Swap Layer Source

[Mike Clasby]

You can replace the footage in the project window with, Right-Click>Replace Footage>File.

Or maybe better is to swap-out a layer in a Comp, by selecting the layer to be replaced, then Alt-Dragging new footage from the project window onto the selected layer (oh, yeah, that new footage needs to already be in the project window for this one).

[David Chang]

Good question…!

Click the timeline object that you want to replace. Then alt-drag the new source from the assets window to the timeline.

God knows re-keyframing a new asset can be a huge pain.

– game writer guy

[Aza Allen]

Awesome, just the answer I was looking for as well…

Also, I have a timeline item that is key-framed and is the parent of other layers, when I try to alt drag a new item into it that’s a different size, it shifts everything (child layers and keyframes) over, and when I try to scale it down, all the child layers scale down with it… is there a way around this problem? ie to swap something in of a different size, but have it scale down automatically, or something?

Make sure to check out our website http://www.makeyourfriendsuncomfortable.com

[Jordan Quackenbush]

So I know this is over 3 years, so apologies for resurrecting the dead. Just wanted to post in case someone else finds this via Google like I did.

In regards to Aza’s question, where if you have a smaller footage layer, such as a comp from iStock, and want to replace it in your final output after client approval, etc., then pre-comp your footage, leave attributes, and then replace it within the pre-comp. Scale it down there, etc., and then in your main comp it’ll be golden, barring any crazy pre-comping that’s already present – even then if you go to the base footage layer, you should be fine.

[Andrea Bobick]

For some insane reason I never bothered to look this up and for years I’ve been doing a round about and terribly inefficient solution to this. Thank you!

[Niels Albers]

Also just found out by accident that this is possible via the shortcut..

Ctrl + Alt + /

[Jamin Conn]

yeah ctrl, option & / is one of my fav shortcuts.

so…

question for ya’all. Can I replace a text box from one comp into another without getting those ugly cut scars on my rists? I have 30 comps to update (standarizing title sizing) thought about writing an expression… sounds like a bad idea. so now I’m wanting to copy paste but parenting has to be re-connected, etc. problem being that text layers don’t exist in the project window.

-should i maybe pre-comp the title and then use the keyboard shortcut to replace? i think that might be my easiest option.

-Jamin
EnvisoonedStudios.com

[Steve Hix]

Glad you did resurrect it, it helped me over four years later. No more re-keyframing!