Setting preferences

When you start After Effects for the first time, the default settings are used. You may want to change some of these default settings so that each time After Effects is opened, it uses your selections instead of the defaults. You can easily restore the default settings at any time. All of the After Effects default settings are stored in a single preferences file.

After Effects saves the location and type of each open window with the project. Palette positions are saved in an After Effects preferences file, which applies to all projects. You can also save custom workspaces. (See Customizing the workspace.)

To open a preferences dialog box:

1. Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or After Effects > Preferences (Mac OS).
2. Choose a preferences command.
3. To switch to another dialog box, do any of the following:
• Choose a preference category from the pop-up menu at the top of the dialog box.
• Click Next to display the next dialog box in the menu list; click Previous to display the previous dialog box.

For information on a specific option, see the index.

To restore all preferences to their default settings:

Press and hold Alt + Control + Shift (Windows) or Option + Command + Shift (Mac OS) immediately after launching After Effects. You will be prompted to delete the current settings. When After Effects starts, it uses a newly created preferences file.