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After all, you don’t want a computer that will merely crash and burn when you try to work on your edits. In the nature of filmmaking and video editing, one way to pick the computer is to select one based on the kind of video editing software you are planning to use.
Edit Video on Your PC
Nothing makes an impression like moving pictures with sound. That's why digital video continues to grow in importance online. Couple that trend with the ever-increasing availability of devices capable of high-resolution video recording—phones, GoPros, DSLRs—and the case for ever-more powerful video editing software becomes clear. Further, the software must be usable by nonprofessionals, and it has to keep up with newer formats such as HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) and 360-degree VR video, and it has to be able to handle 4K and higher resolution.
Increasingly, new capabilities trickle down from professional-level software to the consumer category. That's a good thing for nonprofessional movie editors, since the more consumer-oriented software tends to make easier procedures that can sometimes be pretty tricky in the pro-level software. Read on for a survey of the latest trends in video editing software along with our top picks in the field.
Multicam, Motion Tracking, and Yet More Motion
Advanced abilities continue to make their way into accessible, affordable, and consumer-friendly video editing software as each new generation of software is released. For example, multicam editing, which lets you switch among camera angles of the same scene shot with multiple video cameras, used to be a feature relegated to pro-level software. Now this and many other advanced effects are available in programs designed for use by nonprofessional enthusiasts.
Another impressive effect that has made its way into consumer-level video editing software is motion tracking, which lets you attach an object or effect to something moving in your video. You might use it to put a blur over the face of someone you don't want to show up in your video. You specify the target face, and the app takes care of the rest, tracking the face and moving the effect to follow it. This used to be the sole province of special effects software such as Adobe After Effects. Corel VideoStudio was the first of the consumer products to include motion tracking, and it still leads the pack in the depth and usability of its motion-tracking tool, though several others now include the capability.
The 4K Video Factor
Support for 4K video source content has become pretty standard in video editing software, but the support varies among the products. For example, some but not all of the applications can import Sony XAVC and XAVC-S formats, which are used by Sony's popular DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, camcorders, and professional video cameras. The same holds true for the H.265 High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard. Most of the applications here now can import and export HEVC, though there are still a few holdouts.
360-Degree VR Support
Several of the products here (Adobe Premiere Elements is a notable exception) still support 3D video editing if that's your thing, though the this has been replaced by 360-degree VR footage like that shot by the Samsung Gear 360 as the current home-theater fad. As is often the case, our Editors' Choice, CyberLink PowerDirector was the first product in this group to offer support for this new kind of video media.
Other programs have jumped on board with 360 VR support, including Adobe Premiere, Apple Final Cut Pro X, and Magix Movie Edit Pro. Support varies, with some apps including 360-compatible titles, stabilization, and motion tracking. PowerDirector is notable for including those last two. Final Cut offers a useful tool that removes the camera and tripod from the image, often an issue with 360-degree footage.
Video Editing 101
Of course, none of the extras matter if an app can't do the most basic editing tasks. At this point, however, all of the products included here do a good job of letting you join, trim, and split video clips. They also let you make use of special effects such as animated transitions, picture-in-picture (PiP), chroma-key (the technique that lets you place a subject against any background, often known as green screening), and filters that enhance colors or apply creative effects and distortions. With most of them you can add a multitude of timeline tracks that can accommodate video clips, effects, audio, and text overlays.
A tool coming to the latest versions of video editing applications is support for seamless transitions. Picture a scene showing people at a beach, and suddenly the sky zooms in and your in Rome or Paris, but it looks like you're in the same place because the transition glued the two scenes together using the sky. There are plenty of other examples of seamless transition; this magnificent video shows a good selection of them, and is partly responsible for starting the trend.
Color, LUTs and CLUTs
One of the capabilities that has been making its way into consumer-level video editing software is more-detailed color grading. Color wheels, curves, and histograms give editors control over the intensity of every shade. Related to this is support for LUTs (lookup tables), also known as CLUTs (color lookup tables). This staple of pro-level software lets you quickly change the look of a video to give it a specific mood. For example, think of the dark blue look of thriller movies like The Revenant. You can download LUTs for free from several sites or use those included with some video software to give your video a specific look. One well-known LUT type is the kind that can make a daytime scene look like it was shot at night.
Where the Action Is
Many video editing apps now include tools that cater to users of action cameras such as the GoPro Hero7 Black. For example, several offer automated freeze-frame along with speedup, slowdown, and reverse time effects. CyberLink PowerDirector's Action Camera Center pulls together freeze frame with stabilization, slo-mo, and fish-eye correction, and color correction for underwater footage. Magix Movie Edit Pro Premium includes the third-party NewBlue ActionCam Package of effects. And Wondershare Filmora lets you subscribe to new effect packs on an ongoing basis.
Titles That Zing
I've been seeing a lot of attention paid to creating title effects in the applications over the past year. Apple Final Cut Pro X has added 3D title creation, which is pretty spiffy, letting you extrude 2D titles and rotate them on three axes. Corel VideoStudio in its latest version also adds 3D Titling, though not as powerful as Apple's. PowerDirector's Title Designer offers transparency, gradient color, border, blur level, and reflection in titles; Magix has impressive title templates, complete with animations. Premiere Elements offers a nifty title effect in which your video fills the text characters, and Corel recently followed suit in VideoStudio 2019. Look for an application that lets you edit titles in WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) mode, so that you can type, format, and time it right over the video preview.
Gathering Speed
Video editing is one of the most computing-intensive activities around, so you'll want the best laptop or desktop you can afford if you're serious about cutting your own movies. Most applications help speed up the editing process by creating a proxy file of lower resolution, so that normal editing and previewing aren't slowed down by the huge full-resolution files.
Particularly intensive is the process of rendering your finished product into a standard video file that will by playable on the target device of choice, be that an HDTV, a laptop, or a smartphone. Most of the software can take advantage of your computer's graphics processor to speed this up. Be sure to check the performance section in each review linked here to see how speedy or slow the application is. In rendering speed testing, CyberLink and Pinnacle have been my perennial champs.
Other measures of performance include startup time and simple stability. Again, video editing is a taxing activity for any computer, involving many components. In the past, video editing programs took longer than most other apps to start up, and unexpected shutdowns were unfortunately common, even in top apps from top developers such as Adobe and Apple. The stability situation has greatly improved, but the complexity of the process, which increases as more powerful effects are added, means crashes will likely never be fully eliminated, and they often raise their ugly heads after a program update, as I found with the latest version of Pinnacle Studio.
Free Video Editing Software
If you don't want to invest a lot of money and effort into your video editing exploits, there are a few free options. Of course, if you use a Mac, the excellent iMovie comes with it. For PC users, Windows 10's Photos app (as of the Fall Creators Update) lets you join, trim, and even add background music, 3D animated effects, and titles to video.
There are also some free video apps on the Windows Store, including Movie Moments, PowerDirector Mobile, Movie Maker, and Magix Movie Edit Touch. Some of these are quite basic, but the Magix app is fairly capable, with clip joining, transitions, and effects, in a very touch-friendly interface.
Free video editing software often comes with legal and technical limitations, however. Some widely used codecs require licensing fees on the part of the software maker, meaning they can't offer free software that can handle these standard file formats. That said, the impressive open-source Shotcut does a lot of the same things that the paid applications in this roundup do, including things like chroma-keying and picture-in-picture. Shotcut is completely open-source and free, while another free option, Lightworks has paid options that remove a 720p output resolution limit. Note also that both Shotcut and Lightworks run on Linux as well as Windows and Mac.
What About Apple?
