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Poul_G17152734
Known Participant
May 4, 2026
Open for Voting

Make the text tool a bit better with simple function (quick switch)

  • May 4, 2026
  • 1 reply
  • 10 views

Hi there.
 

When you work with texts in AE switching from one text to another could be a lot better if only you could directly click from one text field to another.

Right now you have to click the a layer to “deactivate” the active text field. I know you can press “Esc” but for some reason, using “Esc” feels a bit Dangerous :) and is not a key i use on my keyboard.

Why not enable that you can just click from one text field to the next and type :)
That would be logical and make this old boy happy :).

 

Cheers.

      1 reply

      sskaz
      sskaz
      Inspiring
      May 4, 2026

      Use Command/Control-Return or Numpad-Enter to commit text changes. Don’t use Escape, because in After Effects, it will cancel any changes you made to the text field. Some other Adobe apps have a preference to control whether Escape commits or cancels, but not AE.

      You can double-click on another layer in the Timeline panel to start editing another text layer, but there’s no shortcut to “jump” immediately between text layers just using the keyboard. Though a keyboard shortcut to enter/open the text entry mode when you already have a text layer selected would be nice. Then you could be editing one text layer, hit command-return to commit, command-up/down to move between layers in the timeline, then hit [magical new keyboard shortcut] to start editing the new selected text layer.

        P
        Poul_G17152734Author
        Known Participant
        May 5, 2026

        Thanks for the Cmd+enter :)
        However i wish they would look into it.

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