Everything SceneLab can do
More than 80 tools in alpha 1.0.0, and more in every update. Below, every tool with what it does and when you'd use it, then what's coming next.
Every tool, explained
Pick a group, then open a card to see what the tool does and when you’d use it.
4 tools
Anchor point
Alignment
Move the anchor point to any of 9 spots on a layer, without it moving.
Click one of the nine squares in the 3×3 grid to put the anchor point of every selected layer on that spot of its visible content: a corner, an edge or the centre. The layer is shifted back by the same amount, so nothing jumps on screen. Locked layers and layers with a position expression are skipped.
When you’d use it
- A title should grow from its bottom edge: set the anchor to the bottom square, then animate Scale.
- A logo was imported off-centre and spins around the wrong point: click the middle square before adding rotation.
Align to comp
Alignment
Line layers up with an edge or the centre of the comp.
Six buttons move each selected layer to the left, right, top or bottom edge of the composition, or centre it horizontally or vertically. It measures what you can see, not the layer box, so text lines up by its letters. Works on unlocked 2D layers without a position expression.
When you’d use it
- Snap a lower third flush to the bottom of a vertical video, then nudge it up.
- Put a watermark exactly on the right edge of every version of an edit.
Distribute
Alignment
Space three or more layers evenly by their edges or centres.
Select three or more layers. The two outermost stay where they are and the ones between them are spread at equal steps, measured by their left, right, top or bottom edges or by their centres.
When you’d use it
- Three product shots placed by hand look uneven: distribute their horizontal centres for equal gaps.
- Build a vertical list of tips, then distribute the top edges so the rows are evenly spaced.
Center
Alignment
Put layers in the exact middle of the comp.
Moves each selected layer’s visible content to the middle of the composition, horizontally and vertically, in one click.
When you’d use it
- Centre a title card after turning the comp into 1080 × 1920.
- Bring a logo back to the middle after scaling it moved it off-centre.
5 tools
Solid
Layers
Add a black solid, one per selected layer, with the same length.
With layers selected, a solid is added above each one with the same timing; with nothing selected, one solid covers the whole comp. It is the size of the comp and gets a Fill effect so you can change its colour later. Shift-click to pick the colour first.
When you’d use it
- Add a black background behind a cut-out subject.
- Shift-click to make a solid in your brand colour for a quick colour wipe.
Null
Layers
Parent each selected layer to its own new null.
A null is added above each selected layer, at the layer’s position and with its timing, and the layer is parented to it (locked layers stay as they are). With nothing selected, one null is added in the centre of the comp.
When you’d use it
- Add camera shake to a clip by wiggling its null, so the clip’s own keyframes stay clean.
- Move an already animated layer across the screen by animating the null instead.
Adjustment layer
Layers
Add an adjustment layer above each selected layer, with the same length.
Effects on an adjustment layer change everything below it. With layers selected, one is added above each, trimmed to that layer; with nothing selected, one covers the whole comp.
When you’d use it
- Colour-grade just one clip of a sequence.
- Blur a section for a transition without touching the footage.
Camera
Layers
Add a camera at the top of the comp.
Adds a new camera, centred, as the top layer. Use it with 3D layers for push-ins, parallax and orbits.
When you’d use it
- Make a slow push-in on a collage of 3D photos.
- Give a title depth by putting its parts in 3D and moving the camera past them.
Light
Layers
Add a point light at the top of the comp.
Adds a point light in the centre of the comp as the top layer. Lights only affect 3D layers.
When you’d use it
- Move a soft light across a 3D logo for a premium reveal.
- Light a 3D text so it looks less flat.
10 tools
Trim to next marker
Quick actions
End each selected layer at the next comp marker.
For each selected layer, the end moves to the first comp marker after the layer starts. Add comp markers first: press * on the timeline with no layer selected.
When you’d use it
- You marked the beats of a song: trim every clip so it cuts exactly on the next beat.
- Cut B-roll at the markers you dropped while listening to the voice-over.
Sequence layers
Quick actions
Play the selected layers one after another.
Moves the selected layers so each one starts where the previous one ends, from the bottom layer to the top. Shift-click to go from top to bottom.
When you’d use it
- Line up ten clips into a quick montage without dragging each one.
- Turn a stack of photos into a slideshow in one click.
