Adobe After Effects 2021 keyboard shortcuts

Adobe After Effects 2021  

Zeynel Abidin Öztürk -
17 months ago
- Shortcuts

We have listed default keyboard shortcuts of After Effects below. The list can be daunting at first glance - we recommends looking at "General" section first. These shortcuts can be customized in Visual Keyboard Shortcut Editor which can be opened by pressing Ctrl + Alt + ' or selecting Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts.

1
Ctrl + A

Select all

2
F2

Deselect all

0
or Ctrl + ↑   Shift + A
0
⤶ Enter

Rename selected layer, composition, folder, effect, group, or mask

0
Num Enter

Open selected layer, composition, or footage item

4
Ctrl + Alt +   

Move selected layers, masks, effects, or render items up (forward) down (back) in stacking order

0
Ctrl + Alt + ↑   Shift +   

Move selected layers, masks, effects, or render items to top (front) or bottom (back) of stacking order

1
↑   Shift +

Extend selection to next item in Project panel, Render Queue panel, or Effect Controls panel

0
↑   Shift +

Extend selection to previous item in Project panel, Render Queue panel, or Effect Controls panel

0
Ctrl + D

Duplicate selected layers, masks, effects, text selectors, animators, puppet meshes, shapes, render items, output modules, or compositions

1
Ctrl + Q

Quit

7
Ctrl + Z

Undo

0
Ctrl + ↑   Shift + Z

Redo

1
Ctrl + Alt + Num /

Purge All Memory

0
Esc

Interrupt running a script

0
Ctrl + Alt + E

Display filename corresponding to the frame at the current time in the Info panel

0
Ctrl + Alt + N

New project

0
Ctrl + O

Open project

0
Ctrl + Alt + ↑   Shift + P

Open most recent project

1
Ctrl + Alt + ↑   Shift + N

New folder in Project panel

-2
Ctrl + Alt + ↑   Shift + K

Open Project Settings dialog box

-1
Ctrl + F

Find in Project panel

1
Alt +

(click bit-depth button at bottom of Project panel) Cycle through color bit depths for project

1

(click bit-depth button at bottom of Project panel) Open Project Settings dialog box

0
Ctrl + Alt + ;

Open Preferences dialog box

0
Ctrl + Alt + ↑   Shift

(hold down while starting After Effects) Restore default preferences settings

0
Ctrl + 0

Open or close Project panel

0
Ctrl + Alt + 0

Open or close Render Queue panel

0
Ctrl + 1

Open or close Tools panel

0
Ctrl + 2

Open or close Info panel

0
Ctrl + 3

Open or close Preview panel

1
Ctrl + 4

Open or close Audio panel

0
Ctrl + 5

Open or close Effects & Presets panel

0
Ctrl + 6

Open or close Character panel

0
Ctrl + 7

Open or close Paragraph panel

0
Ctrl + 8

Open or close Paint panel

1
Ctrl + 9

Open or close Brushes panel

3
F3

Open or close Effect Controls panel for selected layer

0
or Ctrl + ↑   Shift + T
0
Ctrl + F11

Open Flowchart panel for project flowchart

0
↑   Shift + F10

Switch to workspace

0
or ↑   Shift + F11
0
or ↑   Shift + F12
0
Ctrl + W

Close active viewer or panel (closes content first)

0
Ctrl + ↑   Shift + W

Close active panel or all viewers of type of active viewer (closes content first). For example, if a Timeline panel is active, this command closes all Timeline panels.

0
Ctrl + Alt + ↑   Shift + N

Split the frame containing the active viewer and create a viewer with opposite locked/unlocked state

0
`

Maximize or restore panel under pointer

0
Ctrl + \

Resize application window or floating window to fit screen. (Press again to resize window so that contents fill the screen.)

0
Ctrl + Alt + \

Move application window or floating window to main monitor; resize window to fit screen. (Press again to resize window so that contents fill the screen.)

