ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS CC

SHORTCUT KEYS

interrupt help deselect all effect controls layer switches display display display display easy ease 3D view 1 3D view 2 3D view 3
running script snapshot snapshot snapshot snapshot in/out

maximize or zoom zoom

restore panel
under pointer
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 out in

set marker set marker set marker set marker set marker set marker set marker set marker set marker set marker
delete

mask & shape rotate tool effects rotate property opacity pan behind properties with layer layer position move in move out toggle
tools property keyframes in point out point property point point compostion
& timeline
panel

tab text tool

anchor point scale property scroll to mask feather pen tools hand tool
property current timeline property
previous
item
next
item
audio levels
property
zoom in single
frames
safe zones
rename enter

caps lock return

zoom scroll topmost camera tool selection tool beginning of end of work mask zoom out zoom in 100% Zoom
layer work area area properties

shift brush tool shift

select prev
alt alt layer

play / pause
move keyframe select next move keyframe
1 frame early layer 1 frame later
fn control option command command option

TOOLS SHORTCUTS
ALT Delete icon Cycle through tools CMD (in shape layer) Temporarily convert Selection tool to
Direct Selection tool

V Activate Selection tool

Y Activate Pan Behind tool

H Activate Hand tool

Activate and cycle through mask
Q
and shape tools(Rectangle, Rounded
Hold down SPACEBAR or the middle mouse button Temporarily Activate Hand tool Rectangle, Ellipse, Polygon, Star)

Z Activate Zoom In tool CTRL T Activate and cycle through Type tools
(Horizontal and Vertical)

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

Activate and cycle through pen tools
G
(Pen, Add Vertex, Delete Vertex, and
W Activate Rotation tool Convert Vertex) (CS5.5, and earlier)

ALT W Activate Roto Brush tool Activate and cycle between the Pen
G
and Mask Feather tools (CS6)

Activate and cycle through Camera

C tools (Unified Camera, Orbit Camera, CTRL Temporarily Activate Selection tool
Track XY Camera, and Track Z when a pen tool is selected
Camera)

Temporarily Activate pen tool when

CTRL ALT
Activate and cycle through Brush, the Selection tool is selected and
CTRL B
Clone Stamp, and Eraser tools pointer is over a path (Add Vertex
tool when pointer is over a segment;
Convert Vertex tool when pointer is
over a vertex)
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SHORTCUT KEYS

TOOLS SHORTCUTS (CONT.)

CTRL P Activate and cycle through Puppet ALT (in shape layer) Temporarily convert Selection tool to
tools Shape Duplication tool

PANELS, VIEWERS, WORKSPACES, & WINDOWS SHORTCUT

CTRL O Open / close Project panel CTRL W Close active viewer or panel (closes
content first)

CTRL ALT O Open / close Render Queue panel

Close active panel or all viewers of
type of active viewer (closes content
CTRL 1 Open / close Tools panel CTRL SHIFT W
first). For example, if a Timeline panel
is active, this command closes all
Timeline panels.
CTRL 2 Open / close Info panel

Split the frame containing the active

CTRL 3 Open / close Preview panel CTRL ALT SHIFT N viewer and create a new viewer with
opposite locked/unlocked state

CTRL 4 Open / close Audio panel

Maximize or restore panel under
pointer
CTRL 5 Open / close Effects & Presets panel

Resize application window or floating

CTRL 6 Open or close Character panel CTRL \ window to fit screen. (Press again to
resize window so that contents fill the
screen.)
CTRL 7
Open or close Paragraph panel

Move application window or floating

CTRL 8 Open or close Paint panel window to main monitor; resize
CTRL ALT \
window to fit screen. (Press again to
resize window so that contents fill the
CTRL 9 Open or close Brushes panel screen.)