Precompose
Quick actions
Put each selected layer into its own precomp, trimmed to its length.
Each layer becomes its own precomp exactly as long as the layer, so nothing extra hides at the start or end. Shift-click to put all the selected layers into one precomp instead, trimmed to their combined length.
When you’d use it
- Precompose each clip of a montage to add a transition inside each one.
- Shift-click to group the parts of a title and animate them together.
Sequence to markers
Quick actions
Start each selected layer on the next comp marker.
The bottom selected layer moves to the first comp marker, the next one to the second marker, and so on. Shift-click for the reverse order.
When you’d use it
- Add beat markers, then make each clip start on a beat.
- Make stickers or pop-ups appear one by one on the markers you set.
Beat markers
Quick actions
Add comp markers on the beats of the selected audio.
Select an audio layer and choose a sensitivity from Very high to Very low; higher finds more beats. SceneLab reads the loudness of the audio and puts a comp marker on each peak, replacing the comp markers you had. Shift-click to start from the playhead and keep your existing markers.
When you’d use it
- Mark the beats of a song, then use Sequence to markers to cut your clips on the beat.
- Shift-click from the chorus to add beat markers only for that part.
Fit to comp
Quick actions
Scale a layer so all of it fits inside the comp.
Scales each selected layer so the whole layer fits inside the comp, keeping its proportions. Shift-click to fill the comp instead, which crops the edges.
When you’d use it
- Fit a horizontal clip into a vertical comp, with bars above and below.
- Shift-click to fill a 9:16 frame with 16:9 footage.
Crop comp to content
Quick actions
Resize the comp to what is visible at the playhead.
Measures the visible 2D content at the current frame and resizes the comp to fit it, with optional padding in pixels. Layers are moved so nothing shifts on screen. It asks you to confirm first.
When you’d use it
- Cut a logo comp down to the logo itself before using it in another project.
- Crop a sticker animation so it has no empty space around it.
Speed
Quick actions
Make layers faster or slower, keeping their start.
Enter a speed: 2 is twice as fast, 0.5 is half speed. The layer gets shorter or longer but still starts where it was.
When you’d use it
- Speed a long screen recording up to 4 for a quick tutorial.
- Set B-roll to 0.5 for slow motion; it looks best with high-frame-rate footage.
Copy layers
Quick actions
Copy the selected layers.
Remembers the selected layers so Paste layers can put them into another comp.
When you’d use it
- Copy a branded lower third from one edit to reuse it in the next.
- Copy the adjustment layer that holds your colour grade.
Paste layers
Quick actions
Paste the copied layers into the active comp.
Puts the layers you copied with Copy layers into whichever comp is open now.
When you’d use it
- Paste your subtitle style layers into every episode’s comp.
- Paste a set of sound effects into a new version of the edit.
14 tools
Delete layers
Advanced actions
Remove the selected layers.
Deletes the selected layers and skips any that are locked. Shift-click to reset them instead, using the options in Settings.
When you’d use it
- Clear out leftover test layers before exporting.
- Shift-click to wipe the effects and animation off a layer but keep the layer.
Stretch keyframes
Advanced actions
Spread a layer’s keyframes across its whole length.
Moves each selected layer’s keyframes so the first is at the layer’s start and the last at its end, keeping the spacing between them in proportion and keeping their eases.
When you’d use it
- You made a clip longer and its zoom now ends too early: stretch the keyframes to the new length.
- Make a preset animation last exactly as long as its clip.
Clean project
Advanced actions
Keep only what the active comp uses, and sort it into folders.
Removes every project item the active comp doesn’t use, then sorts what’s left into Comps, Solids, Media and Other folders. It asks you to confirm first; save a copy if you might need the rest.
When you’d use it
- Hand a client a tidy project with nothing unused in it.
- Cut a heavy template project down to the one comp you edited.
Detect scene cuts
Coming soonFind every cut in a video.
Will find the scene cuts in a clip and add a marker or split the layer at each one. Coming in the AI media update.
Add to render queue
Advanced actions
Queue the active comp’s work area for rendering.
Adds the active comp to After Effects’ render queue, set to render only the work area.
When you’d use it
- Set the work area to a 10-second teaser and queue it in one click.
- Queue several cut-downs one after another, then render them all at once.
Loop layer
Advanced actions
Repeat a clip or precomp a number of times.