Though Mac users don't have the sheer number of software choices available for PCs, Apple fans interested in editing video are well served, by four products in particular. At the entry level, the surprisingly capable and enjoyable-to-use iMovie comes free with every Mac sold since at least 2011. iMovie only offers two video tracks, but does good job with chroma-keying, and its Trailers feature makes it easy to produce slick, Hollywood-style productions.
In the midrange, there's Adobe Premiere Elements, which is cross-platform between Macs and PCs, and offers a lot more features and lots of help with creating effects. Professionals and prosumers have powerful, though pricey options in Final Cut Pro X and Adobe Premiere Pro. Final Cut is a deceptively simple application that resembles iMovie in its interface and ease of use, but it offers massively deep capabilities, and many third-party apps integrate with it for even more power. It also makes excellent use of the Touch Bar on the latest MacBook Pro, as shown in photo above. Premiere Pro uses a more traditional timeline and adds a large ecosystem of companion apps and plug-ins. It also excels in collaboration features.
Audio Editing
We still live in the days of talkies, so you want to be able to edit the audio in your digital moves as well as the images. Most of the products included here offer canned background music, and many, such as Pinnacle Studio, can even tailor the soundtrack to the exact length of your movie. All of these programs can separate audio and video tracks, and most can clean up background noise and add environmental audio effects such as concert hall reverb. A couple of the products have an auto-ducking feature, which lowers background music during dialog—a definite pro-level plus.
What's Not Here
There are more video editing software applications than we can fit into this roundup of the best options, which includes only software rated three stars and higher. The best known among them is probably Vegas Movie Studio, which was recently acquired by Magix from Sony. Sony's product used a very cluttered interface that more resembled high-end professional video editing software from the early days of the craft. Magix has made some progress in simplifying it and bringing it up to par with the competition, but more work is needed for it to be included here.
Another program, VSDC Video Editor Pro, simply has too outdated an interface, making common tasks difficult. Longtime pro video editors will note the absence of Avid Media Composer, which is simply too unwieldy for PCMag's primarily consumer audience. There are a couple of more interesting applications—NCH VideoPad and AVS Video Editor among them—that we simply haven't tested yet.
The Finish Line
The video editing application you choose depends on your budget, the equipment you're using, and how serious you are. Fortunately, you're spoiled for choice with the products available. Peruse our in-depth reviews of enthusiast-level video editing software reviews linked below to see which is the right one for you.
One final note about the features table at the top of this story: Check marks represent differentiating, above-the-call-of-duty features, rather than essential ones. So, just because Nero Video and Wondershare Filmora don't have any checks, it doesn't mean they're not good choices. In fact, both offer decent basic editing on a budget.
Best Video Editing Software Featured in This Roundup:
Adobe Premiere Pro CC Review
MSRP: $19.99Pros: Clear, flexible interface. Lots of organizational tools. Responsive speed. Ultimate power in video editing. Rich ecosystem of video production apps. Excellent stabilization. Unlimited multi-cam angles.Cons: No keyword tagging for media. Some techniques require additional applications such as After Effects or SpeedGrade.Bottom Line: An expansive professional-level digital video editing program, Premiere Pro CC has everything today's pro video editor needs, particularly when it comes to collaboration.Read ReviewCyberLink PowerDirector Review
MSRP: $129.99Pros: Fast rendering. Clear interface. Loads of effects. The most 360-degree video capabilities of any video editor. Multicam editing. 3D and 4K capability. Motion tracking. Screen recording.Cons: No trimming in source panel. Number of options can make interface overwhelming. Weak color matching.Bottom Line: PowerDirector is one of the fastest and most capable consumer-level video editing apps for Windows around, and the first to support 360-degree VR footage.Read ReviewCorel VideoStudio Ultimate Review
MSRP: $99.99Pros: Wide selection of fun video-creation tools. Clear, simple interface. Fast rendering. Support for 360-degree VR, 4K Ultra HD, and 3D media. Multipoint Motion tracking. Multicam editing. HTML5 video page creation. Stop-motion tool.Cons: No keyword tagging for media.Bottom Line: Corel VideoStudio remains one of the most feature-packed consumer video editing packages around. The 2019 update adds powerful color-grading tools, seamless transitions, and text masks.Read ReviewPinnacle Studio Ultimate Review
MSRP: $129.95Pros: Clear interface. Edits 360-degree VR content. Fast rendering performance in testing. Tons of effects. Multicam editing. 4K and H.265 support. Tagging and star ratings for media. Good audio tools.Cons: Motion tracking issues on one test PC. Occasional crashes in testing. Uneven 360-degree VR implementation.Bottom Line: Pinnacle Studio is a fast, full-featured, near-professional-level video-editing application with support for 360-degree VR, 3D, and multicam edits. New color grading and four-point editing make it even more appealing, though our testing uncovered some instabilities.Read ReviewMagix Movie Edit Pro Premium Review
MSRP: $129.99Pros: Lots of video effects. Multicam. Good titling tools. Trailer-like movie templates. Solid audio editing tools. Strong disc authoring. Fast rendering. Good stability. 360-degree media support.Cons: Not much help with difficult procedures. Lacks import and organization tools. Extra costs and coded downloads for some video formats.Bottom Line: Now with faster rendering, Movie Edit Pro offers solid stability, up-to-date support for 4K, 360-degree, and multicam editing, but it trails other video editing software in ease-of-use.Read ReviewAdobe Premiere Elements Review
MSRP: $99.99Pros: Clear, simple interface. Guided Edits ease basic and advanced projects. Lots of video effects. Solid text tools. Powerful Audio editing. Good control over stabilization. 4K support.Cons: No 360-degree VR or 3D editing. No multicam feature or screen recording capability. Slow rendering speeds. No HEVC support in Windows.Bottom Line: Adobe's consumer video editing app adds a new start page, Auto Creations, a redesigned quick-editing interface, and faster performance.Read ReviewWondershare Filmora Review
MSRP: $59.99Pros: Pleasing interface. Inexpensive. Lots of effects and overlays. Good title tool.Cons: Action Cam and Cutter modes only allow one clip at a time. No search for effects or transitions. No motion tracking. No DVD menu or chapter authoring. Not a touch-friendly interface.Bottom Line: Wondershare's Filmora video editing software may not have multicam or the hottest new VR tools, but it does have a pleasing interface and lots of effects.Read ReviewApple Final Cut Pro X Review
MSRP: $299.99Pros: Magnetic, trackless timeline. Superior organization tools, including libraries, ratings, tagging, auto analysis for faces, scenes. Support for 360-degree footage and HDR. Multicam support. Fast performance. MacBook Touch Bar support.Cons: Nontraditional timeline-editing may turn off longtime editors. Can't import projects from previous versions without a third-party plug-in. No stabilization or motion tracking for 360-degree video.Bottom Line: Apple's professional-level video editing software, Final Cut Pro X, brings a wealth of power in an interface simple for pros and consumers alike. Recent highlights include rich support for 360-degree content and improved stability.Read ReviewNero Video Review
MSRP: $49.99Pros: Inexpensive. Plenty of video effects. Good audio tools. Solid file format support, including H.265. Compatible with 4K content. Burns DVD, Blu-ray, and AVCHD.Cons: Light on features. Outdated, unconventional interface. No 360 or 3D support. No motion tracking. No direct output to social networks.Bottom Line: For less money than the competition, Nero offers a wide array of enthusiast-level video editing capabilities, but the interface is dated and it trails in support for new formats and techniques.Read ReviewApple iMovie Review
MSRP: $0.00Pros: Beautifully simple interface. Color matching for consistent movie looks. Classy themes. Great chroma-keying tool. Lots of audio tools. Theater feature shares movies to all your Apple gear.Cons: Not as flexible as some PC video editors. In the name of simplicity, some useful controls are missing. Does not support tagging. Lacks multicam or motion tracking capabilities. Limited to two video tracks.Bottom Line: Apple's excellent entry-level desktop video editing application can turn your footage and photos into impressive productions.Read Review
Use this handy list to reference keyboard shortcuts for After Effects and even print a PDF of the keyboard shortcuts. You can also use the visual keyboard shortcut editor to customize the shortcuts and assign multiple shortcuts to a command.