F3 CTRL SHIFT T Open or close Effect Controls panel Toggle activation between
\
for selected layer Composition panel and Timeline
panel for current Composition

CTRL F11 Open Flowchart panel for project

flowchart Cycle to previous or next item in
SHIFT SHIFT
active viewer (for example, cycle
through open Compositions)
SHIFT F10 SHIFT F11 SHIFT F12 Switch to workspace

Click with middle mouse button Activate a view in a multi-view layout

Cycle to previous or next panel in in the Composition panel without
ALT SHIFT ALT SHIFT
active frame (for example, cycle
through open Timeline panels)
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SHORTCUT KEYS

PROJECTS SHORTCUTS
CTRL ALT N New project CTRL ALT SHIFT K
Open Project Settings dialog box

CTRL O Open project CTRL F Find in Project panel

CTRL ALT SHIFT P Open most recent project ALT bit-depth button at bottom of Project panel Cycle through color bit depths for
project

CTRL ALT SHIFT N New folder in Project panel

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

PANELS, VIEWERS, WORKSPACES, & WINDOWS SHORTCUTS

CTRL A Select all SHIFT Extend selection to previous item in
Project panel, Render

F2 CTRL SHIFT A Deselect all

Duplicate selected layers, masks,
CTRL D effects, text selectors, animators,
Enter on main keyboard Rename selected layer, composition, puppet meshes, shapes, render items,
folder, effect, group, or mask output modules, or compositions

Enter on numeric keypad Open selected layer, composition, or CTRL Q Quit

footage item

CTRL Z Undo
CTRL ALT CTRL ALT Move selected layers, masks, effects,
or render items down (back) or up
(forward) in stacking order CTRL SHIFT Z Redo

Move selected layers, masks, effects, CTRL ALT / Enter on numeric keypad Purge all
CTRL ALT SHIFT CTRL ALT SHIFT or render items to bottom (back) or
top (front) of stacking order
ESC Interrupt running a script

Extend selection to next item in

SHIFT Project panel, Render Queue panel, or
Effect Controls panel
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SHORTCUT KEYS

TIME NAVIGATION SHORTCUTS

ALT SHIFT J Go to specific time SHIFT CTRL SHIFT Go forward 10 frames

SHIFT HOME SHIFT END CTRL

Go to beginning or end of work area Go backward 1 frame

J K Go to previous or next visible item in SHIFT CTRL SHIFT Go backward 10 frames

time ruler (keyframe,layer marker,
work area beginning or end) Note:
Also goes to beginning, end, or base Arrow Go to layer In point
frame of Roto Brush span if viewing
Roto Brush in Layer panel."
O Go to layer Out point

HOME CTRL ALT Go to beginning of composition, layer,

or footage item CTRL ALT SHIFT Go to previous In point or Out point

END CTRL ALT Go to end of composition, layer, or CTRL ALT SHIFT

Go to next In point or Out point
footage item

D Scroll to current time in Timeline

CTRL Go forward 1 frame panel

PREVIEW SHORTCUTS
SPACEBAR Start or stop standard preview RAM CTRL Drag current time indicator Manually preview (scrub) audio
preview

RAM preview number of frames

0 Zero on Numeric Keypad RAM preview ALT 0 on numeric keypad* specified by Alternate RAM Preview
preference (defaults to 5)

SHIFT 0 Zero on Numeric Keypad RAM preview with alternate settings

/ Show current frame on video preview
on numeric keypad*
device
CTRL 0 Zero on Numeric Keypad Save RAM preview

Toggle Output Device preference

Save RAM preview with alternate CTRL / on numeric keypad* between Desktop Only and video
CTRL SHIFT 0 Zero on Numeric Keypad settings preview device

(decimal point) on Numeric Keypad Preview only audio, from current time SHIFT F5 SHIFT F6 SHIFT F7 SHIFT F8 Take snapshot

ALT (decimal point) on Numeric Keypad Preview only audio, in work area F5 F6 F7 F8 Display snapshot in active viewer

Drag currenttime indicator, CTRL SHIFT F5 CTRL SHIFT F6

Drag ALT
depending on Live Update setting Manually preview (scrub) video Purge snapshot

CTRL SHIFT F7 CTRL SHIFT F8

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SHORTCUT KEYS

3D LAYERS SHORTCUTS
Switch to 3D view 1 (defaults to Front) Move the camera and its point of
F10 CTRL ALT SHIFT \
Switch to 3D view 2 (defaults to interest to look at selected 3D layers
Custom View 2)