Turns on time remapping and loops the layer for the number of repetitions you enter, making it long enough to fit them. Shift-click to loop back and forth (ping-pong). Works on footage and precomps, not on text or shapes.
When you’d use it
- Loop a short smoke element under a whole scene.
- Ping-pong a 2-second background clip so the loop never jumps.
Wiggle
Advanced actions
Add random motion to the selected properties.
Adds a wiggle expression to each selected property. Enter how many wiggles per second and how big the movement is.
When you’d use it
- Wiggle Position for handheld camera shake.
- Wiggle Rotation a little on a sticker so it feels alive.
Bake expressions
Advanced actions
Turn expressions into keyframes.
Samples each active expression on the selected properties (or on the selected layers) every N frames, saves those values as keyframes and removes the expression. It asks you to confirm first.
When you’d use it
- Bake a wiggle so you can tweak single keyframes by hand.
- Bake an expression that follows another layer before deleting that layer.
Split at playhead
Advanced actions
Cut the selected layers in two at the playhead.
Each selected layer is cut at the current frame: the original keeps the first part, and anything parented to it, and a copy above it holds the rest.
When you’d use it
- Cut a long take where you want to change its speed.
- Split a clip to put a transition in the middle of it.
AI upscale
Coming soonMake images and video 2× or 4× bigger.
Will upscale images and video by 2× or 4× on your own computer. Coming in the AI media update.
Remove background
Coming soonCut the subject out of a video or image.
Will remove the background and give you a transparent PNG or video. Coming in the AI media update.
Separate audio
Coming soonSplit audio into vocals, drums, bass and more.
Will separate a song or recording into stems you can use on their own. Coming in the AI media update.
Track faces
Coming soonTrack faces and reframe shots around them.
Will follow faces with nulls and help reframe shots, for example for vertical video. Coming in the AI media update.
Remove silence
Coming soonCut out silent parts and frozen frames.
Will find the silences and frozen frames in a clip and cut them out. Coming in the Engine update.
19 tools
Parent to null
Layer tools
One null that controls all the selected layers.
Adds one null at the first selected layer’s position and parents all the selected layers to it, so moving, scaling or rotating the null moves them together.
When you’d use it
- Move a title made of several text layers as one piece.
- Rotate a group of icons around a shared point.
Unparent
Layer tools
Detach the selected layers from their parents.
Removes the parent from each selected layer. The layers stay where they are on screen.
When you’d use it
- Free a layer from a null before deleting the null.
- Detach a sticker from a moving clip so it stays still.
Rename layers
Layer tools
Rename the selected layers with a pattern.
Type a pattern with {name} for the current name and {n} for a number that counts up from the top layer. “Shot {n}” gives Shot 1, Shot 2, Shot 3.
When you’d use it
- Name 30 clips Shot 1 to Shot 30 for a client review.
- Add a prefix like “BG {name}” to every background layer.
Sequence with gap
Layer tools
Stagger layers from the playhead, a few frames apart.
From the playhead, each selected layer starts a set number of frames after the one above it (2 by default). Good for cascading animations.
When you’d use it
- Make the words of a title pop in one after another.
- Cascade a grid of thumbnails in, 3 frames apart.
End to end
Layer tools
Place the selected layers back to back from the playhead.
From the playhead, each selected layer starts when the one above it ends, from top to bottom.
When you’d use it
- Lay out a rough cut from your selected clips in one go.
- Chain voice-over takes one after another.
Trim start
Layer tools
Move the start of the selected layers to the playhead.
Sets the start of each selected layer to the current frame, as long as it is before the layer’s end.
When you’d use it
- Cut the slow beginning off several clips at once.
- Make every overlay start exactly where the music drops.
Trim end
Layer tools
Move the end of the selected layers to the playhead.
Sets the end of each selected layer to the current frame, as long as it is after the layer’s start.
When you’d use it
- End every layer together on the last beat.
- Cut the tails of several sound effects at once.
Work area to selection
Layer tools
Set the work area to the selected layers.
Sets the comp’s work area from the earliest start to the latest end of the selected layers.
When you’d use it
- Preview only the section you’re working on.
- Set the work area to one part, then use Add to render queue to export just that part.
Reverse order
Layer tools
Flip the stacking order of the selected layers.