You can work visually when you lay out your keyboard shortcuts with the visual keyboard shortcut editor. You can use the keyboard user interface to view the keys that have been assigned shortcuts, available keys for assignment, and modify assigned shortcuts.
To open the editor, select Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts (Ctrl+Alt+').
The editor is divided into three parts:
- Keyboard layout: A representation of the hardware keyboard where you can view which keys have been assigned a shortcut, and which are available.
- Command list: The list displays all the commands that can be assigned shortcuts.
- Key modifier list: The list displays all the modifier combinations and assigned shortcuts associated with the key you select on the keyboard layout.
Color coding
Gray: In the keyboard layout, keys shaded gray do not have any shortcuts assigned to them.
Purple: In the keyboard layout, keys shaded purple are assigned application-wide shortcuts.
![Mac Mac](/uploads/1/2/6/8/126887569/937875745.jpg)
Green: In the keyboard layout keys shaded green are assigned panel-specific shortcuts.
The keyboard layout displays application-wide shortcuts by default. These shortcuts work irrespective of which panel is selected. The Command list displays the entire set of commands available. When you select a key in the keyboard layout for application-wide commands, the key is outlined with a blue focus indicator. The Command list displays the Application command assigned to it. The Key modifier list inspects and it displays a list of all the commands assigned to the key and each of the possible modifier combinations.
You can switch to panel-specific view from the Command drop-down list. The keyboard layout only displays keys shaded green. These shortcuts only work when the specific panel is active. When you view a set of Panel shortcuts, only the commands specific to that panel are displayed.
You can assign shortcuts to commands in the Command list shortcut column. Select the command and type the shortcut in the text field. You can search for commands in the Command List, which is filtered by the search criteria. You can also assign shortcuts by clicking in the shortcut column and tapping keys on their keyboard to create the shortcut (including adding modifiers).
You can also assign shortcuts by dragging a command from the Command list onto a key in the keyboard layout or to the Key modifier list. You can drag keys in the keyboard layout onto a command in the Command List to assign them to the command. When a Panel shortcut has the same assigned shortcut as an Application shortcut, the application-wide shortcut does not function when that panel is active.
When After Effects detects a non-supported keyboard, the default view is to display the U.S. English keyboard. By default, the After Effects Default preset is displayed.
After Effects does not allow you to reassign the following keys:
- A
- AA
- E
- EE
- F
- FF
- L
- LL
- M,
- MM
- P
- PP
- R
- RR
- S
- SS
- T
- TT
- U
- UU
Long commands assigned to keys are abbreviated. Hover over a key to view a tool tip containing the full name of the command, and information whether it is an Application or Panel shortcut.
![Effects Effects](/uploads/1/2/6/8/126887569/644798337.jpg)
A warning indicating a shortcut conflict appears when:
- An Application shortcut already in use by another Application shortcut.
- A Panel shortcut is already in use by another command in the same panel.
- A Panel shortcut overrides an Application shortcut when that panel has focus.
- When you type a shortcut that is already in use with another command, a warning message is displayed at the bottom of the editor.
- Undo and Clear buttons in the lower right corner are enabled.
- The command in conflict is highlighted in blue, and clicking this automatically selects the command in the Command List.
You can modify the shortcuts and save them using the Save As button.
Result | Windows | Mac OS |
---|---|---|
Select all | Ctrl+A | Command+A |
Deselect all | F2 or Ctrl+Shift+A | F2 or Command+Shift+A |
Rename selected layer, composition, folder, effect, group, or mask | Enter on main keyboard | Return |
Open selected layer, composition, or footage item | Enter on numeric keypad | Enter on numeric keypad |
Move selected layers, masks, effects, or render items down (back) or up (forward) in stacking order | Ctrl+Alt+Down Arrow or Ctrl+Alt+Up Arrow | Command+Option+Down Arrow or Command+Option+Up Arrow |
Move selected layers, masks, effects, or render items to bottom (back) or top (front) of stacking order | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Down Arrow or Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Up Arrow | Command+Option+Shift+Down Arrow or Command+Option+Shift+Up Arrow |
Extend selection to next item in Project panel, Render Queue panel, or Effect Controls panel | Shift+Down Arrow | Shift+Down Arrow |
Extend selection to previous item in Project panel, Render Queue panel, or Effect Controls panel | Shift+Up Arrow | Shift+Up Arrow |
Duplicate selected layers, masks, effects, text selectors, animators, puppet meshes, shapes, render items, output modules, or compositions | Ctrl+D | Command+D |
Quit | Ctrl+Q | Command+Q |
Undo | Ctrl+Z | Command+Z |
Redo | Ctrl+Shift+Z | Command+Shift+Z |
Purge All Memory | Ctrl+Alt+/ (on numeric keypad) | Command+Option+/ (on numeric keypad) |
Interrupt running a script | Esc | Esc |
Display filename corresponding to the frame at the current time in the Info panel | Ctrl+Alt+E | Command+Option+E |
Result | Windows | Mac OS |
---|---|---|
New project | Ctrl+Alt+N | Command+Option+N |
Open project | Ctrl+O | Command+O |
Open most recent project | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+P | Command+Option+Shift+P |
New folder in Project panel | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+N | Command+Option+Shift+N |
Open Project Settings dialog box | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+K | Command+Option+Shift+K |
Find in Project panel | Ctrl+F | Command+F |
Cycle through color bit depths for project | Alt-click bit-depth button at bottom ofProject panel | Option-click bit-depth button at bottomof Project panel |
Open Project Settings dialog box | Click bit-depth button at bottom of Projectpanel | Click bit-depth button at bottom of Projectpanel |
Result | Windows | Mac OS |
---|---|---|
Open Preferences dialog box | Ctrl+Alt+; (semicolon) | Command+Option+; (semicolon) |
Restore default preferences settings | Hold down Ctrl+Alt+Shift while startingAfter Effects | Hold down Command+Option+Shift while startingAfter Effects |
Note:
(Mac OS) Shortcuts involving function keys F9-F12 mayconflict with shortcuts used by the operating system. See Mac OSHelp for instructions to reassign Dashboard & Expose shortcuts.
Result | Windows | Mac OS |
---|---|---|
Open or close Project panel | Ctrl+0 | Command+0 |
Open or close Render Queue panel | Ctrl+Alt+0 | Command+Option+0 |
Open or close Tools panel | Ctrl+1 | Command+1 |
Open or close Info panel | Ctrl+2 | Command+2 |
Open or close Preview panel | Ctrl+3 | Command+3 |
Open or close Audio panel | Ctrl+4 | Command+4 |
Open or close Effects & Presets panel | Ctrl+5 | Command+5 |
Open or close Character panel | Ctrl+6 | Command+6 |
Open or close Paragraph panel | Ctrl+7 | Command+7 |
Open or close Paint panel | Ctrl+8 | Command+8 |
Open or close Brushes panel | Ctrl+9 | Command+9 |
Open or close Effect Controls panel for selected layer | F3 or Ctrl+Shift+T | F3 or Command+Shift+T |
Open Flowchart panel for project flowchart | Ctrl+F11 | Command+F11 |
Switch to workspace | Shift+F10, Shift+F11, or Shift+F12 | Shift+F10, Shift+F11, or Shift+F12 |
Close active viewer or panel (closes content first) | Ctrl+W | Command+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. | Ctrl+Shift+W | Command+Shift+W |
Split the frame containing the active viewer and create a viewer with opposite locked/unlocked state | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+N | Command+Option+Shift+N |
Maximize or restore panel under pointer | ` (accent grave) | ` (accent grave) |
Resize application window or floating window to fit screen. (Press again to resize window so that contents fill the screen.) | Ctrl+ (backslash) | Command+ (backslash) |
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.) | Ctrl+Alt+ (backslash) | Command+Option+ (backslash) |
Toggle activation between Composition panel and Timeline panel for current composition | (backslash) | (backslash) |
Cycle to previous or next item in active viewer (for example, cycle through open compositions) | Shift+, (comma) or Shift+. (period) | Shift+, (comma) or Shift+. (period) |
Cycle to previous or next panel in active frame (for example, cycle through open Timeline panels) | Alt+Shift+, (comma) or Alt+Shift+. (period) | Option+Shift+, (comma) or Option+Shift+. (period) |
Activate a view in a multi-view layout in the Composition panel without affecting layer selection | Click with middle mouse button | Click with middle mouse button |
Note:
You can activate some tools only under certain circumstances.For example, you can activate a camera tool only when the activecomposition contains a camera layer.
