Selecting layers (6.5)

Before you can modify or move any type of layer, you need to select it. You select layers in After Effects by using menu commands, clicking a layer, or using a keyboard shortcut. In After Effects 6.5, you can also quickly select all child layers that are assigned to a selected parent layer. (For keyboard shortcuts to select layers, see "Keys for using layers" on page 758.)

To select a layer:

Do any of the following:

• Click the layer's name or duration bar in the Timeline window or the layer's name in the Flowchart view.
• Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) over the layer in the Composition window, and choose Select > [layer name].
• If the layer is open in its own window, choose the layer name from the Window menu, or click the tab of its Layer window.

To select multiple layers:

Do any of the following:

• To select all layers, choose Edit > Select All while the Timeline window or Composition window is in the foreground. To deselect all layers, choose Edit > Deselect All.
• With at least one layer selected, choose Invert Selection from the context menu in the Composition or Timeline window to deselect any currently selected layers and select all other layers.
• To select all child layers assigned to a parent layer, select the parent layer and choose Select Children from the context menu in the Composition or Timeline window. The child layers are added to the existing selection.
• To select all layers that use the same color label, click the layer's color label in the Timeline window, and choose Select Label Group, or select the layer and choose Edit > Label > Select Label Group.