Reverses the order of the selected layers in the timeline: the top one goes to the bottom.
When you’d use it
- Fix a sequence that was built upside down.
- Reverse a stack of photos before sequencing them.
Label colour
Layer tools
Colour-code the selected layers.
Enter an After Effects label number, from 0 (none) to 16, to set the label colour of every selected layer.
When you’d use it
- Make all music layers one colour and all video another.
- Mark the layers that still need fixing in red.
Solid in a colour
Layer tools
Add a solid in the colour you type.
Asks for a hex colour, like #34C786, and adds a solid in that colour, the same way the Solid tool does.
When you’d use it
- Add a background in your brand colour.
- Make a coloured flash frame for a transition.
Reset layers
Layer tools
Clear animation and effects from the selected layers.
Removes the keyframes from Position, Scale, Rotation, Opacity and Anchor point, keeping the value at the playhead. It can also clear effects, expressions, parenting, track mattes, time remapping, motion trackers and text animators. Choose what it clears in Settings.
When you’d use it
- Start over on a layer that has too many experiments on it.
- Clear a layer copied from a template before animating it your way.
Select odd layers
Layer tools
Select layers 1, 3, 5 and so on.
Selects every other layer in the comp, starting with the first.
When you’d use it
- Alternate a slide-in: select the odd layers and make them come from the left.
- Apply one transition to every other clip.
Select even layers
Layer tools
Select layers 2, 4, 6 and so on.
Selects every other layer in the comp, starting with the second.
When you’d use it
- Finish the alternating slide-in: select the even layers and make them come from the right.
- Tint every second photo in a grid.
Select text layers
Layer tools
Select every text layer in the comp.
Selects all the text layers in the active comp, so you can change them together.
When you’d use it
- Change the font of all your captions at once.
- Apply one text animation preset to every title.
Select shape layers
Layer tools
Select every shape layer in the comp.
Selects all the shape layers in the active comp.
When you’d use it
- Change the stroke width of all your icons at once.
- Recolour every shape for a new brand palette.
Select nulls
Layer tools
Select every null in the comp.
Selects all the null layers in the active comp.
When you’d use it
- Select all your controller nulls and make them Shy to tidy the timeline.
- Find and delete the nulls a template left behind.
Select audio layers
Layer tools
Select the layers that only have audio.
Selects every layer in the active comp that has audio and no video.
When you’d use it
- Lower the volume of all music and sound effects together.
- Lock every audio layer before you move the video around.
Select hidden layers
Layer tools
Select the layers whose visibility is off.
Selects every layer in the active comp that has its visibility switched off.
When you’d use it
- Find hidden layers you forgot about before handing off a project.
- Turn all your hidden alternate takes back on to compare them.
6 tools
Motion blur
Switches
Turn motion blur on or off for the selected layers.
Switches motion blur for all the selected layers, following the first one: if it is off, they all turn on. It also turns on the comp’s motion blur so you can see it.
When you’d use it
- Add natural blur to fast-moving text.
- Turn it off while you edit to keep previews fast.
3D layers
Switches
Make the selected layers 3D or 2D.
Switches the 3D setting of all the selected layers, following the first one.
When you’d use it
- Make a title 3D so a camera can move around it.
- Turn layers back to 2D after testing a 3D look.
Shy
Switches
Hide layers from the timeline with Shy.
Marks the selected layers as Shy, or clears it, following the first one. With the comp’s Shy switch on, Shy layers are hidden from the timeline but still render.
When you’d use it
- Tidy a long timeline by hiding the layers you’ve finished.
- Hide controller nulls while you edit the clips.
Lock
Switches
Lock or unlock the selected layers.
Locks or unlocks all the selected layers, following the first one. Locked layers can’t be selected or changed by accident.
When you’d use it
- Lock the background so you don’t move it by mistake.
- Lock the finished sections of an edit.
Solo
Switches
Show only the selected layers.
Solos all the selected layers, or un-solos them, following the first one, so you see and hear only them.
When you’d use it
- Check one clip’s colour without the overlays on top.
- Listen to just the voice-over.
Visibility
Switches
Show or hide the selected layers.
Switches the visibility of all the selected layers, following the first one.
When you’d use it
- Compare two versions of a title by hiding one.
- Hide the watermark for a clean internal version.