With a camera tool selected, move

Switch to 3D view 3(defaults to Active F
F11 the camera and its point of interest to
Camera) look at selected 3D layers

F12 Switch to 3D view 3 With a camera tool selected, move

(defaults to Active Camera) CTRL SHIFT F the camera and its point of interest to
look at all 3D layers

ESC Return to previous view

Turn Casts Shadows property on or
ALT SHIFT C off for selected 3D layers
CTRL ALT SHIFT L New light

CTRL ALT SHIFT C New camera

MOTION TRACKING SHORTCUTS

Move feature region, search region, ALT Move feature region and search
and attach point 1 pixel at current region 1 pixel at current magnification
magnification

ALT SHIFT Move feature region and search

Move feature region, search region, region 10 pixels at current
SHIFT and attach point 10 pixels at current magnification
magnification

VIEWS SHORTCUTS
SHIFT / on numeric keypad*
Turn display color management on or Reset view in the Composition panel
off for active view Double-click Hand tool to 100% and center compo-sition in
the panel

ALT 1 ALT 2 ALT 3 ALT 4 Show red, green, blue, or alpha

channel as grayscale on main keyboard Zoom in in Composition, Layer, or
Footage panel

ALT SHIFT 1 ALT SHIFT 2 Show colorized red,

green, or blue channel Zoom out in Composition, Layer, or
ALT SHIFT 3 ALT SHIFT 4
Footage panel

ALT SHIFT 4
Toggle showing straight RGB color / Zoom to 100% in Composition, Layer,
on main keyboard
or Footage panel

Show alpha boundary (outline

ALT 5
between transparent and opaque SHIFT / Zoom to fit in Composition, Layer, or
on main keyboard
regions) in Layer panel Footage panel

ALT 6 Show alpha overlay ALT / Zoom up to 100% to fit in Composition,

on main keyboard
(colored overlay on transparent Layer, or Footage panel
regions) in Layer panel
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SHORTCUT KEYS

VIEWS SHORTCUTS (CONT.)

Set resolution to Full, Half, or CTRL Show or hide grid
CTRL J CTRL SHIFT J CTRL ALT J
Custom in Composition panel

ALT Show or hide proportional grid

CTRL ALT U Open View Options dialog box for
active Composition panel
CTRL R Show or hide rulers

=
Zoom in time
CTRL Show or hide guides

-
Zoom out time
CTRL SHIFT Turn snapping to grid on/off

Zoom in Timeline panel to single-

frame units (Press again to zoom out CTRL SHIFT Turn snapping to guides on/off
to show entire Composition

CTRL ALT SHIFT Lock or unlock guides

Zoom out in Timeline panel to show
SHIFT
the entire Composition (Press again
to zoom back in to the duration CTRL SHIFT H Show or hide layer controls
specified by the Time

CAPS LOCK Suspend image updates

Show or hide safe zones

TEXT SHORTCUTS
CTRL ALT SHIFT T New text layer SHIFT SHIFT Extend or reduce selection by one
character up or down in vertical text

CTRL SHIFT L CTRL SHIFT C CTRL SHIFT R Align selected horizontal

text left, center, or right SHIFT HOME SHIFT END Select text from insertion point to
beginning or end of line

SHIFT SHIFT Align selected vertical text top, center,

or bottom Move insertion point to beginning or
HOME END
end of line

Extend or reduce selection by one

CTRL SHIFT CTRL SHIFT character to right or left in horizontal Double-click text layer Select all text on a layer
text

CTRL SHIFT HOME Select text from insertion point to

SHIFT SHIFT Extend or reduce selection by one line beginning or end of text frame
up or down in horizontal text

Select text from insertion point to

SHIFT SHIFT Extend or reduce selection by one line mouse click point
to right or left in vertical text

In horizontal text, move insertion point

CTRL SHIFT CTRL SHIFT Extend or reduce selection one word CTRL one character left or right; one line up
up or down in vertical text or down; one word left or right; or one
paragraph up or down
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SHORTCUT KEYS

TEXT SHORTCUTS (CONT.)