Note:
To momentarily activate a tool with a single-letterkeyboard shortcut, hold down the key; release the key to returnto the previously active tool. To activate a tool and keep it active,press the key and immediately release it.
Result | Windows | Mac OS |
---|---|---|
Cycle through tools | Alt-click tool button in Tools panel | Option-click tool button in Tools panel |
Activate Selection tool | V | V |
Activate Hand tool | H | H |
Temporarily activate Hand tool | Hold down spacebar or the middle mouse button | Hold down spacebar or the middle mouse button |
Activate Zoom In tool | Z | Z |
Activate Zoom Out tool | Alt (when Zoom In tool is active) | Option (when Zoom In tool is active) |
Activate Rotation tool | W | W |
Activate Roto Brush tool | Alt+W | Option+W |
Activate Refine Edge tool | Alt+W | Option+W |
Activate and cycle through Camera tools (Unified Camera, Orbit Camera, Track XY Camera, and Track Z Camera) | C | C |
Activate Pan Behind tool | Y | Y |
Activate and cycle through mask and shape tools (Rectangle, Rounded Rectangle, Ellipse, Polygon, Star) | Q | Q |
Activate and cycle through Type tools (Horizontal and Vertical) | Ctrl+T | Command+T |
Activate and cycle between the Pen and Mask Feather tools. (Note: You can turn off this setting in the Preferences dialog box.) | G | G |
Temporarily activate Selection tool when a pen tool is selected | Ctrl | Command |
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) | Ctrl+Alt | Command+Option |
Activate and cycle through Brush, Clone Stamp, and Eraser tools | Ctrl+B | Command+B |
Activate and cycle through Puppet tools | Ctrl+P | Command+P |
Temporarily convert Selection tool to Shape Duplication tool | Alt (in shape layer) | Option (in shape layer) |
Temporarily convert Selection tool to Direct Selection tool | Ctrl (in shape layer) | Command (in shape layer) |
Result | Windows | Mac OS |
---|---|---|
New composition | Ctrl+N | Command+N |
Open Composition Settings dialog box for selected composition | Ctrl+K | Command+K |
Set beginning or end of work area to current time | B or N | B or N |
Set work area to duration of selected layers or, if no layers are selected, set work area to composition duration | Ctrl+Alt+B | Command+Option+B |
Open Composition Mini-Flowchart for active composition | Tab | Tab |
Activate the most recently active composition that is in the same composition hierarchy (network of nested compositions) as the currently active composition | Shift+Esc | Shift+Esc |
Trim Composition to work area | Ctrl+Shift+X | Command+Shift+X |
New Composition from selection | Alt+ | Option+ |
Result | Windows | Mac OS |
---|---|---|
Go to specific time | Alt+Shift+J | Option+Shift+J |
Go to beginning or end of work area | Shift+Home or Shift+End | Shift+Home or Shift+End |
Go to previous or 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.) | J or K | J or K |
Go to beginning of composition, layer, or footage item | Home or Ctrl+Alt+Left Arrow | Home or Command+Option+Left Arrow |
Go to end of composition, layer, or footage item | End or Ctrl+Alt+Right Arrow | End or Command+Option+Right Arrow |
Go forward 1 frame | Page Down or Ctrl+Right Arrow | Page Down or Command+Right Arrow |
Go forward 10 frames | Shift+Page Down or Ctrl+Shift+Right Arrow | Shift+Page Down or Command+Shift+Right Arrow |
Go backward 1 frame | Page Up or Ctrl+Left Arrow | Page Up or Command+Left Arrow |
Go backward 10 frames | Shift+Page Up or Ctrl+Shift+Left Arrow | Shift+Page Up or Command+Shift+Left Arrow |
Go to layer In point | I | I |
Go to layer Out point | O | O |
Go to previous In point or Out point | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Left Arrow | Command+Option+Shift+Left Arrow |
Go to next In point or Out point | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Right Arrow | Command+Option+Shift+Right Arrow |
Scroll to current time in Timeline panel | D | D |
Result | Windows | Mac OS |
---|---|---|
Start or stop preview | Spacebar, 0 on numeric keypad, Shift+0 on numeric keypad | Spacebar, 0 on numeric keypad, Shift+0 on numeric keypad |
Reset preview settings to replicate RAM Preview and Standard Preview behaviors | Alt-click Reset in Preview panel | Option-click Reset in Preview panel |
Preview only audio, from current time | . (decimal point) on numeric keypad* | . (decimal point) on numeric keypad* or Control+. (period) on main keyboard |
Preview only audio, in work area | Alt+. (decimal point) on numeric keypad* | Option+. (decimal point) on numeric keypad* or Control+Option+. (period) on main keyboard |
Manually preview (scrub) video | Drag or Alt-drag current-time indicator, depending on Live Update setting | Drag or Option-drag current-time indicator, depending on Live Update setting |
Manually preview (scrub) audio | Ctrl-drag current-time indicator | Command-drag current-time indicator |
Preview number of frames specified by Alternate Preview preference (defaults to 5) | Alt+0 on numeric keypad* | Option+0 on numeric keypad* or Control+Option+0 (zero) on main keyboard |
Toggle Mercury Transmit video preview | / (on numeric keypad) | / (on numeric keypad), Control+/ on main keyboard |
Take snapshot | Shift+F5, Shift+F6, Shift+F7, or Shift+F8 | Shift+F5, Shift+F6, Shift+F7, or Shift+F8 |
Display snapshot in active viewer | F5, F6, F7, or F8 | F5, F6, F7, or F8 |
Purge snapshot | Ctrl+Shift+F5, Ctrl+Shift+F6, Ctrl+Shift+F7, or Ctrl+Shift+F8 | Command+Shift+F5, Command+Shift+F6, Command+Shift+F7, or Command+Shift+F8 |
Fast Previews > Off | Ctrl+Alt+1 | Command+Option+1 |
Fast Previews > Adaptive Resolution | Ctrl+Alt+2 | Command+Option+2 |
Fast Previews > Draft | Ctrl+Alt+3 | Command+Option+3 |
Fast Previews > Fast Draft | Ctrl+Alt+4 | Command+Option+4 |
Fast Previews > Wireframe | Ctrl+Alt+5 | Command+Option+5 |
Note:
Some shortcuts are marked with an asterisk (*) to remind youto make sure that Num Lock is on when you use the numeric keypad.
