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Activity Forums Adobe After Effects Quick way to make composition length match child layer?

  • Quick way to make composition length match child layer?

    Posted by John Isaacks on May 6, 2009 at 1:45 pm

    I know if you drag an asset to the new composition button it makes the new composition the same length as the asset. But if I already have a composition and I add a new video layer to it, is there a quick way to make the composition the same length as the asset?

    Thanks

    Kyle Hamrick replied 17 years ago 3 Members · 4 Replies
  • 4 Replies
  • John Isaacks

    May 6, 2009 at 1:58 pm

    Thanks.

  • Kyle Hamrick

    May 6, 2009 at 4:03 pm

    This obviously only works if your new clip is shorter than the timeline, but hotkeys make this mighty fast:

    Assuming your layer starts are the beginning of the comp…

    Select the layer in question.

    O (Out point of the layer)
    N (Set end of render area)
    Then, if desired, right-click in your render area and “Trim Comp to Work Area” or whatever the option is named.

    If it doesn’t start at the beginning of the comp, IBON.

    Boom. Super-fast.

    If my comp is shorter than the layer in question, I usually just open comp settings, set my comp length to some value WAY over what’s needed (rather than doing the math) and then do the above hotkey trick.

    Hope that helps!

    Kyle Hamrick

    Editor/Motion Graphics Artist

    http://www.kylehamrick.com

  • Kevin Reiner

    May 6, 2009 at 8:06 pm

    To save an extra millisecond in your day, you can follow Kyle’s advice except instead of hitting O and N, select the layer whose length you want your comp to be and hit APPLE-OPTION B. Then “Trim Comp to Work Area”. Over the course of a year, this could save you 5 mins.

    😉 Kevin

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  • Kyle Hamrick

    May 6, 2009 at 8:15 pm

    GASP! A hotkey I didn’t know about?!

    :-O

    Kyle Hamrick

    Editor/Motion Graphics Artist

    http://www.kylehamrick.com

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