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Work with layer properties in the Timeline panel



Each layer has properties, many of which you can modify and animate. The basic group of properties that every layer has is the Transform group, which includes Position and Opacity properties. When you add certain features to a layer—for example, by adding masks or effects, or by converting the layer to a 3D layer—the layer gains additional properties, collected in property groups.

All layer properties are temporal—they can change the layer over time. Some layer properties, such as Position, are also spatial—they can move the layer across composition space.

You can expand the layer outline to display layer properties and change property values.

Most properties have a stopwatch . Any property with a stopwatch can be animated—that is, changed over time. (See About animation, keyframes, and expressions.)

View full size graphic
Collapsed property group (left) compared to expanded property group (right) in layer outline

Properties in the Effects property group (effect properties) are also layer properties. Many effect properties can also be modified in the Effect Controls panel.

Show or hide properties in the Timeline panel

  • To expand or collapse a property group, click the triangle to the left of the layer name or property group name.
  • To expand or collapse a property group and all of its children, Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) the triangle.
  • To expand or collapse all groups for selected layers, press Ctrl+` (accent grave) (Windows) or Command+` (accent grave) (Mac OS).
  • To reveal an effect property in the Timeline panel, double-click the property name in the Effect Controls panel.
  • To hide a property or property group, Alt+Shift-click (Windows) or Option+Shift-click (Mac OS) the name in the Timeline panel.
  • To show only the selected properties or property groups in the Timeline panel, press SS.
    The SS shortcut is especially useful for working with paint strokes. Select the paint stroke in the Layer panel, and press SS to open the property group for that stroke in the Timeline panel.
  • To show only a specific property or property group, press its shortcut key or keys. (See Shortcuts: showing properties and groups in the Timeline panel.)
  • To add a property or property group to the properties shown in the Timeline panel, hold Shift while pressing the shortcut key for the property or property group.
  • To show only properties that have been modified from their default values, press UU, or choose Animation > Reveal Modified Properties.
  • To show only properties that have keyframes or expressions, press U, or choose Animation > Reveal Animating Properties.
    The U and UU commands are especially useful for learning how animation presets, template projects, or other animated items work, because they isolate the properties that were modified by the designer of those items.

    You can also filter layers in the Timeline panel to show only layers with properties that match a search string. See Search and filter in the Timeline, Project, and Effects & Presets panels.

Select a property or property group in the Timeline panel

 To select a property or property group—including all values, keyframes, and expressions—click the name in the layer outline in the Timeline panel.

Copy or duplicate a property or property group in the Timeline panel

  • To copy properties from one layer or property group to another, select the layer, property, or property group, press Ctrl+C (Windows) or Command+C (Mac OS), select the target layer, property, or property group, and press Ctrl+V (Windows) or Command+V (Mac OS).
  • To duplicate a property group, select the property group and press Ctrl+D (Windows) or Command+D (Mac OS).

    You can only duplicate some property groups, including shapes, masks, and effects. However, you can’t duplicate top-level property groups such as Contents, Masks, Effects, and Transforms. If you attempt to duplicate a top-level property group, the entire layer is duplicated, instead.