after effects · HeyBraza shows you
how to precompose layers in after effects
HeyBraza points at the right pre-compose option so your animation and effects don't shift or break when you nest the layers.
precomposing bundles several layers into a single nested comp so you can move, effect, or animate them as one unit. beginners trip on the two radio buttons in the dialog, which behave very differently. here's how to precompose and which option to pick.
or do it yourself
- 1in the timeline, select the layer (or shift-click several layers) you want to group.
- 2right-click the selection and choose 'pre-compose' (or layer > pre-compose, shortcut ctrl/cmd+shift+c).
- 3name the new comp something clear like 'logo_precomp'.
- 4choose 'move all attributes into the new composition' to keep effects and keyframes intact (this is the safe default for multiple layers).
- 5click ok - your layers now live inside one nested comp; double-click it to step inside and edit.
let HeyBraza do this with you
HeyBraza is a tiny on-screen guide that points at the right buttons and talks you through it, on windows and mac.
downloadcommon questions
what's the difference between move all and leave all attributes?
'move all' nests the layers with their effects/keyframes inside the new comp; 'leave all' keeps effects on the outer layer and only nests the source - and it's only available when one layer is selected.
why is 'leave all attributes' greyed out?
it only works with a single layer selected. with two or more layers, after effects forces 'move all attributes'.