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Activity Forums Adobe After Effects How to lock the timeline view?

  • How to lock the timeline view?

    Posted by Eric Peel on July 12, 2023 at 9:56 pm

    I’m working on sub comp within main comp.

    I’m viewing main comp’s output while viewing sub comp’s timeline.

    I set my work area (in sub comp timeline). I hit preview. Guess what happens?

    The timeline view switches to main comp’s timeline and previews main comp’s work area, which is almost always set differently and irrelevant in the moment.

    This has been bothering me ever since I started with AE. Is there any possible way to preview main comp from sub comp’s work area, and keep sub comp’s timeline in view?

    Or is there at least a script to make all the work area’s match? That way, at least all I have to do is waste time switching the timeline view instead of wasting time managing two work areas AND switching the timeline view.

    John Martin
    replied 1 week, 5 days ago
    4 Members · 4 Replies
  • 4 Replies
  • Hector Vera

    July 13, 2023 at 3:23 pm

    I am not so sure if this would help but this tutorial I found shows the ways on how to view multiple compositions at once in After Effects: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnCC33UpIMQ . If it does not work or glitches, try closing AAE, turn off your computer, restart and reopen AAE to see if you are able to view the main/sub comps the way you are intending to.

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  • Eric Peel

    July 13, 2023 at 6:40 pm

    Thanks for replying, Hector. But this doesn’t address the problem specifically.

    Please, does anyone know how to either:

    A. Lock the timeline view. (preferred)

    or

    B. Synchronize work area in all comps.

  • Julian Petschek

    May 2, 2026 at 8:49 pm

    someone please solve this I have the same issue

  • John Martin

    May 3, 2026 at 6:21 am

    Hey guys! I made a tutorial with modern techniques to work around this hardcoded “issue” of AE, hope you like my methods!

    https://youtu.be/7EhX06wzmok

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