4 tools
Extend to comp end
Timing
Make the selected layers last until the end of the comp.
Moves the end of each selected layer to the end of the comp. Footage can’t run past its own length unless time remapping is on.
When you’d use it
- Make a background and a logo cover the whole video.
- Extend every overlay after you made the comp longer.
Extend to playhead
Timing
Make the selected layers last until the playhead.
Moves the end of each selected layer to the current frame, if the playhead is after the layer’s start. Footage can’t run past its own length unless time remapping is on.
When you’d use it
- Hold a caption on screen until the next shot.
- Give several stickers the same last frame.
Loop ping-pong
Timing
Repeat a clip forwards and backwards.
Like Loop layer, but every other repeat plays backwards, so the loop never jumps. You choose the number of repetitions (2 by default).
When you’d use it
- Loop a short cloud clip smoothly behind a title.
- Turn a short zoom-in precomp into a gentle breathing pulse.
Posterize time
Timing
Give animation a stepped, low-frame-rate look.
Adds a posterizeTime expression to the selected properties so they update at the frame rate you enter (12 by default), for a stop-motion or hand-made feel.
When you’d use it
- Make a text animation feel like stop motion at 8 frames per second.
- Give a shaking sticker a choppy cartoon look.
3 tools
Fill comp
Layout
Scale a layer to fill the whole comp.
Scales each selected layer so it covers the whole comp, keeping its proportions; whatever doesn’t fit is cropped.
When you’d use it
- Fill a vertical comp with horizontal footage for TikTok.
- Make a photo cover the whole background.
Vertical comp
Layout
Change the active comp to 1080 × 1920.
Sets the active comp to vertical 1080 × 1920 after you confirm. Layers keep their positions, so use Center or Fill comp afterwards to place them.
When you’d use it
- Turn a YouTube edit into a vertical version for Reels.
- Fix a comp that was created at the wrong size.
Horizontal comp
Layout
Change the active comp to 1920 × 1080.
Sets the active comp to horizontal 1920 × 1080 after you confirm. Layers keep their positions, so use Center or Fit to comp afterwards.
When you’d use it
- Make a horizontal YouTube version of a vertical edit.
- Fix a comp that was created at the wrong size.
11 tools
Bounce
Keyframes
Make an animation bounce when it stops.
Adds an expression to the selected animated properties that bounces the value back at each keyframe, based on how fast it was moving, and fades out quickly.
When you’d use it
- A title drops in and bounces when it lands.
- Icons pop in with a bouncy scale.
Elastic
Keyframes
Add spring motion when an animation stops.
Like Bounce, but the value swings past the keyframe and back a few times, like a spring.
When you’d use it
- Overshoot a scale-up so a logo feels springy.
- Make a text slide-in wobble into place.
Loop keyframes
Keyframes
Repeat a keyframed animation forever.
Adds loopOut("cycle") to the selected properties, so the animation between the first and last keyframe repeats from then on.
When you’d use it
- Keep a badge rotating for the whole video.
- Repeat a pulsing arrow that points to a link.
Loop keyframes ping-pong
Keyframes
Play an animation back and forth forever.
Adds loopOut("pingpong"), so after the last keyframe the animation plays backwards, then forwards again, and so on.
When you’d use it
- A floating sticker that bobs up and down.
- Swing a hanging sign back and forth.
Easy ease
Keyframes
Smooth the selected keyframes.
Gives the selected keyframes an ease in and out with 66% influence, like After Effects’ Easy Ease, so motion starts and stops smoothly.
When you’d use it
- Turn robotic, linear moves into smooth ones.
- Make a zoom settle gently at the end.
Linear keyframes
Keyframes
Keep a constant speed between the selected keyframes.
Sets the selected keyframes to linear: no easing, the value changes at a steady speed.
When you’d use it
- A steady spin for a rotating wheel.
- A constant scroll for credits or a news ticker.
Hold keyframes
Keyframes
Jump straight from one keyframe to the next.
Sets the selected keyframes to hold: the value stays the same until the next keyframe, then jumps.
When you’d use it
- Switch a text colour instantly on each beat.
- Make a position change look like stop motion.
Reverse keyframes
Keyframes
Play the selected keyframes backwards.
Flips the selected keyframes in time and keeps their eases, so an animation in becomes an animation out.