-1
\

Toggle activation between Composition panel and Timeline panel for current composition

0
↑   Shift + ,

Cycle to previous or next item in active viewer (for example, cycle through open compositions)

0
or ↑   Shift + .
0
Alt + ↑   Shift + ,

Cycle to previous or next panel in active frame (for example, cycle through open Timeline panels)

0
or Alt + ↑   Shift + .
0

Activate a view in a multi-view layout in the Composition panel without affecting layer selection

Note: To momentarily activate a tool with a single-letter keyboard shortcut, hold down the key; release the key to return to the previously active tool. To activate a tool and keep it active, press the key and immediately release it.
0
Alt +

(alt-click tool button in Tools panel) Cycle through tools

0
V

Activate Selection tool

-1
H

Activate Hand tool

-1
Space

Temporarily activate Hand tool

0
or
0
Z

Activate Zoom In tool

1
Alt

(when Zoom In tool is active) Activate Zoom Out tool

0
W

Activate Rotation tool

0
Alt + W

Activate Roto Brush tool

0
Alt + W

Activate Refine Edge tool

1
C

Activate and cycle through Camera tools (Unified Camera, Orbit Camera, Track XY Camera, and Track Z Camera)

0
Y

Activate Pan Behind tool

2
Q

Activate and cycle through mask and shape tools (Rectangle, Rounded Rectangle, Ellipse, Polygon, Star)

0
Ctrl + T

Activate and cycle through Type tools (Horizontal and Vertical)

2
G

Activate and cycle between the Pen and Mask Feather tools. (Note: You can turn off this setting in the Preferences dialog box.)

0
Ctrl

Temporarily activate Selection tool when a pen tool is selected

0
Ctrl + Alt

Temporarily activate Pen tool when the Selection tool is selected and pointer is over a path (Add Vertex tool when pointer is over a segment; Convert Vertex tool when pointer is over a vertex)

0
Ctrl + B

Activate and cycle through Brush, Clone Stamp, and Eraser tools

0
Ctrl + P

Activate and cycle through Puppet tools

0
Alt

(in shape layer) Temporarily convert Selection tool to Shape Duplication tool

0
Ctrl

(in shape layer) Temporarily convert Selection tool to Direct Selection tool

0
Ctrl + N

New composition

0
Ctrl + K

Open Composition Settings dialog box for selected composition

-1
B

or N:  Set beginning or end of work area to current time

1
Ctrl + Alt + B

Set work area to duration of selected layers or, if no layers are selected, set work area to composition duration

0
Tab

Open Composition Mini-Flowchart for active composition

0
↑   Shift + Esc

Activate the most recently active composition that is in the same composition hierarchy (network of nested compositions) as the currently active composition

0
Ctrl + ↑   Shift + X

Trim Composition to work area

-1
Alt + \

New Composition from selection

0
Alt + ↑   Shift + J

Go to specific time

-1
↑   Shift + Home or ↑   Shift + End

Go to beginning or end of work area

-1
J

Go to previous visible item in time ruler (keyframe, layer marker, work area beginning or end)

0
K

Go to next visible item in time ruler (keyframe, layer marker, work area beginning or end)

(Note: Also goes to beginning, end, or base frame of Roto Brush span if viewing Roto Brush in Layer panel.)
-1
Home

Go to beginning of composition, layer, or footage item

0
or Ctrl + Alt +
1
End

Go to end of composition, layer, or footage item

0
or Ctrl + Alt +
0
Page Down

Go forward 1 frame

0
or Ctrl +
0
Shift + Page Down

Go forward 10 frames

0
or Ctrl + ↑   Shift +
0
Page Up

Go backward 1 frame

0
or Ctrl +
0
Shift + Page Up

Go backward 10 frames

0
or Ctrl + ↑   Shift +
0
I

Go to layer In point

0
O

Go to layer Out point

0
Ctrl + Alt + ↑   Shift +

Go to previous In point or Out point

0
Ctrl + Alt + ↑   Shift +

Go to next In point or Out point

0
D

Scroll to current time in Timeline panel

0
Space

Start or stop preview

-1
or Num 0
1
Alt +

(click Reset in Preview panel) Reset preview settings to replicate RAM Preview and Standard Preview behaviors

0
numperiod

Preview only audio, from current time

0
Alt + numperiod

Preview only audio, in work area

0
+

Manually preview (scrub) video

0
or Alt +
+
0
Ctrl +
+

(drag current-time indicator) Manually preview (scrub) audio

0
Alt + Num 0

Preview number of frames specified by Alternate Preview preference (defaults to 5)