Result | Windows | Mac OS |
---|---|---|
Turn display color management on or off for active view | Shift+/ (on numeric keypad) | Shift+/ (on numeric keypad) |
Show red, green, blue, or alpha channel as grayscale | Alt+1, Alt+2, Alt+3, Alt+4 | Option+1, Option+2, Option+3, Option+4 |
Show colorized red, green, or blue channel | Alt+Shift+1, Alt+Shift+2, Alt+Shift+3 | Option+Shift+1, Option+Shift+2, Option+Shift+3 |
Toggle showing straight RGB color | Alt+Shift+4 | Option+Shift+4 |
Show alpha boundary (outline between transparent and opaque regions) in Layer panel | Alt+5 | Option+5 |
Show alpha overlay (colored overlay on transparent regions) in Layer panel | Alt+6 | Option+6 |
Show Refine Edge X-ray | Alt+X | Option+X |
Center composition in the panel | Double-click Hand tool | Double-click Hand tool |
Zoom-in in Composition, Layer, or Footage panel | . (period) on main keyboard | . (period) on main keyboard |
Zoom-out in Composition, Layer, or Footage panel | , (comma) | , (comma) |
Zoom to 100% in Composition, Layer, or Footage panel | / (on main keyboard) | / (on main keyboard) |
Zoom to fit in Composition, Layer, or Footage panel | Shift+/ (on main keyboard) | Shift+/ (on main keyboard) |
Zoom up to 100% to fit in Composition, Layer, or Footage panel | Alt+/ (on main keyboard) | Option+/ (on main keyboard) |
Set resolution to Full, Half, or Custom in Composition panel | Ctrl+J, Ctrl+Shift+J, Ctrl+Alt+J | Command+J, Command+Shift+J, Command+Option+J |
Open View Options dialog box for active Composition panel | Ctrl+Alt+U | Command+Option+U |
Zoom in time | = (equal sign) on main keyboard | = (equal sign) on main keyboard |
Zoom out time | - (hyphen) on main keyboard | - (hyphen) on main keyboard |
Zoom in Timeline panel to single-frame units (Press again to zoom out to show entire composition duration.) | ; (semicolon) | ; (semicolon) |
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.) | Shift+; (semicolon) | Shift+; (semicolon) |
Prevent images from being rendered for previews in viewer panels | Caps Lock | Caps Lock |
Show or hide safe zones | ' (apostrophe) | ' (apostrophe) |
Show or hide grid | Ctrl+' (apostrophe) | Command+' (apostrophe) |
Show or hide proportional grid | Alt+' (apostrophe) | Option+' (apostrophe) |
Show or hide rulers | Ctrl+R | Command+R |
Show or hide guides | Ctrl+; (semicolon) | Command+; (semicolon) |
Turn snapping to grid on or off | Ctrl+Shift+' (apostrophe) | Command+Shift+' (apostrophe) |
Turn snapping to guides on or off | Ctrl+Shift+; (semicolon) | Command+Shift+; (semicolon) |
Lock or unlock guides | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+; (semicolon) | Command+Option+Shift+; (semicolon) |
Show or hide layer controls (masks, motion paths, light and camera wireframes, effect control points, and layer handles) | Ctrl+Shift+H | Command+Shift+H |
Result | Windows | Mac OS |
---|---|---|
Import one file or image sequence | Ctrl+I | Command+I |
Import multiple files or image sequences | Ctrl+Alt+I | Command+Option+I |
Open movie in an After Effects Footage panel | Double-click the footage item in the Project panel | Double-click the footage item in the Project panel |
Add selected items to most recently activated composition | Ctrl+/ (on main keyboard) | Command+/ (on main keyboard) |
Replace selected source footage for selected layers with footage item selected in Project panel | Ctrl+Alt+/ (on main keyboard) | Command+Option+/ (on main keyboard) |
Replace source for a selected layer | Alt-drag footage item from Project panel onto selected layer | Option-drag footage item from Project panel onto selected layer |
Delete a footage item without a warning | Ctrl+Backspace | Command+Delete |
Open Interpret Footage dialog box for selected footage item | Ctrl+Alt+G | Command+Option+G |
Remember footage interpretation | Ctrl+Alt+C | Command+Option+C |
Edit selected footage item in application with which it’s associated (Edit Original) | Ctrl+E | Command+E |
Replace selected footage item | Ctrl+H | Command+H |
Reload selected footage items | Ctrl+Alt+L | Command+Option+L |
Set proxy for selected footage item | Ctrl+Alt+P | Command+Option+P |
Result | Windows | Mac OS |
---|---|---|
Delete all effects from selected layers | Ctrl+Shift+E | Command+Shift+E |
Apply most recently applied effect to selectedlayers | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E | Command+Option+Shift+E |
Apply most recently applied animation presetto selected layers | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F | Command+Option+Shift+F |
Result | Windows | Mac OS |
---|---|---|
New solid layer | Ctrl+Y | Command+Y |
New null layer | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Y | Command+Option+Shift+Y |
New adjustment layer | Ctrl+Alt+Y | Command+Option+Y |
Select layer (1-999) by its number (enter digits rapidly for two-digit and three-digit numbers) | 0-9 on numeric keypad* | 0-9 on numeric keypad* |
Toggle selection of layer (1-999) by its number (enter digits rapidly for two-digit and three-digit numbers) | Shift+0-9 on numeric keypad* | Shift+0-9 on numeric keypad* |
Select next layer in stacking order | Ctrl+Down Arrow | Command+Down Arrow |
Select previous layer in stacking order | Ctrl+Up Arrow | Command+Up Arrow |
Extend selection to next layer in stacking order | Ctrl+Shift+Down Arrow | Command+Shift+Down Arrow |
Extend selection to previous layer in stacking order | Ctrl+Shift+Up Arrow | Command+Shift+Up Arrow |
Deselect all layers | Ctrl+Shift+A | Command+Shift+A |
Scroll topmost selected layer to top of Timeline panel | X | X |
Show or hide Parent column | Shift+F4 | Shift+F4 |
Show or hide Layer Switches and Modes columns | F4 | F4 |
Setting the sampling method for selected layers (Best/Bilinear) | Alt+B | Option+B |
Setting the sampling method for selected layers (Best/Bicubic) | Alt+Shift+B | Option+Shift+B |
Turn off all other solo switches | Alt-click solo switch | Option-click solo switch |
Turn Video (eyeball) switch on or off for selected layers | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+V | Command+Option+Shift+V |
Turn off Video switch for all video layers other than selected layers | Ctrl+Shift+V | Command+Shift+V |
Open settings dialog box for selected solid, light, camera, null, or adjustment layer | Ctrl+Shift+Y | Command+Shift+Y |
Paste layers at current time | Ctrl+Alt+V | Command+Option+V |
Split selected layers. (If no layers are selected, split all layers.) | Ctrl+Shift+D | Command+Shift+D |
Precompose selected layers | Ctrl+Shift+C | Command+Shift+C |
Open Effect Controls panel for selected layers | Ctrl+Shift+T | Command+Shift+T |
Open layer in Layer panel (opens source composition for precomposition layer in Composition panel) | Double-click a layer | Double-click a layer |
Open source of a layer in Footage panel (opens precomposition layer in Layer panel) | Alt-double-click a layer | Option-double-click a layer |
Reverse selected layers in time | Ctrl+Alt+R | Command+Option+R |
Enable time remapping for selected layers | Ctrl+Alt+T | Command+Option+T |
Move selected layers so that their In point or Out point is at the current time | [ (left bracket) or ] (right bracket) | [ (left bracket) or ] (right bracket) |
Trim In point or Out point of selected layers to current time | Alt+[ (left bracket) or Alt+] (right bracket) | Option+[ (left bracket) or Option+] (right bracket) |
Add or remove expression for a property | Alt-click stopwatch | Option-click stopwatch |
Add an effect (or multiple selected effects) to selected layers | Double-click effect selection in Effects & Presets panel | Double-click effect selection in Effects & Presets panel |
Set In point or Out point by time-stretching | Ctrl+Shift+, (comma) or Ctrl+Alt+, (comma) | Command+Shift+, (comma) or Command+Option+, (comma) |
Move selected layers so that their In point is at beginning of composition | Alt+Home | Option+Home |
Move selected layers so that their Out point is at end of composition | Alt+End | Option+End |
Lock selected layers | Ctrl+L | Command+L |
Unlock all layers | Ctrl+Shift+L | Command+Shift+L |
Set Quality to Best, Draft, or Wireframe for selected layers | Ctrl+U, Ctrl+Shift+U, or Ctrl+Alt+Shift+U | Command+U, Command+Shift+U, Command+Option+Shift+U |
Cycle forward or backward through blending modes for selected layers | Shift+- (hyphen) or Shift+= (equal sign) on the main keyboard | Shift+- (hyphen) or Shift+= (equal sign) on the main keyboard |
Find in Timeline panel | Ctrl+F | Command+F |
Note:
Some shortcuts are marked with an asterisk (*) to remind youto make sure that Num Lock is on when you use the numeric keypad.
