Currently there is an unexpected behavior with how AE alphabetizes items in the project window. The addition of a character after numbers changes the order in a way that makes organization and renaming a challenge and sometimes a complete pain.
Example:
04-
01
02
Above the dash will bring the 04- to the top. I'm told this is because numbers at the end are counted as numerals, but as soon as you add a non-number character after a number that number because a regular character. This seems to mean context plays a part in a character's value.

I would like to see all characters assigned an alphanumeric value that doesn't change based on context.

It would be very handy to be able to click and drag for both dimensions of multidimensionnal properties (or spatial properties only?) in the timeline (like positions), using both axis of the mouse.

This could be done through an additionnal icon, to keep the current behaviour on individual axis (see screenshot example)

In case the property has three dimensions, this icon could be used to adjust only X and Y.

This would make it easier to work with layers while hiding layer handles, allowing us to quickly move the layers without selecting/clicking in the viewport.

Working with hidden layer handles improves a lot the interactive performance, which is very important when manipulating layers/rigged characters for example.
It is also a big comfort as you can see the actual image you're working on, not polluted with handles.

Even with handles, being able to move the layers like this is a good way to avoid inadvertently scaling the layers with the handles in the viewport, something we do so often people add expressions in the scale properties just to 'lock' them ;)

I am on AE 2020 on Mac OSX 10.13.6.
I have a dual screen setup where my composition is on one monitor and my timeline is on another monitor. If I select a tool (like the mask tool) on the timeline monitor, I have to first click to 'activate' the composition window on the second monitor, and THEN start drawing a mask. I shouldn't need an extra click unless my switching between different software.

I want there to not be a extra click to activate different parts of the same program. It messes up my work, when I don't realize that the mouse click I'm expecting to do something, merely activates the window.

Currently the timeline panel stops vertically scrolling when the lowest layer reaches the bottom of the panel.

I'd like to suggest adding an option / preference to allow 'overscroll' in the timeline panel so that the lowest layer can be viewed above the bottom of the panel.

The primary reason for the request is that it gets a bit fiddly working on the lowest layers, and having the extra working space would make it more comfortable to interact with them.

In practice this could be very similar to the 'overscroll' option in Photoshop preferences (Preferences > Tools > Overscroll).

A secondary benefit would be that layers may 'jump' less when hiding keyframes.

My setup uses two monitors with the left monitor devoted to the timeline alone and my main monitor for the Project, Composition, etc. windows.

In all previous versions of AE I could adjust something in the timeline on my left monitor, go to the comp window on the main monitor, then click, hold, and drag a layer to move it around.

If I do the same thing in AE 2020 the selected layer will NOT drag on the first click. I have to click it once to "activate" that window (a blue outline appears) and then click and drag the layer to actually move it. This is very bad for my productivity.

This only happens when jumping from my timeline monitor to my main monitor. If I'm adjusting something in my main monitor, say in the Projects window or Type or Align or whatever, I can mouse up to the Comp window and click and drag a layer immediately (the corner ghosts of the layer light up when I hover over it). That click on the layer activates the comp window at the same time. But if I'm coming over from my other monitor it takes one click to activate the comp window and the next click allows me to drag the layer.

As long as this bug is in place I'll continue to use AE 2019.

I'm on a 2012 MacPro running OS 10.13.6

Is there any way we can get a Chrome-like console for expressions? After a certain point, with a complex expression it becomes really hard to test for bugs as you have to basically run the same code on a text layer or some other property and rewrite the code just to get some sort of output for variables. Being able to have a console would be excellent (especially to inspect objects), but a great stopgap would be the ability to post a value to the info palette, like we can with scripting.

Expressions were already important, and with Master Properties they've become even more important. The whole system could use an overhaul—speed, global variables/functions, everything. Thanks!