1
Num /

Toggle Mercury Transmit video preview

0
↑   Shift + F5

Take snapshot

0
or ↑   Shift + F6
0
or ↑   Shift + F7
0
or ↑   Shift + F8
0
F5

Display snapshot in active viewer

0
or F6
0
or F7
0
or F8
0
Ctrl + ↑   Shift + F5

Purge snapshot

-1
or Ctrl + ↑   Shift + F6
0
or Ctrl + ↑   Shift + F7
0
or Ctrl + ↑   Shift + F8
0
Ctrl + Alt + 1

Fast Previews > Off

0
Ctrl + Alt + 2

Fast Previews > Adaptive Resolution

0
Ctrl + Alt + 3

Fast Previews > Draft

0
Ctrl + Alt + 4

Fast Previews > Fast Draft

0
Ctrl + Alt + 5

Fast Previews > Wireframe

0
↑   Shift + Num /

Turn display color management on or off for active view

0
Alt + 1

Show red, green, blue, or alpha channel as grayscale

0
or Alt + 2
0
or Alt + 3
0
or Alt + 4
0
Alt + ↑   Shift + 1

Show colorized red, green, or blue channel

0
or Alt + ↑   Shift + 2
0
or Alt + ↑   Shift + 3
0
Alt + ↑   Shift + 4

Toggle showing straight RGB color

0
Alt + 5

Show alpha boundary (outline between transparent and opaque regions) in Layer panel

0
Alt + 6

Show alpha overlay (colored overlay on transparent regions) in Layer panel

0
Alt + X

Show Refine Edge X-ray

0

(double-click Hand tool) Center composition in the panel

0
.

Zoom-in in Composition, Layer, or Footage panel

0
,

Zoom-out in Composition, Layer, or Footage panel

-1
/

Zoom to 100% in Composition, Layer, or Footage panel

-1
↑   Shift + /

Zoom to fit in Composition, Layer, or Footage panel

0
Alt + /

Zoom up to 100% to fit in Composition, Layer, or Footage panel

0
Ctrl + J

Set resolution to Full, Half, or Custom in Composition panel

0
or Ctrl + ↑   Shift + J
0
or Ctrl + Alt + J
0
Ctrl + Alt + U

Open View Options dialog box for active Composition panel

0
=

Zoom in time

0
-

Zoom out time

0
;

Zoom in Timeline panel to single-frame units (Press again to zoom out to show entire composition duration.)

0
↑   Shift + ;

Zoom out in Timeline panel to show the entire composition duration (Press again to zoom back in to the duration specified by the Time Navigator.)

1
⇪ Caps Lock

Prevent images from being rendered for previews in viewer panels

0
'

Show or hide safe zones

0
Ctrl + '

Show or hide grid

0
Alt + '

Show or hide proportional grid

0
Ctrl + R

Show or hide rulers

0
Ctrl + ;

Show or hide guides

0
Ctrl + ↑   Shift + '

Turn snapping to grid on or off

0
Ctrl + ↑   Shift + ;

Turn snapping to guides on or off

0
Ctrl + Alt + ↑   Shift + ;

Lock or unlock guides

0
Ctrl + ↑   Shift + H

Show or hide layer controls (masks, motion paths, light and camera wireframes, effect control points, and layer handles)

0
Ctrl + I

Import one file or image sequence

0
Ctrl + Alt + I

Import multiple files or image sequences

0

(double-click the footage item in the Project panel) Open movie in an After Effects Footage panel

0
Ctrl + /

Add selected items to most recently activated composition

0
Ctrl + Alt + /

Replace selected source footage for selected layers with footage item selected in Project panel

0
Alt +
+

(drag footage item from Project panel onto selected layer) Replace source for a selected layer

0
Ctrl + Backspace

Delete a footage item without a warning

0
Ctrl + Alt + G

Open Interpret Footage dialog box for selected footage item

0
Ctrl + Alt + C

Remember footage interpretation

0
Ctrl + E

Edit selected footage item in application with which it’s associated (Edit Original)

