Hiding properties in Adobe After Effects helps declutter your Timeline panel, making it easier to manage complex compositions. The primary method involves a simple keyboard shortcut combination.
Hiding Properties in the Timeline Panel
To hide a specific property or a property group (like Transform, Material Options, etc.) within a layer in the Timeline panel, you use a modifier-click combination:
- On Windows: Alt+Shift-click the name of the property or property group.
- On macOS: Option+Shift-click the name of the property or property group.
As stated in the reference, this action toggles the visibility of the clicked property or group – clicking it once hides it, and clicking it again with the same shortcut combination will show it again.
Why Hide Properties?
Working with layers, especially those with many effects, masks, or expressions, can result in a very long list of properties in the Timeline panel. Hiding properties you aren't actively animating or adjusting can significantly simplify the interface, improving performance and workflow efficiency.
Showing Only Selected Properties
After hiding some properties, you might want to isolate and view only the properties you've explicitly revealed (e.g., properties you have animated with keyframes or those you've manually revealed).
To show only the currently selected properties or property groups in the Timeline panel, press SS (double-tap the 'S' key). This is a toggle; pressing SS again will return the Timeline to its previous state, showing all properties that were not manually hidden.
Quick Reference Table
Here's a quick summary of the key shortcuts:
| Action | Windows Shortcut | macOS Shortcut | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hide/Show a Property/Group | Alt+Shift-click Name | Option+Shift-click Name | Toggles visibility of a single item. |
| Show Only Selected/Revealed | SS | SS | Toggles view to show only active items. |
By using these simple shortcuts, you can effectively manage the visibility of properties in your After Effects compositions, streamlining your workflow and keeping your Timeline organized.