Showing properties and groups in the Timeline panel
Note:
This table contains double-letter shortcuts (forexample, LL). To use these shortcuts, press the letters in quicksuccession.
Result | Windows | Mac OS |
---|---|---|
Find in Timeline panel | Ctrl+F | Command+F |
Toggle expansion of selected layers to show all properties | Ctrl+` (accent grave) | Command+` (accent grave) |
Toggle expansion of property group and all child property groups to show all properties | Ctrl-click triangle to the left of the property group name | Command-click triangle to the left of the property group name |
Show only Anchor Point property (for lights and cameras, Point Of Interest) | A | A |
Show only Audio Levels property | L | L |
Show only Mask Feather property | F | F |
Show only Mask Path property | M | M |
Show only Mask Opacity property | TT | TT |
Show only Opacity property (for lights, Intensity) | T | T |
Show only Position property | P | P |
Show only Rotation and Orientation properties | R | R |
Show only Scale property | S | S |
Show only Time Remap property | RR | RR |
Show only instances of missing effects | FF | FF |
Show only Effects property group | E | E |
Show only mask property groups | MM | MM |
Show only Material Options property group | AA | AA |
Show only expressions | EE | EE |
Show properties with keyframes | U | U |
Show only modified properties | UU | UU |
Show only paint strokes, Roto Brush strokes, and Puppet pins | PP | PP |
Show only audio waveform | LL | LL |
Show only selected properties and groups | SS | SS |
Hide property or group | Alt+Shift-click property or group name | Option+Shift-click property or group name |
Add or remove property or group from set that is shown | Shift+property or group shortcut | Shift+property or group shortcut |
Add or remove keyframe at current time | Alt+Shift+property shortcut | Option+property shortcut |
Result | Windows | Mac OS |
---|---|---|
Toggle expansion of selected effects toshow all properties | Ctrl+` (accent grave) | Command+` (accent grave) |
Toggle expansion of property group and all childproperty groups to show all properties | Ctrl-click triangle to the left of the propertygroup name | Command-click triangle to the left of theproperty group name |
Result | Windows | Mac OS |
---|---|---|
Modify property value by default increments | Drag property value | Drag property value |
Modify property value by 10x default increments | Shift-drag property value | Shift-drag property value |
Modify property value by 1/10 default increments | Ctrl-drag property value | Command-drag property value |
Open Auto-Orientation dialog box for selected layers | Ctrl+Alt+O | Command+Alt+O |
Open Opacity dialog box for selected layers | Ctrl+Shift+O | Command+Shift+O |
Open Rotation dialog box for selected layers | Ctrl+Shift+R | Command+Shift+R |
Open Position dialog box for selected layers | Ctrl+Shift+P | Command+Shift+P |
Center-selected layers in view (modifies Position property to place anchor points of selected layers in center of current view) | Ctrl+Home | Command+Home |
Center anchor point in the visible content | Ctrl+Alt+Home | Command+Option+Home |
Move selected layers 1 pixel at current magnification (Position) | Arrow key | Arrow key |
Move selected layers 10 pixels at current magnification (Position) | Shift+arrow key | Shift+arrow key |
Move selected layers 1 frame earlier or later | Alt+Page Up or Alt+Page Down | Option+Page Up or Option+Page Down |
Move selected layers 10 frames earlier or later | Alt+Shift+Page Up or Alt+Shift+Page Down | Option+Shift+Page Up or Option+Shift+Page Down |
Increase or decrease Rotation (Z Rotation) of selected layers by 1° | + (plus) or - (minus) on numeric keypad | + (plus) or - (minus) on numeric keypad |
Increase or decrease Rotation (Z Rotation) of selected layers by 10° | Shift++ (plus) or Shift+- (minus) on numeric keypad | Shift++ (plus) or Shift+- (minus) on numeric keypad |
Increase or decrease Opacity (or Intensity for light layers) of selected layers by 1% | Ctrl+Alt++ (plus) or Ctrl+Alt+- (minus) on numeric keypad | Control+Option++ (plus) or Control+Option+- (minus) on numeric keypad |
Increase or decrease Opacity (or Intensity for light layers) of selected layers by 10% | Ctrl+Alt+Shift++ (plus) or Ctrl+Alt+Shift+- (minus) on numeric keypad | Control+Option+Shift++ (plus) or Control+Option+Shift+- (minus) on numeric keypad |
Increase Scale of selected layers by 1% | Ctrl++ (plus) or Alt++ (plus) on numeric keypad | Command++ (plus) or Option++ (plus) on numeric keypad |
Decrease Scale of selected layers by 1% | Ctrl+- (minus) or Alt+- (minus) on numeric keypad | Command+- (minus) or Option+- (minus) on numeric keypad |
Increase Scale of selected layers by 10% | Ctrl+Shift++ (plus) or Alt+Shift++ (plus) on numeric keypad | Command+Shift++ (plus) or Option+Shift++ (plus) on numeric keypad |
Decrease Scale of selected layers by 10% | Ctrl+Shift+- (minus) or Alt+Shift+- (minus) on numeric keypad | Command+Shift+- (minus) or Option+Shift+- (minus) on numeric keypad |
Modify Rotation or Orientation in 45° increments | Shift-drag with Rotation tool | Shift-drag with Rotation tool |
Modify Scale, constrained to footage frame aspect ratio | Shift-drag layer handle with Selection tool | Shift-drag layer handle with Selection tool |
Reset Rotation to 0° | Double-click Rotation tool | Double-click Rotation tool |
Reset Scale to 100% | Double-click Selection tool | Double-click Selection tool |
Scale and reposition selected layers to fit composition | Ctrl+Alt+F | Command+Option+F |
Scale and reposition selected layers to fit composition width, preserving image aspect ratio for each layer | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+H | Command+Option+Shift+H |
Scale and reposition selected layers to fit composition height, preserving image aspect ratio for each layer | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+G | Command+Option+Shift+G |
Note:
(Mac OS) Shortcuts involving function keys F9-F12 mayconflict with shortcuts used by the operating system. See Mac OSHelp for instructions to reassign Dashboard & Expose shortcuts.
Result | Windows | Mac OS |
---|---|---|
Switch to 3D view 1 (defaults to Front) | F10 | F10 |
Switch to 3D view 2 (defaults to Custom View 1) | F11 | F11 |
Switch to 3D view 3 (defaults to Active Camera) | F12 | F12 |
Return to previous view | Esc | Esc |
New light | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+L | Command+Option+Shift+L |
New camera | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+C | Command+Option+Shift+C |
Move the camera and its point of interest to look at selected 3D layers | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+ | Command+Option+Shift+ |
With a camera tool selected, move the camera and its point of interest to look at selected 3D layers | F | F |
With a camera tool selected, move the camera and its point of interest to look at all 3D layers | Ctrl+Shift+F | Command+Shift+F |
Turn Casts Shadows property on or off for selected 3D layers | Alt+Shift+C | Option+Shift+C |
Note:
(Mac OS) Shortcuts involving function keys F9-F12 mayconflict with shortcuts used by the operating system. See Mac OSHelp for instructions to reassign Dashboard & Expose shortcuts.
