a toggle shortcut alone is very insufficient.)

After Effects: User experience/interface

Categories

Feedback and Knowledge Base

(thinking…)