{"id":135921,"date":"2020-08-03T12:21:39","date_gmt":"2020-08-03T17:21:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=135921"},"modified":"2020-08-03T15:15:40","modified_gmt":"2020-08-03T20:15:40","slug":"10-after-effects-keyboard-shortcuts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/10-after-effects-keyboard-shortcuts\/","title":{"rendered":"New to After Effects? Here Are 10 Must-Know Keyboard Shortcuts"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Welcome to the wonderful world of Adobe After Effects! Get more from your new favorite software with these vital keyboard shortcuts.<\/h2>\r\n

You might be intimidated right now, new After Effects user. It’s understandable. You have a lot to learn! After all, After Effects is a wildly versatile piece of software, and it can do so<\/em> much.<\/p>\r\n

Nonetheless, we promise \u2014 whether you’re looking to create high-quality motion graphics or develop amazing visual effects \u2014 you’ll get there sooner than you think. And some basic keyboard shortcuts will help.<\/p>\r\n

These simple key combinations let you perform commands that you’d typically execute with your mouse, and while they may only save you a few seconds each time you use them, those saved seconds will add up to saved hours over the duration of a project. Here are the 10 keyboard shortcuts you should learn first.<\/p>\r\n

(Windows users, take note<\/strong> \u2014 we’re using Mac language in the examples below. So anywhere you see Command<\/strong>, use Control<\/strong> instead, and anywhere you see Option<\/strong>, just use Alt<\/strong>.)<\/p>\r\n

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1. Activate Selection Tool: V<\/h3>\r\n

This tool does exactly what you expect it to \u2014 it selects anything from keyframes to layers to masks.\u00a0This is hands down the most-used keyboard for most video editors.<\/p>\r\n

No matter what you\u2019ve done or where you\u2019re at inside After Effects, you can always go back to the all-important, frequently used Selection tool by simply pressing V<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n

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2. Activate Hand Tool: H\u00a0<\/h3>\r\n

The Hand tool allows you to pan around in the Composition, Layer, or Footage panel. I regularly use this tool to move a different part of the composition into view, especially when I’m zoomed in. It’s one of those tools that you have to try before you realize how immensely useful it is.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

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3. Reveal All Keyframed Properties: U<\/h3>\r\n
\"Reveal<\/a>

This command reminds you about which keyframes you previously added.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\r\n

After using the Selection tool to select one or several layers, you can see all the keyframes that have been added to those layers with a quick press of the U<\/strong> key.<\/p>\r\n

Hot tip: If you reopen a project after time away from it, this command will help you remember the keyframes you added in previous sessions.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

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4. Precompose Selected Layers: Ctrl + Shift + C<\/h3>\r\n

\"Precompose<\/a><\/p>\r\n

This key combination helps me declutter my timelines exponentially. With this shortcut, you can take one or more layers that are already in a composition and turn them into their own composition. This new precomp will sit in your current composition, the many layers now represented as one!<\/p>\r\n

\"Precompose<\/a>

Precomposing layers helps in organizing your composition.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\r\n

An Adobe tutor once told me he could instantly recognize an editor’s experience level with a quick glance at their timelines. If they didn’t used precomps, they were clearly a beginner.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

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5. Show\/Hide Opacity: T<\/h3>\r\n
\"Show\/Hide<\/a>

Access the opacity by pressing T<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p><\/div>\r\n

By simply pressing T<\/strong>, you can access the Opacity<\/strong> property for one or many layers. This allows you to see all the opacity keyframes present on specific layers. You can one-up this command by pressing Option + T<\/strong>. This instantly adds an opacity keyframe on all selected layers wherever the playhead is. This can be a monumental time-saver.<\/p>\r\n

The shortcuts for opening up other properties work in the exact same way:<\/p>\r\n