Result | Windows | Mac OS |
---|---|---|
Toggle between Graph Editor and layer bar modes | Shift+F3 | Shift+F3 |
Select all keyframes for a property | Click property name | Click property name |
Select all visible keyframes and properties | Ctrl+Alt+A | Command+Option+A |
Deselect all keyframes, properties, and property groups | Shift+F2 or Ctrl+Alt+Shift+A | Shift+F2 or Command+Option+Shift+A |
Move keyframe 1 frame later or earlier | Alt+Right Arrow or Alt+Left Arrow | Option+Right Arrow or Option+Left Arrow |
Move keyframe 10 frames later or earlier | Alt+Shift+Right Arrow or Alt+Shift+Left Arrow | Option+Shift+Right Arrow or Option+Shift+Left Arrow |
Set interpolation for selected keyframes (layer bar mode) | Ctrl+Alt+K | Command+Option+K |
Set keyframe interpolation method to hold or Auto Bezier | Ctrl+Alt+H | Command+Option+H |
Set keyframe interpolation method to linear or Auto Bezier | Ctrl-click in layer bar mode | Command-click in layer bar mode |
Set keyframe interpolation method to linear or hold | Ctrl+Alt-click in layer bar mode | Command+Option-click in layer bar mode |
Easy ease selected keyframes | F9 | F9 |
Easy ease selected keyframes in | Shift+F9 | Shift+F9 |
Easy ease selected keyframes out | Ctrl+Shift+F9 | Command+Shift+F9 |
Set velocity for selected keyframes | Ctrl+Shift+K | Command+Shift+K |
Add or remove keyframe at current time. For property shortcuts, see Showing properties and groups in the Timeline panel (keyboard shortcuts). | Alt+Shift+property shortcut | Option+property shortcut |
Result | Windows | Mac OS |
---|---|---|
New text layer | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+T | Command+Option+Shift+T |
Align selected horizontal text left, center, or right | Ctrl+Shift+L, Ctrl+Shift+C, or Ctrl+Shift+R | Command+Shift+L, Command+Shift+C, or Command+Shift+R |
Align selected vertical text top, center, or bottom | Ctrl+Shift+L, Ctrl+Shift+C, or Ctrl+Shift+R | Command+Shift+L, Command+Shift+C, or Command+Shift+R |
Extend or reduce selection by one character to right or left in horizontal text | Shift+Right Arrow or Shift+Left Arrow | Shift+Right Arrow or Shift+Left Arrow |
Extend or reduce selection by one word to right or left in horizontal text | Ctrl+Shift+Right Arrow or Ctrl+Shift+Left Arrow | Command+Shift+Right Arrow or Command+Shift+Left Arrow |
Extend or reduce selection by one line up or down in horizontal text | Shift+Up Arrow or Shift+Down Arrow | Shift+Up Arrow or Shift+Down Arrow |
Extend or reduce selection by one line to right or left in vertical text | Shift+Right Arrow or Shift+Left Arrow | Shift+Right Arrow or Shift+Left Arrow |
Extend or reduce selection one word up or down in vertical text | Ctrl+Shift+Up Arrow or Ctrl+Shift+Down Arrow | Command+Shift+Up Arrow or Command+Shift+Down Arrow |
Extend or reduce selection by one character up or down in vertical text | Shift+Up Arrow or Shift+Down Arrow | Shift+Up Arrow or Shift+Down Arrow |
Select text from insertion point to beginning or end of line | Shift+Home or Shift+End | Shift+Home or Shift+End |
Move insertion point to beginning or end of line | Home or End | Home or End |
Select all text on a layer | Double-click text layer | Double-click text layer |
Select text from insertion point to beginning or end of text frame | Ctrl+Shift+Home or Ctrl+Shift+End | Command+Shift+Home or Command+Shift+End |
To mouse-click point, select text from insertion point | Shift-click | Shift-click |
In horizontal text, move insertion point one character left or right; one line up or down; one word left or right; or one paragraph up or down | Left Arrow or Right Arrow; Up Arrow or Down Arrow; Ctrl+Left Arrow or Ctrl+Right Arrow; or Ctrl+Up Arrow or Ctrl+Down Arrow | Left Arrow or Right Arrow; Up Arrow or Down Arrow; Command+Left Arrow or Command+Right Arrow; or Command+Up Arrow or Command+Down Arrow |
In vertical text, move insertion point one character up or down; one left or right; one word up or down; or one paragraph left or right | Up Arrow or Down Arrow; Left Arrow or Right Arrow; Ctrl+Up Arrow or Ctrl+Down Arrow; or Ctrl+Left Arrow or Ctrl+Right Arrow | Up Arrow or Down Arrow; Left Arrow or Right Arrow; Command+Up Arrow or Command+Down Arrow; or Command+Left Arrow or Command+Right Arrow |
Select word, line, paragraph, or entire text frame | Double-click, triple-click, quadruple-click, or quintuple-click with Type tool | Double-click, triple-click, quadruple-click, or quintuple-click with Type tool |
Turn All Caps on or off for selected text | Ctrl+Shift+K | Command+Shift+K |
Turn Small Caps on or off for selected text | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+K | Command+Option+Shift+K |
Turn Superscript on or off for selected text | Ctrl+Shift+= (equal sign) | Command+Shift+= (equal sign) |
Turn Subscript on or off for selected text | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+= (equal sign) | Command+Option+Shift+= (equal sign) |
Set horizontal scale to 100% for selected text | Ctrl+Shift+X | Command+Shift+X |
Set vertical scale to 100% for selected text | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+X | Command+Option+Shift+X |
Auto leading for selected text | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+A | Command+Option+Shift+A |
Reset tracking to 0 for selected text | Ctrl+Shift+Q | Command+Shift+Control+Q |
Justify paragraph; left align last line | Ctrl+Shift+J | Command+Shift+J |
Justify paragraph; right align last line | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+J | Command+Option+Shift+J |
Justify paragraph; force last line | Ctrl+Shift+F | Command+Shift+F |
Decrease or increase font size of selected text by 2 units | Ctrl+Shift+, (comma) or Ctrl+Shift+. (period) | Command+Shift+, (comma) or Command+Shift+. (period) |
Decrease or increase font size of selected text by 10 units | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+, (comma) or Ctrl+Alt+Shift+. (period) | Command+Option+Shift+, (comma) or Command+Option+Shift+. (period) |
Increase or decrease leading by 2 units | Alt+Down Arrow or Alt+Up Arrow | Option+Down Arrow or Option+Up Arrow |
Increase or decrease leading by 10 units | Ctrl+Alt+Down Arrow or Ctrl+Alt+Up Arrow | Command+Option+Down Arrow or Command+Option+Up Arrow |
Decrease or increase baseline shift by 2 units | Alt+Shift+Down Arrow or Alt+Shift+Up Arrow | Option+Shift+Down Arrow or Option+Shift+Up Arrow |
Decrease or increase baseline shift by 10 units | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Down Arrow or Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Up Arrow | Command+Option+Shift+Down Arrow or Command+Option+Shift+Up Arrow |
Decrease or increase kerning or tracking 20 units (20/1000 ems) | Alt+Left Arrow or Alt+Right Arrow | Option+Left Arrow or Option+Right Arrow |
Decrease or increase kerning or tracking 100 units (100/1000 ems) | Ctrl+Alt+Left Arrow or Ctrl+Alt+Right Arrow | Command+Option+Left Arrow or Command+Option+Right Arrow |
Toggle paragraph composer | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+T | Command+Option+Shift+T |
Result | Windows | Mac OS |
---|---|---|
New mask | Ctrl+Shift+N | Command+Shift+N |
Select all points in a mask | Alt-click mask | Option-click mask |
Select next or previous mask | Alt+` (accent grave) or Alt+Shift+` (accent grave) | Option+` (accent grave) or Option+Shift+` (accent grave) |
Enter free-transform mask editing mode | Double-click mask with Selection tool or select mask in Timeline panel and press Ctrl+T | Double-click mask with Selection tool or select mask in Timeline panel and press Command+T |