When you’d use it
- Reuse an intro animation as the outro.
- Turn a zoom-in into a zoom-out.
Offset keyframes
Keyframes
Move the selected keyframes by a number of frames.
Enter a number of frames: a positive number moves the keyframes later, a negative one earlier.
When you’d use it
- Delay one layer’s animation by 3 frames so it follows another.
- Nudge keyframes a frame earlier to land on a beat.
Fix spatial interpolation
Keyframes
Straighten the motion path between position keyframes.
Zeroes the spatial tangents of the selected position keyframes, so the layer moves in straight lines instead of curves.
When you’d use it
- Stop a layer from drifting in a curve between two positions.
- Make a sliding text move in a perfectly straight line.
Remove expressions
Keyframes
Remove the expressions from the selected properties.
Clears the expression from each selected property after you confirm. Keyframes stay.
When you’d use it
- Remove a wiggle you no longer need.
- Strip a template’s expressions before you animate by hand.
8 tools
Split into letters
Text
Split a text layer into one layer per letter.
Makes a copy of the text layer for each character, each showing only its own letter in its place, and turns the original off.
When you’d use it
- Animate each letter of a word dropping in separately.
- Scatter the letters of a title for an explosion effect.
Split into words
Text
Split a text layer into one layer per word.
Makes a copy of the text layer for each word, each showing only its own word in its place, and turns the original off.
When you’d use it
- Pop in each word of a quote on a beat.
- Give each word of a hook its own colour or motion.
Number counter
Text
Count a number up or down in a text layer.
Turns a text layer into a counter that goes from a start number to an end number over the seconds you set, starting when the layer starts.
When you’d use it
- Animate a follower count going from 0 to 10000.
- Count down from 10 to 0 for a timer.
Typewriter
Text
Type text out letter by letter, with a cursor.
Reveals the text layer letter by letter over the seconds you choose, with a blinking cursor at the end.
When you’d use it
- Show a search being typed into a search bar.
- Reveal a chat message the way someone would type it.
Mask to nulls
Text
Add nulls that follow each point of a mask.
Select a mask path and SceneLab adds a null for each of its points that follows it as the mask changes, so you can attach other layers to the mask’s shape. It works with mask paths, not shape layer paths.
When you’d use it
- Pin small labels to the corners of an animated mask.
- Attach lines or particles to the points of a moving shape.
Smart text
Text
Add an animated text preset filled with your words.
Type your text and SceneLab imports the text preset, writes your words into it and adds it at the playhead. Select a text layer first to reuse its words. It needs a SceneLab text preset file; the set of presets arrives with the text animations update.
When you’d use it
- Turn a line from your script into an animated title in one step.
- Select an existing caption to reuse its words in a styled title.
Animation presets
Text
Apply any After Effects animation preset (.ffx).
Choose an .ffx file and it is applied to every selected layer.
When you’d use it
- Apply your favourite text animation to all captions at once.
- Use a preset you made or bought on several layers in one go.
Text animations
Coming soonAbout 40 ready-made SceneLab text animations.
Will add around 40 SceneLab text animations and let you save and apply your own presets. Coming in the presets update.
3 tools
Offset markers
Markers
Move the markers of the selected layers by some frames.
Enter a number of frames: a positive number moves the selected layers’ markers later, a negative one earlier.
When you’d use it
- Your audio was nudged 2 frames: move its markers to match.
- Shift beat markers slightly earlier so the cuts feel snappier.
Split at markers
Markers
Cut the selected layers at their markers.
Cuts the selected layers at every marker on them, after you confirm. The original keeps the first part and each later part becomes its own layer.
When you’d use it
- Mark spots while you listen, then cut a long take in one go.
- Split an interview at the markers you put on each question.
Clear markers
Markers
Delete all the markers on the selected layers.
Removes every layer marker from the selected layers after you confirm. Comp markers stay.
When you’d use it
- Remove old notes before the final version.
- Clear wrong beat markers on a clip and start again.
8 tools
Organize into folders
Project
Sort everything in the project into folders.
Moves every project item into Compositions, Footage, Solids and Audio folders.
When you’d use it
- Tidy a messy project before sharing it.
- Find your assets faster in a big edit.
Remove unused footage
Project
Remove footage that isn’t used anywhere.
Runs After Effects’ Remove Unused Footage after you confirm.