0
Ctrl + H

Replace selected footage item

0
Ctrl + Alt + L

Reload selected footage items

0
Ctrl + Alt + P

Set proxy for selected footage item

1
Ctrl + ↑   Shift + E

Delete all effects from selected layers

1
Ctrl + Alt + ↑   Shift + E

Apply most recently applied effect to selected layers

0
Ctrl + Alt + ↑   Shift + F

Apply most recently applied animation preset to selected layers

0
Ctrl + Y

New solid layer

0
Ctrl + Alt + ↑   Shift + Y

New null layer

0
Ctrl + Alt + Y

New adjustment layer

0
Num 0 - Num 9

Select layer (1-999) by its number (enter digits rapidly for two-digit and three-digit numbers)

0
↑   Shift + Num 0 - Num 9

Toggle selection of layer (1-999) by its number (enter digits rapidly for two-digit and three-digit numbers)

0
Ctrl +

Select next layer in stacking order

-1
Ctrl +

Select previous layer in stacking order

0
Ctrl + ↑   Shift +

Extend selection to next layer in stacking order

0
Ctrl + ↑   Shift +

Extend selection to previous layer in stacking order

0
Ctrl + ↑   Shift + A

Deselect all layers

0
X

Scroll topmost selected layer to top of Timeline panel

0
↑   Shift + F4

Show or hide Parent column

0
F4

Show or hide Layer Switches and Modes columns

0
Alt + B

Setting the sampling method for selected layers (Best/Bilinear)

0
Alt + ↑   Shift + B

Setting the sampling method for selected layers (Best/Bicubic)

0
Alt +

(click solo switch) Turn off all other solo switches

0
Ctrl + Alt + ↑   Shift + V

Turn Video (eyeball) switch on or off for selected layers

0
Ctrl + ↑   Shift + V

Turn off Video switch for all video layers other than selected layers

1
Ctrl + ↑   Shift + Y

Open settings dialog box for selected solid, light, camera, null, or adjustment layer

0
Ctrl + Alt + V

Paste layers at current time

0
Ctrl + ↑   Shift + D

Split selected layers. (If no layers are selected, split all layers.)

0
Ctrl + ↑   Shift + C

Precompose selected layers

0
Ctrl + ↑   Shift + T

Open Effect Controls panel for selected layers

0

(double-click a layer) Open layer in Layer panel (opens source composition for precomposition layer in Composition panel)

0
Alt +

(double-click a layer) Open source of a layer in Footage panel (opens precomposition layer in Layer panel)

0
Ctrl + Alt + R

Reverse selected layers in time

0
Ctrl + Alt + T

Enable time remapping for selected layers

0
[

Move selected layers so that their In point or Out point is at the current time

0
or ]
0
Alt + [

Trim In point or Out point of selected layers to current time

1
or Alt + ]
0
Alt +

(click stopwatch) Add or remove expression for a property

0

(double-click effect selection in Effects & Presets panel) Add an effect (or multiple selected effects) to selected layers

0
Ctrl + ↑   Shift + ,

Set In point or Out point by time-stretching

0
or Ctrl + Alt + ,
0
Alt + Home

Move selected layers so that their In point is at beginning of composition

0
Alt + End

Move selected layers so that their Out point is at end of composition

0
Ctrl + L

Lock selected layers

0
Ctrl + ↑   Shift + L

Unlock all layers

0
Ctrl + U

Set Quality to Best, Draft, or Wireframe for selected layers

0
or Ctrl + ↑   Shift + U
0
or Ctrl + Alt + ↑   Shift + U
0
↑   Shift + -

Cycle forward or backward through blending modes for selected layers

0
or ↑   Shift + =
0
Ctrl + F

Find in Timeline panel

0
or Ctrl + F
0
Ctrl + `

Toggle expansion of selected layers to show all properties

0
Ctrl +

(click triangle to the left of the property group name) Toggle expansion of property group and all child property groups to show all properties

0
A

Show only Anchor Point property (for lights and cameras, Point Of Interest)

0
L

Show only Audio Levels property

0
F

Show only Mask Feather property

0
M

Show only Mask Path property

0
T then T

Show only Mask Opacity property

0
T

Show only Opacity property (for lights, Intensity)

0
P

Show only Position property

-1
R

Show only Rotation and Orientation properties

0
S

Show only Scale property

0
R then R

Show only Time Remap property

0
F then F

Show only instances of missing effects

0
E

Show only Effects property group

0
M then M

Show only mask property groups

0
A then A

Show only Material Options property group

0
E then E

Show only expressions

1
U

Show properties with keyframes

0
U then U

Show only modified properties

0
P then P

Show only paint strokes, Roto Brush strokes, and Puppet pins

0
L then L

Show only audio waveform

0
S then S

Show only selected properties and groups

0
Alt + ↑   Shift +

(click property or group name) Hide property or group

0
↑   Shift +

(click property or group shortcut) Add or remove property or group from set that is shown

