Using standard, manual, or wireframe preview

When you want to preview a simple animation, you can use the standard preview tools for playing back all or a portion of the composition or for manually previewing frame by frame.

Note: Previews use the frontmost composition view for 2D compositions and the Active Camera view for 3D compositions when multiple views are opened. To turn off the Active Camera, deselect Previews Favor Active Camera in the Time Controls palette menu.

To stop any preview before it is complete:

Press the spacebar.

To use standard preview:

1. In the Timeline window, make sure that the video switch is selected for the layers you want to preview.
2. Move the work-area markers to set the time span you want to preview.
3. Do one of the following:
• Click the Play button  in the Time Controls palette.
• Press the spacebar to start; press again to stop.

To use the manual preview options:

Do any of the following in the Time Controls palette:

• To go forward one frame, click the Frame Advance button .
• To go forward ten frames, press Shift as you click the Frame Advance button.
• To go backward one frame, click the Frame Reverse button .
• To go backward ten frames, press Shift as you click the Frame Reverse button.
• To go to the beginning of the composition, layer, or footage, click the First Frame button .
• To go to the end of the composition, layer, or footage, click the Last Frame button .

To use the wireframe preview:

1. In the Timeline window, select the layers you want to preview. To preview all layers, make no selection.
2. Set the work area to the time span you want to preview.
3. Do one of the following:
• Choose Composition > Preview > Wireframe Preview. To display a rectangular layer boundary instead of an alpha channel outline, press Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS) as you choose the preview method.
• Choose Composition > Preview > Motion with Trails.