ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 7.0
User Guide
157
4 If you selected the Overlap option in step 3, select a Transition option to specify which layers’ opacity After Effects
adjusts to create cross-dissolves:
• If none of the selected layers uses an alpha channel or mask, select Dissolve Front Layer.
• If any of the selected layers uses an alpha channel or a mask, select Cross Dissolve Front And Back Layers.
Note: If you plan to sequence still-image footage that you haven’t imported yet, choose Edit > Preferences > Import
(Windows), or After Effects > Preferences > Import (Mac OS) before you import, and specify a short Still Footage
duration.
Copying and pasting layers and attributes
Through the copy and paste commands, you can manipulate and place layers and layer attributes. When copying and
pasting a layer in the Timeline panel, you can paste a layer’s In point to a specific time in the Timeline panel.
You can also copy keyframe attributes from one layer to multiple layers, or from one property to other properties on
a single layer—all in one operation.
See also
“Copying and pasting keyframes” on page 198
To copy a layer to the current time
1
In the Timeline panel, copy the layer or source footage.
2 Drag the current-time indicator to the time at which you want the layer to begin.
3 Press Ctrl+Alt+V (Windows) or Command+Option+V (Mac OS).
To duplicate a layer
When you duplicate a layer, After Effects copies all property keyframes, expressions, masks, and effects to the
duplicate. The duplicate is added above the original layer and automatically selected. If you want to duplicate a layer
without duplicating its keyframes, expressions, masks, and effects, add the original source footage file to the compo-
sition again.
❖ In the Project, Composition, or Timeline panel, select the layer and choose Edit > Duplicate.
Note: Track mattes retain their order, on top of the layer when you duplicate or split the layer.
Splitting layers
In the Timeline panel, you can split a layer at any point in time, creating two independent layers. This is a time-saving
alternative to duplicating and trimming the layer—something you might do when you want to change the stacking-
order position of the layer in the middle of the composition, such as an object revolving in front of and then behind
another object.
To split a layer
1
In the Timeline or Composition panel, select a layer.
2 In the Timeline panel, move the current-time indicator to the time where you want to split the layer.
3 Choose Edit > Split Layer.
When you split a layer, both resulting layers contain all the keyframes that were in the original layer in their original
positions. Any applied track mattes retain their order, on top of the layer.
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