0
Alt + ↑   Shift + A - Z

(hit the property shortcut key) Add or remove keyframe at current time

0
Ctrl + `

Toggle expansion of selected effects to show all properties

1
Ctrl +

(click triangle to the left of the property group name) Toggle expansion of property group and all child property groups to show all properties

0
+

(drag property value) Modify property value by default increments

0
↑   Shift +
+

(drag property value) Modify property value by 10x default increments

0
Ctrl +
+

(drag property value) Modify property value by 1/10 default increments

0
Ctrl + Alt + O

Open Auto-Orientation dialog box for selected layers

0
Ctrl + ↑   Shift + O

Open Opacity dialog box for selected layers

0
Ctrl + ↑   Shift + R

Open Rotation dialog box for selected layers

0
Ctrl + ↑   Shift + P

Open Position dialog box for selected layers

0
Ctrl + Home

Center-selected layers in view (modifies Position property to place anchor points of selected layers in center of current view)

2
Ctrl + Alt + Home

Center anchor point in the visible content

0

Move selected layers 1 pixel at current magnification (Position)

0
↑   Shift +

Move selected layers 10 pixels at current magnification (Position)

0
Alt + Page Up / Down

Move selected layers 1 frame earlier or later

0
Alt + Shift + Page Up / Down

Move selected layers 10 frames earlier or later

0
Num +

Increase or decrease Rotation (Z Rotation) of selected layers by 1°

0
or Num -
0
↑   Shift + Num +

Increase or decrease Rotation (Z Rotation) of selected layers by 10°

0
or ↑   Shift + Num -
0
Ctrl + Alt + Num +

Increase or decrease Opacity (or Intensity for light layers) of selected layers by 1%

0
or Ctrl + Alt + Num -
0
Ctrl + Alt + ↑   Shift + Num +

Increase or decrease Opacity (or Intensity for light layers) of selected layers by 10%

0
or Ctrl + Alt + ↑   Shift + Num -
0
Ctrl + Num +

Increase Scale of selected layers by 1%

0
or Ctrl + Num -
0
Ctrl + Num -

Decrease Scale of selected layers by 1%

0
or Alt + Num -
0
Ctrl + ↑   Shift + Num +

Increase Scale of selected layers by 10%

0
or Alt + ↑   Shift + Num +
0
Ctrl + ↑   Shift + Num -

Decrease Scale of selected layers by 10%

0
or Alt + ↑   Shift + Num -
0
↑   Shift +
+

(drag with Rotation tool) Modify Rotation or Orientation in 45° increments

0
↑   Shift +
+

(drag layer handle with Selection tool) Modify Scale, constrained to footage frame aspect ratio

0

(double-click Rotation tool) Reset Rotation to 0°

0

(double-click Selection tool) Reset Scale to 100%

0
Ctrl + Alt + F

Scale and reposition selected layers to fit composition

1
Ctrl + Alt + ↑   Shift + H

Scale and reposition selected layers to fit composition width, preserving image aspect ratio for each layer

0
Ctrl + Alt + ↑   Shift + G

Scale and reposition selected layers to fit composition height, preserving image aspect ratio for each layer

0
F10

Switch to 3D view 1 (defaults to Front)

0
F11

Switch to 3D view 2 (defaults to Custom View 1)

1
F12

Switch to 3D view 3 (defaults to Active Camera)

0
Esc

Return to previous view

0
Ctrl + Alt + ↑   Shift + L

New light

0
1

Switch to Orbit camera control

0
2

Switch to Pan camera control

0
3

Switch to Dolly camera control

0
Ctrl + Alt + ↑   Shift + C

New camera

0
V

Switch to Universal gizmo

0
4

Switch to Position gizmo

0
5

Switch to Scale gizmo

0
6

Switch to Rotation gizmo

0
Ctrl + Alt + ↑   Shift + \

Move the camera and its point of interest to look at selected 3D layers

0
F

With a camera tool selected, move the camera and its point of interest to look at selected 3D layers