User Guide

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ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 5.0
User Guide
Setting layer position
Every layer appears at a specific position in the Composition window. You determine the
initial position when you add a layer to a composition. You can move the layer in the
Composition window, in the Timeline window, or by using keys on your keyboard. For
information on layer coordinates, see “Info palette” on page 62.
When you animate position values, After Effects displays the movement as a motion path.
(For information on animating position values, see “Setting and animating a layer
property in the Timeline window” on page 187.) The position motion path displays in the
Composition window. The anchor point motion path displays in the Layer window. A
motion path appears as a sequence of dots, where each dot marks the position of the layer
at each frame. An X in the path marks the position of a keyframe. The density of dots
between the Xs indicates the layer’s relative speed. Dots close together indicate a slower
speed; dots farther apart indicate a greater speed.
To move a layer by dragging in the Composition window:
In the Composition window, drag the layer to a new location.
If you have difficulty selecting a layer in the Composition window, first select it in the
Timeline window, and then drag it in the Composition window. Make sure that you do
not drag the layer by its layer handle.
To move a layer precisely:
To move a layer by a specific amount, do one of the following:
• To nudge a layer by 1 pixel at the current magnification, press the Left, Right, Up, or
Down arrow key.
• To nudge a layer by 10 pixels at the current magnification, hold down Shift as you press
the Left, Right, Up, or Down arrow key.
• To constrain horizontal and vertical movement while dragging a layer, press Shift after
you start dragging the layer in the Composition window.
• To snap the edge of the layer to the edge of the Composition window frame, press
Alt+Shift (Windows) or Option+Shift (Mac OS) after you start dragging the layer in the
Composition window.
UG.book Page 171 Wednesday, February 21, 2001 12:05 PM