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Adobe After Effects Keyboard Shortcuts

Create motion graphics and visual effects.

246 shortcuts / 21 sections

General

12
Select all
Control A
Open selected layer, composition, or footage item
EnterOn numeric keypad
Move selected items in stack order in stacking ...
Control Alt Down Arrow
Move selected items to top/bottom
Control Shift Alt Down Arrow
Select next item in panel
Shift Down Arrow
Select previous item in panel
Shift Up Arrow
Duplicate selected items
Control D
Quit
Control Q
Undo
Control Z
Redo
Control Shift Z
Interrupt running a script
Escape
Display filename corresponding to the frame at ...
Control Alt E

Projects

6
New project
Control Alt N
Open project
Control O
Open most recent project
Control Shift Alt P
New folder in Project panel
Control Shift Alt N
Open Project Settings dialog box
Control Shift Alt K
Find in Project panel
Control F

Preferences

1
Open Preferences dialog box
Control Alt ;

Panels, viewers, workspaces

16
Open or close Project panel
Control 0
Open or close Render Queue panel
Control Alt 0
Open or close Tools panel
Control 1
Open or close Info panel
Control 2
Open or close Preview panel
Control 3
Open or close Audio panel
Control 4
Open or close Effects & Presets panel
Control 5
Open or close Character panel
Control 6
Open or close Paragraph panel
Control 7
Open or close Paint panel
Control 8
Open or close Brushes panel
Control 9
Close active viewer or panel (closes content fi...
Control W
Close active panel or all viewers of type of ac...
Control Shift W
Split the frame containing the active viewer an...
Control Shift Alt N
Cycle to previous or next item in active viewer...
SHIFT
Cycle to previous or next panel in active frame...
Shift ALT

Activate

19
Activate Selection tool
V
Activate Hand tool
H
Temporarily activate Hand tool
SpaceHold down to temporarily switch to Hand tool
Activate Zoom In tool
Z
Activate Zoom Out tool
ALT
Activate Rotation tool
W
Activate Roto Brush tool
Alt W
Activate Refine Edge tool
Alt W
Activate and cycle through Camera tools (Unifie...
C
Activate Pan Behind tool
Y
Activate and cycle through mask and shape tools...
Q
Activate and cycle through Type tools (Horizont...
Control T
Activate and cycle between the Pen and Mask Fea...
G
Temporarily activate Selection tool when a pen ...
CTRL
Temporarily activate Pen tool when the Selectio...
Control ALT
Activate and cycle through Brush, Clone Stamp, ...
Control B
Activate and cycle through Puppet tools
Control P
Temporarily convert Selection tool to Shape Dup...
ALT
Temporarily convert Selection tool to Direct Se...
CTRL

Composition

7
New composition
Control N
Open Composition Settings dialog box for select...
Control K
Set beginning or end of work area to current time
B
Set work area to duration of selected layers or...
Control Alt B
Open Composition Mini-Flowchart for active comp...
Tab
Activate the most recently active composition t...
Shift Escape
Trim Composition to work area
Control Shift X

Previews

8
Start or stop preview
Shift Space
Preview only audio, in work area
Alt .On numeric keypad
Preview number of frames specified by Alternate...
Alt 0On numeric keypad
Fast Previews > Off
Control Alt 1
Fast Previews > Adaptive Resolution
Control Alt 2
Fast Previews > Draft
Control Alt 3
Fast Previews > Fast Draft
Control Alt 4
Fast Previews > Wireframe
Control Alt 5

Views

18
Show red, green, blue, or alpha channel as gray...
Alt 1
Show colorized red, green, or blue channel
Shift Alt 1
Toggle showing straight RGB color
Shift Alt 4
Show alpha boundary (outline between transparen...
Alt 5
Show alpha overlay (colored overlay on transpar...
Alt 6
Show Refine Edge X-ray
Alt X
Zoom-in in Composition, Layer, or Footage panel
.On main keyboard
Set resolution to Full, Half, or Custom in Comp...
Control Shift Alt J
Open View Options dialog box for active Composi...
Control Alt U
Zoom out time
PLUSOn main keyboard
Zoom in Timeline panel to single-frame units (P...
;
Zoom out in Timeline panel to show the entire c...
Shift ;
Prevent images from being rendered for previews...
Caps Lock
Show or hide rulers
Control R
Show or hide guides
Control ;
Turn snapping to guides on or off
Control Shift ;
Lock or unlock guides
Control Shift Alt ;
Show or hide layer controls (masks, motion path...
Control Shift H