When you’d use it
- Lighten a project before archiving it.
- Clear out the clips you imported to try and never used.
Remove hidden layers
Project
Delete the hidden layers in the active comp.
Deletes every layer with its visibility off in the active comp, after you confirm.
When you’d use it
- Remove the alternate takes you hid while deciding.
- Clean up a template’s extras that are switched off.
Reduce project
Project
Keep only what the active comp uses.
Runs After Effects’ Reduce Project on the active comp after you confirm. Save a copy first.
When you’d use it
- Send one comp from a big project to a collaborator.
- Strip a template down to the version you used.
Remove effects
Project
Remove all the effects from the selected layers.
Deletes every effect on the selected layers after you confirm.
When you’d use it
- Start a layer’s look from scratch.
- Remove the effects from a clip copied from another project.
Purge cache
Project
Free memory and clear the image cache.
Purges After Effects’ memory and image caches in one click.
When you’d use it
- Previews start stuttering after a long session.
- Free up memory before a heavy render.
Save project
Project
Save the project.
Saves the project, or asks where to save it if it’s new.
When you’d use it
- Save without leaving the panel.
- Save before you try a big change.
Export frame
Project
Save the current frame as a PNG.
Enter a full file path ending in .png and the frame at the playhead is saved there.
When you’d use it
- Export a frame to use as a YouTube thumbnail.
- Send a still to a client for quick feedback.
3 tools
Curve Editor
Curve Editor
Shape the ease between keyframes by dragging two handles.
Drag the two handles to shape the curve and see its four values. Apply sets it on every pair of selected keyframes; Copy reads the curve between the first two selected keyframes in After Effects, so you can reuse it.
When you’d use it
- Give a zoom a fast start and a soft landing.
- Copy the ease from an animation you like and apply it to another one.
3-key mode
Curve Editor
Two curves for three keyframes.
In 3-key mode you shape two curves: one from the first keyframe to the middle one and one from the middle to the last.
When you’d use it
- A slide-in that eases into a pause, then speeds away.
- A zoom in and out with a different feel on each half.
Curve presets
Curve Editor
19 easing presets, plus your own curves in folders.
Pick from 19 built-in presets (linear, easy ease, quad, cubic, quart, expo, back and more), or save your own curves into folders. Export a folder as a .json file and import it on another computer.
When you’d use it
- Keep a folder of your go-to eases for each client.
- Share your curves with a teammate as one file.
3 tools
Drop to import
Panel
Drop a file on the panel to import it.
Drag a file onto the panel to import it into the project and the active comp, at the playhead. MKV and MP4 files are first converted to an After Effects-friendly MP4; for now that needs Python and FFmpeg on your computer.
When you’d use it
- Import an OBS screen recording (MKV) without converting it yourself.
- Drop a downloaded clip straight into the comp you’re editing.
Customize and favourites
Panel
Show only the tools you use, and pin favourites to the top.
Customize hides whole sections or single tools from the Tools page. Right-click any tool to pin it to Favorites, which appear at the top.
When you’d use it
- Hide the 3D tools if you only edit flat video.
- Pin your five most-used tools to the top.
Reset options
Panel
Choose what Reset layers clears.
In Settings, choose which of 12 things Reset layers (and Shift-click on Delete layers) clears: position, scale, rotation, opacity, anchor point, effects, expressions, parenting, track matte, time remap, motion trackers and text animators.
When you’d use it
- Keep the effects but clear the animation.
- Remove only parenting and track mattes from a layer copied from a template.
What's coming
ExampleSceneLab grows in updates. The order below is an example while we plan.
- In the alpha
Tools and curve editor
80+ tools for alignment, layers, timing and keyframes, and the 2/3-key curve editor.
- Next
SceneLab Engine
Convert, trim and clean footage on your computer: proxies, silence and frozen-frame cuts, beats.
- Next
Face tracking
Track faces and reframe vertical edits automatically.
- Planned
Automatic captions
Captions made on your computer, with styles and word-by-word timing. No account or key needed.
- Planned
AI media tools
Background removal, vocal and instrument separation, scene cuts and upscaling.
- Planned
Text animations
Around 40 SceneLab text animations and a preset manager.
- Planned
Downloads, library and notes
Grab video or audio from a link, and keep your media and notes in one place.