Exit free-transform mask editing mode | Esc | Esc |
Scale around center point in Free Transform mode | Ctrl-drag | Command-drag |
Move selected path points 1 pixel at current magnification | Arrow key | Arrow key |
Move selected path points 10 pixels at current magnification | Shift+arrow key | Shift+arrow key |
Toggle between smooth and corner points | Ctrl+Alt-click vertex | Command+Option-click vertex |
Redraw Bezier handles | Ctrl+Alt-drag vertex | Command+Option-drag vertex |
Invert selected mask | Ctrl+Shift+I | Command+Shift+I |
Open Mask Feather dialog box for selected mask | Ctrl+Shift+F | Command+Shift+F |
Open Mask Shape dialog box for selected mask | Ctrl+Shift+M | Command+Shift+M |
Subtract mode | S | S |
Darken mode | D | D |
Difference mode | F | F |
Add mode | A | S |
Intersect mode | I | I |
None | N | N |
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Result | Windows | Mac OS |
---|---|---|
Swap paint background color and foreground colors | X | X |
Set paint foreground color to black and background color to white | D | D |
Set foreground color to the color currently under any paint tool pointer | Alt-click | Option-click |
Set foreground color to the average color of a 4-pixel x 4-pixel area under any paint tool pointer | Ctrl+Alt-click | Command+Option-click |
Set brush size for a paint tool | Ctrl-drag | Command-drag |
Set brush hardness for a paint tool | Ctrl-drag, then release Ctrl while dragging | Command-drag, then release Command while dragging |
Join current paint stroke to the previous stroke | Hold Shift while beginning stroke | Hold Shift while beginning stroke |
Set starting sample point to point currently under Clone Stamp tool pointer | Alt-click | Option-click |
Momentarily activate Eraser tool with Last Stroke Only option | Ctrl+Shift | Command+Shift |
Show and move overlay (change Offset value of aligned Clone Stamp tool or change Source Position value of unaligned Clone Stamp tool) | Alt+Shift-drag with Clone Stamp tool | Option+Shift-drag with Clone Stamp tool |
Activate a specific Clone Stamp tool preset | 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 on the main keyboard | 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 on the main keyboard |
Duplicate a Clone Stamp tool preset in Paint panel | Alt-click the button for the preset | Option-click the button for the preset |
Set opacity for a paint tool | Digit on numeric keypad (for example, 9=90%, 1=10%)* | Digit on numeric keypad (for example, 9=90%, 1=10%)* |
Set opacity for a paint tool to 100% | . (decimal) on numeric keypad* | . (decimal) on numeric keypad* |
Set flow for a paint tool | Shift+ a digit on numeric keypad (for example, 9=90%, 1=10%)* | Shift+ a digit on numeric keypad (for example, 9=90%, 1=10%)* |
Set flow for a paint tool to 100% | Shift+. (decimal) on numeric keypad* | Shift+. (decimal) on numeric keypad* |
Move earlier or later by number of frames specified for stroke Duration | Ctrl+Page Up or Ctrl+Page Down (or 1 or 2 on the main keyboard) | Command+Page Up or Command+Page Down (or 1 or 2 on the main keyboard) |
Note:
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Some shortcuts are marked with an asterisk (*) to remind youto make sure that Num Lock is on when you use the numeric keypad.
Result | Windows | Mac OS |
---|---|---|
Group selected shapes | Ctrl+G | Command+G |
Ungroup selected shapes | Ctrl+Shift+G | Command+Shift+G |
Enter free-transform path editing mode | Select Path property in Timeline panel andpress Ctrl+T | Select Path property in Timeline panel andpress Command+T |
Increase star inner roundness | Page Up when dragging to create shape | Page Up when dragging to create shape |
Decrease star inner roundness | Page Down when dragging to create shape | Page Down when dragging to create shape |
Increase number of points for star or polygon;increase roundness for rounded rectangle | Up Arrow when dragging to create shape | Up Arrow when dragging to create shape |
Decrease number of points for star or polygon;decrease roundness for rounded rectangle | Down Arrow when dragging to create shape | Down Arrow when dragging to create shape |
Reposition shape during creation | Hold spacebar when dragging to create shape | Hold spacebar when dragging to create shape |
Set rounded rectangle roundness to 0 (sharpcorners); decrease polygon and star outer roundness | Left Arrow when dragging to create shape | Left Arrow when dragging to create shape |
Set rounded rectangle roundness to maximum;increase polygon and star outer roundness | Right Arrow when dragging to create shape | Right Arrow when dragging to create shape |
Constrain rectangles to squares; constrain ellipsesto circles; constrain polygons and stars to zero rotation | Shift when dragging to create shape | Shift when dragging to create shape |
Change outer radius of star | Ctrl when dragging to create shape | Command when dragging to create shape |
Result | Windows | Mac OS |
---|---|---|
Set marker at current time (works during preview and audio-only preview) | * (multiply) on numeric keypad | * (multiply) on numeric keypad or Control+8 on main keyboard |
Set marker at current time and open marker dialog box | Alt+* (multiply) on numeric keypad | Option+* (multiply) on numeric keypad or Control+Option+8 on main keyboard |
Set and number a composition marker (0-9) at the current time | Shift+0-9 on main keyboard | Shift+0-9 on main keyboard |
Go to a composition marker (0-9) | 0-9 on main keyboard | 0-9 on main keyboard |
Display the duration between two layer markers or keyframes in the Info panel | Alt-click the markers or keyframes | Option-click the markers or keyframes |
Remove marker | Ctrl-click marker | Command-click marker |
Result | Windows | Mac OS |
---|---|---|
Move feature region, search region, and attach point 1 pixel at current magnification | Arrow key | Arrow key |
Move feature region, search region, and attach point 10 pixels at current magnification | Shift+arrow key | Shift+arrow key |
Move feature region and search region 1 pixel at current magnification | Alt+arrow key | Option+arrow key |
Move feature region and search region 10 pixels at current magnification | Alt+Shift+arrow key | Option+Shift+arrow key |
Result | Windows | Mac OS |
---|---|---|
Save project | Ctrl+S | Command+S |
Increment and save project | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S | Command+Option+Shift+S |
Save As | Ctrl+Shift+S | Command+Shift+S |
Add active composition or selected items to render queue | Ctrl+Shift+/ (on main keyboard) | Command+Shift+/ (on main keyboard) |
Add current frame to render queue | Ctrl+Alt+S | Command+Option+S |
Duplicate render item with same output filename as original | Ctrl+Shift+D | Command+Shift+D |
Add a composition to the Adobe Media Encoder encoding queue | Ctrl+Alt+M | Cmd+Option+M |
Note:
On Mac OS, some keyboard commands used to interact with the operating system conflict with keyboard commands for interacting with After Effects. Select Use System Shortcut Keys in the General preferences to override the After Effects keyboard command sometimes in which there’s a conflict with the Mac OS keyboard command.
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Click the link below to download a PDF of about 50 of the more commonly used and pouplar keyboard shortcuts.
Download
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