Layers

The Layers list shows every pulled layer and everything inside it: groups, paths, shapes, masks, text, fills, strokes and operators. Selecting in the list and on the canvas is the same selection.

Rows

• Click the arrow to expand or collapse. A pull starts with everything collapsed; Expand all and Collapse all sit at the top of the list.
• Eye: show or hide. On a layer, shape, group, fill, stroke or operator it is the After Effects switch, and pushes with your edits.
• Padlock: lock a layer, group or shape. A layer’s padlock is the After Effects lock switch and pushes with your edits; a group or shape locks in Design Mode only. See Locking.
• Label chip (layers): click to pick the After Effects label color, or None. Select label group selects every layer with that label. On a mask row, the chip opens a color picker for the mask color.
• Normal / Reversed (paths): the path direction. It changes where Trim Paths starts, which way dashes and tapers run, and how overlapping paths in a group cut holes.
• Double-click a name to rename it.
• A new badge marks something drawn in Design Mode that has not been pushed to After Effects.

Drag across the eye or padlock column to switch several rows at once.

Search and filter

Type in Search the hierarchy to find rows by name, including inside collapsed groups. Filter by kind shows only Layers, Groups, Shapes, Masks, Fills, Strokes or Operators. Clearing the filter puts your expanded rows back as they were.

Reorder and move

• Drag rows to reorder them or move them into another group or layer. Artwork stays where it is on the canvas.
• Dragging one of several selected rows, layers included, moves them all together in their current order.
• Drag a row past the last layer, or choose Move to new layer, to put it on a layer of its own.
• Ctrl+[ and Ctrl+] send the selection backward or forward among its neighbors; add Shift to send it to the back or front. The same four moves are under Arrange in the canvas right-click menu.

Masks cannot be dragged, and locked layers cannot be moved into or out of.

Group and ungroup

Ctrl+G groups the selection; Ctrl+Shift+G ungroups.

• Grouping shapes from different layers gathers them onto the topmost layer.
• Grouping whole layers keeps the topmost layer and moves each other layer’s contents into it as a group named after its layer. The emptied layers are removed.
• If a layer involved is animated, Group across animated layers? asks first. Moved shapes take on the animation of the layer they land in.

Add to a layer

The + on a layer row adds into that layer, or into the selected group:

• Group (empty)
• Rectangle, Ellipse, Polystar
• Fill, Stroke, Gradient Fill, Gradient Stroke
• Operators: Merge Paths, Offset Paths, Pucker & Bloat, Repeater, Round Corners, Trim Paths, Twist, Wiggle Paths, Wiggle Transform, Zig Zag

Path is listed but unavailable: draw paths with the Pen. Text layers have no +.

Select an operator row to edit it in Properties. See Shape Properties.

Right-click menu

Item	Does
Isolate layer, Enter group	Work inside this layer or group
Split groups into layers	Moves each selected group onto a new layer of its own
Split shapes into groups	Puts each selected shape in its own group
Split shapes into layers	Puts each selected shape on its own layer
Merge into layer	Moves the selected layers’ contents onto one layer
Move to new layer	Moves the selection onto a new layer
Consolidate	Merges groups that share the same fill and stroke into one group
Expand copies	Turns a Replicate array into real shapes
Copy, Cut, Paste, Duplicate, Delete	As on the canvas

Nothing on the canvas moves when you split, merge or consolidate. Split groups into layers, Merge into layer and Move to new layer also work on a canvas selection from the right-click menu.

Delete

Delete removes everything selected in one undo step: layers, groups, shapes, masks, fills, strokes and operators. Deleting a pulled layer deletes it from the comp when you push.