User Guide

CHAPTER 3
116
Building a Composition
Default controls and panels
By default, the Timeline window contains a number of panels and controls. Optional
panels are also available. See “Optional panels” on page 117.
A. Composition tab Use to close or move the window. Click a tab to display its compo-
sition in the current window. Drag a tab to move its composition to another existing
window or to put it in a new window.
B. Current time Displays the current time in the project. Click to open the Go to Time
dialog box. “Viewing and setting the current time” on page 120.
C. Audio/Video Features panel Contains switches for enabling and disabling audio and
video. This panel also includes a lock switch for locking layers and a solo switch for
displaying only one layer. See “About After Effects Audio/Video switches” on page 146.
D. Layer Outline Includes a label, a number (assigned by After Effects), and a source name
for each layer. Clicking the triangle to the left of a layer lets you examine and set properties
for the masks, effects, and transform functions. See “About layer properties” on page 159.
E. Switches panel button Displays or hides the Switches panel.
F. Switches panel Contains options for controlling a number of display and performance
features for a layer. See “About After Effects Audio/Video switches” on page 146.
G. Time graph Visually represents the values of the In/Out panel (see “Optional panels”
on page 117) and displays the positions of the keyframes and timeline for each layer. See
“Understanding the time graph” on page 118.
H. Comp Family button Opens the corresponding composition window.
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UG.book Page 116 Wednesday, February 21, 2001 12:05 PM