In vertical text, move insertion point CTRL ALT SHIFT J Justify paragraph; right align last line
CTRL one character up or down; one left
or right; one word up or down; or one
paragraph left or right CTRL SHIFT F Justify paragraph; force last line

Double-click, triple-click, quadruple-click, Select word, line, paragraph, or entire CTRL SHIFT CTRL SHIFT Decrease or increase font size of
or quintuple-click with Type tool
text frame selected text by 2 units

CTRL SHIFT K Turn All Caps on or off for selected Decrease or increase font size of
CTRL ALT SHIFT CTRL ALT SHIFT
text selected text by 10 units

CTRL ALT SHIFT K Turn Small Caps on or off for selected Increase or decrease leading by 2
ALT ALT
text units

CTRL SHIFT = Turn Superscript on or off for selected CTRL ALT CTRL ALT Increase or decrease leading by 10
text units

CTRL ALT SHIFT = Turn Subscript on or off for selected Decrease or increase baseline shift
ALT SHIFT ALT SHIFT
text by 2 units

CTRL SHIFT X Set horizontal scale to 100% for CTRL ALT SHIFT CTRL ALT SHIFT
Decrease or increase
selected text baseline shift by 10 units

CTRL ALT SHIFT X Set vertical scale to 100% for selected ALT ALT Decrease or increase kerning or
text tracking 20 units (20/1000 ems)

CTRL ALT SHIFT A Auto leading for selected text CTRL ALT CTRL ALT Decrease or increase kerning or
tracking 100 units (100/1000 ems)

CTRL SHIFT Q Reset tracking to 0 for selected text

CTRL ALT SHIFT T Toggle paragraph composer

CTRL SHIFT J
Justify paragraph; left align last line

LAYERS SHORTCUTS
CTRL Y New solid layer Toggle selection of layer (1-999) by its
SHIFT 0-9 on numeric keypad*
number (enter digits rapidly for two-
digit and three-digit numbers)
CTRL ALT SHIFT Y New null layer

CTRL Select next layer in stacking order

CTRL ALT Y New adjustment layer

CTRL
Select previous layer in stacking order
0-9 on numeric keypad* Select layer (1-999) by its number
(enter digits rapidly for two-digit and
three-digit numbers) CTRL SHIFT Extend selection to next layer in
stacking order
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SHORTCUT KEYS

LAYERS SHORTCUTS (CONT.)

Extend selection to previous layer in CTRL SHIFT R Reverse selected layers in time
CTRL SHIFT
stacking order

CTRL SHIFT T Enable time remapping for selected

CTRL SHIFT A Deselect all layers layers

X Scroll topmost selected layer to top of [ ] Move In point or Out point of selected
Timeline panel layers to current time

SHIFT F4 Show or hide Parent column Trim In point or Out point of selected
ALT [ ALT ]
layers to current time

F4 Show or hide Layer Switches and

Modes columns ALT Stopwatch Add / remove expression for a
property

ALT solo switch Turn off all other solo switches

Effect selection in Effects & Presets panel Add an effect (or multiple selected
effects) to selected layers
CTRL ALT SHIFT V Turn Video (eyeball) switch on or off
for selected layers
CTRL SHIFT CTRL ALT Set In point or Out point by time-
stretching
CTRL SHIFT V Turn off Video switch for all video
layers other than selected layers
ALT HOME Move In point of selected layers to
beginning of composition
Open settings dialog box for
CTRL SHIFT Y selected solid, light, camera, null, or
adjustment layer ALT END Move Out point of selected layers to
end of composition

CTRL ALT V Paste layers at current time

CTRL L Lock selected layers

CTRL SHIFT D Split selected layers (If no layers are

selected, split all layers.) CTRL SHIFT L Unlock all layers

CTRL SHIFT C Precompose selected layers CTRL U CTRL SHIFT U Set Quality to Best, Draft, or
Wireframe for selected layers
CTRL ALT SHIFT U

CTRL SHIFT T Open Effect Controls panel for

selected layers
SHIFT - SHIFT = Cycle forward or backward through
blending modes for selected layers
Double-click a layer Open layer in Layer panel
(opens source composition for
precomposition layer in Composition CTRL F Find in Timeline panel
panel)

Open source of a layer in Footage

ALT Double-click a layer panel (opens precomposition layer in
Layer panel)