Footage

9
Import one file or image sequence
Control I
Import multiple files or image sequences
Control Alt I
Delete a footage item without a warning
Control Backspace
Open Interpret Footage dialog box for selected ...
Control Alt G
Remember footage interpretation
Control Alt C
Edit selected footage item in application with ...
Control E
Replace selected footage item
Control H
Reload selected footage items
Control Alt L
Set proxy for selected footage item
Control Alt P

Effects and animation presets

3
Delete all effects from selected layers
Control Shift E
Apply most recently applied effect to selected ...
Control Shift Alt E
Apply most recently applied animation preset to...
Control Shift Alt F

Layers

27
New solid layer
Control Y
New null layer
Control Shift Alt Y
New adjustment layer
Control Alt Y
Select next layer in stacking order
Control Down Arrow
Select previous layer in stacking order
Control Up Arrow
Extend selection to next layer in stacking order
Control Shift Down Arrow
Extend selection to previous layer in stacking ...
Control Shift Up Arrow
Deselect all layers
Control Shift A
Scroll topmost selected layer to top of Timelin...
X
Setting the sampling method for selected layers...
Alt B
Setting the sampling method for selected layers...
Shift Alt B
Turn Video (eyeball) switch on or off for selec...
Control Shift Alt V
Turn off Video switch for all video layers othe...
Control Shift V
Open settings dialog box for selected solid, li...
Control Shift Y
Paste layers at current time
Control Alt V
Split selected layers. (If no layers are select...
Control Shift D
Precompose selected layers
Control Shift C
Open Effect Controls panel for selected layers
Control Shift T
Reverse selected layers in time
Control Alt R
Enable time remapping for selected layers
Control Alt T
Set In point or Out point by time-stretching
Control SHIFT
Move selected layers so that their In point is ...
Alt Home
Move selected layers so that their Out point is...
Alt End
Lock selected layers
Control L
Unlock all layers
Control Shift L
Set Quality to Best, Draft, or Wireframe for se...
Control Shift U
Find in Timeline panel
Control F

Showing properties and groups in the Timeline panel

21
Find in Timeline panel
Control F
Show only Anchor Point property (for lights and...
A
Show only Audio Levels property
L
Show only Mask Feather property
F
Show only Mask Path property
M
Show only Mask Opacity property
TthenT
Show only Opacity property (for lights, Intensity)
T
Show only Position property
P
Show only Rotation and Orientation properties
R
Show only Scale property
S
Show only Time Remap property
RthenR
Show only instances of missing effects
FthenF
Show only Effects property group
E
Show only mask property groups
MthenM
Show only Material Options property group
AthenA
Show only expressions
EthenE
Show properties with keyframes
U
Show only modified properties
UthenU
Show only paint strokes, Roto Brush strokes, an...
PthenP
Show only audio waveform
LthenL
Show only selected properties and groups
SthenS

Modifying layer properties

16
Open Auto-Orientation dialog box for selected l...
Control Alt O
Open Opacity dialog box for selected layers
Control Shift O
Open Rotation dialog box for selected layers
Control Shift R
Open Position dialog box for selected layers
Control Shift P
Center-selected layers in view (modifies Positi...
Control Home
Center anchor point in the visible content
Control Alt Home
Move selected layers 1 frame earlier or later
Alt Page Up
Move selected layers 10 frames earlier or later
Shift Alt Page Up
Increase or decrease Rotation (Z Rotation) of s...
SHIFT
Increase or decrease Opacity (or Intensity for ...
Control ALT
Increase or decrease Opacity (or Intensity for ...
Control Shift ALT
Increase Scale of selected layers by 1%
CTRL
Increase Scale of selected layers by 10%
Control SHIFT
Scale and reposition selected layers to fit com...
Control Alt F
Scale and reposition selected layers to fit com...
Control Shift Alt H
Scale and reposition selected layers to fit com...
Control Shift Alt G

