Taking and viewing a window snapshot

When you want to compare one view to another in the Composition, Layer, or Footage window, take a snapshot of one view and temporarily replace the window image with the snapshot. For example, you might want to compare two frames in different locations in a movie. You can instantly show and hide the snapshot to identify differences between the views. If you have a sound card installed, you hear a sound when you take a snapshot.

When working with snapshots, here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Snapshots taken in one kind of window can be displayed in another kind. For example, you can take a snapshot of a Layer window and display the snapshot in the Composition or Footage window.
• Displaying a snapshot does not replace the content of the window.
• If the snapshot has a different size or aspect ratio than the window in which you display it, the snapshot is resized to fit the window.
• Choose Edit > Purge > Snapshot to free up memory used by your snapshots.
• Snapshots are for reference only and do not become part of the layer, composition, or rendered movie.

To take a snapshot:

Click the take-snapshot icon  at the bottom of the window.

To view a snapshot:

Click and hold the display-snapshot icon  at the bottom of the window.

To take and view multiple snapshots:

Do any of the following:

• Hold down Shift and press F5, F6, F7, or F8 to take separate snapshots.
• Press and hold F5, F6, F7, or F8 to view the corresponding snapshots.
• To purge any snapshot, hold down Ctrl + Shift (Windows) or Command + Shift (Mac OS) and press F5, F6, F7, or F8.

For information on taking and viewing multiple snapshots using keyboard shortcuts, see the Shortcuts Appendix.