3D Layers

6
Return to previous view
Escape
New light
Control Shift Alt L
New camera
Control Shift Alt C
With a camera tool selected, move the camera an...
F
With a camera tool selected, move the camera an...
Control Shift F
Turn Casts Shadows property on or off for selec...
Shift Alt C

Keyframes and the Graph Editor

6
Select all visible keyframes and properties
Control Alt A
Move keyframe 1 frame later or earlier
Alt Right Arrow
Move keyframe 10 frames later or earlier
Shift Alt Right Arrow
Set interpolation for selected keyframes (layer...
Control Alt K
Set keyframe interpolation method to hold or Au...
Control Alt H
Set velocity for selected keyframes
Control Shift K

Text

32
New text layer
Control Shift Alt T
Align selected horizontal text left, center, or...
Control Shift L
Align selected vertical text top, center, or bo...
Control Shift L
Extend or reduce selection by one character to ...
Shift Right Arrow
Extend or reduce selection by one word to right...
Control Shift Right Arrow
Extend or reduce selection by one line up or do...
Shift Up Arrow
Extend or reduce selection by one line to right...
Shift Right Arrow
Extend or reduce selection one word up or down ...
Control Shift Up Arrow
Extend or reduce selection by one character up ...
Shift Up Arrow
Select text from insertion point to beginning o...
Shift Home
Move insertion point to beginning or end of line
Home
Select text from insertion point to beginning o...
Control Shift Home
In horizontal text, move insertion point one ch...
Left Arrow
In vertical text, move insertion point one char...
Up Arrow
Turn All Caps on or off for selected text
Control Shift K
Turn Small Caps on or off for selected text
Control Shift Alt K
Set horizontal scale to 100% for selected text
Control Shift X
Set vertical scale to 100% for selected text
Control Shift Alt X
Auto leading for selected text
Control Shift Alt A
Reset tracking to 0 for selected text
Control Shift Q
Justify paragraph; left align last line
Control Shift J
Justify paragraph; right align last line
Control Shift Alt J
Justify paragraph; force last line
Control Shift F
Decrease or increase font size of selected text...
Control SHIFT
Decrease or increase font size of selected text...
Control Shift ALT
Increase or decrease leading by 2 units
Alt Down Arrow
Increase or decrease leading by 10 units
Control Alt Down Arrow
Decrease or increase baseline shift by 2 units
Shift Alt Down Arrow
Decrease or increase baseline shift by 10 units
Control Shift Alt Down Arrow
Decrease or increase kerning or tracking 20 uni...
Alt Left Arrow
Decrease or increase kerning or tracking 100 un...
Control Alt Left Arrow
Toggle paragraph composer
Control Shift Alt T

Masks

11
New mask
Control Shift N
Exit free-transform mask editing mode
Escape
Invert selected mask
Control Shift I
Open Mask Feather dialog box for selected mask
Control Shift F
Open Mask Shape dialog box for selected mask
Control Shift M
Subtract mode
S
Darken mode
D
Difference mode
F
Add mode
A
Intersect mode
I
None
N

Paint tools

6
Swap paint background color and foreground colors
X
Set paint foreground color to black and backgro...
D
Momentarily activate Eraser tool with Last Stro...
Control SHIFT
Activate a specific Clone Stamp tool preset
3
Set flow for a paint tool to 100%
Shift .On numeric keypad
Move earlier or later by number of frames speci...
Control Page Up

Shape Layers

2
Group selected shapes
Control G
Ungroup selected shapes
Control Shift G

Saving, exporting, and rendering

6
Save project
Control S
Increment and save project
Control Shift Alt S
Save As
Control Shift S
Add current frame to render queue
Control Alt S
Duplicate render item with same output filename...
Control Shift D
Add a composition to the Adobe Media Encoder en...
Control Alt M