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mbessoncli
Participant
Dec 6, 2019 4:27 PM UTC
Question

AE CC 2020 Can't Double Click Text in Timeline to Edit or Highlight in Comp Window [macOS]

I'm running AE 2020 on Mac Mojave 10.14.3. When I double click on a text layer in my timeline AE does not highlight the text in the comp window to make it editable.  Any time I attempt to double click a text layer to start editing it I get the Mac system error sound. It's a minor problem but it just throws off the pace of my whole workflow.  BONUS ISSUE: Im also having to click twice in my comp window to start the creation of a shape layer, text layer or even when creating a mask. I feel like these two issues are rooted in the same thing.

 

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24 replies

Participant
Jul 21, 2022 2:40 AM UTC

Just faced this issue and it was too buging for me to wait around so, discovered the solution:

Try double clicking the layer with alt key press if it highlights the texts and works for you, next step is go to Preferences>General>
under option "Opening Layers with Double-click(use alt to reverse)"
>On Footage Layer Opens>

toggle "Source Composition Panel" to "Layer Panel".
Hope it works for you.

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Participant
Jan 19, 2023 12:18 PM UTC

Thank you!

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Danzy
Participant
Feb 18, 2021 1:56 AM UTC

I have same issue. Can't even type any text in? 

 

Right now I have to type text in somewhere else and try to hold your mouse when highlighting the text and Paste the text in. 

 

it s frustrating guys :((

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Participant
Mar 17, 2021 1:38 PM UTC

The worst thing about issues in general is that the people vanish from the forums after solver their problems. They simply abandon the discussion without help the others didn't find a solution. They come for help but not for helping. a Humans being humans.

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Participant
Mar 17, 2021 1:49 PM UTC

I don't think it's about not wanting to help others. This subject has been on now for more than a year... without a fix, - unless I have missed it??

I have just updated to AE 2021 and it still doesn't work! 

So I think people just get tired of it! And not everyone is replying back to a response they asked for 1½ years ago. Maybe they don't even work with AE anymore or get notification mail.
But this is really bad from Adobe's side. Instead of saying that they migth actually have removed this function in stead of letting us wait. How can they release a new version and not have it fixed, jeez!

But I get what you mean. It's easy to submit a solution if there is one.

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Participant
Feb 10, 2021 5:17 PM UTC

Same issues. I am able to edit certain text layers but not others. Its a pain... Im having to recreate the whole Composition from scratch.

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raulvieytes
Participating Frequently
Jan 21, 2021 8:32 PM UTC

same issue right now: same text layer i've been able to edit 3 weeks ago, it does not highlight the text in the comp window to make it editable. very annoying, i've been looking some other projects and it's the same. i've tried uninstalling and installing AE again, and it's not working. how did you fix this issue?

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Participating Frequently
Jan 24, 2021 1:35 AM UTC

Same issue here as well.
I have been using AE for many years and have never had the issues I have experienced with this program's paid cloud versions. It will cause me to dump AE 2020 and go back to using a previously known working version.
Besides the text related issue, I am also having problems with the preview not working.
Adobe has screwed up somewhere, and they need to fix what we are paying for.

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Participant
Dec 17, 2020 7:42 PM UTC

I am having this issue as well. Why something that's been working FOREVER just stops working!

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fg_cisco
Participant
Aug 18, 2020 3:43 PM UTC

Same here all across the Adobe CC, Double click not working Ok

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gupta shivangi
Legend
Dec 28, 2019 3:00 AM UTC

Hi there,

 

We're sorry for the delay in response. Did you reset preferences as suggested by @Jose_Panadero? Did it help?

Looking forward to the response.

 

Thanks,

Shivangi

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mbessoncli
Participant
Jan 13, 2020 4:01 PM UTC

Unfortunately that did not solved the issue.  To elborate... I have a dual monitor setup and my composition window is on the extended monitor. So when I move my mouse over to it to click within the window I have to click once to "select" the composition window, then click again to actual start working--typing, creating a shape layer, making a mask etc.--within the viewer. 

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Participant
Apr 15, 2020 11:39 AM UTC

I am having the same issue now. Was working fine last week. Think ever since the last update i did this is now happening. I'm on a PC running AE 2020 (build 17.0.6).
Did you ever get a solution to this?

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Jose Panadero
Community Expert
Community Expert
Dec 6, 2019 6:26 PM UTC

Are you sure you are using the Selection Tool? This behavior occurs when you are trying to use the Hand Tool instead of the Selection Tool

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mbessoncli
Participant
Dec 6, 2019 7:04 PM UTC

Yup! I am using the Selection Tool. In all my years of working with AE I've never encountered this issue...

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Jose Panadero
Community Expert
Community Expert
Dec 8, 2019 9:46 AM UTC

Have you tried to remove the preferences? Before launching After Effects, hold Control/Command+Alt+Shift. A dilaog box asks you to remove the preferences file. Click OK and check if you have solved the problem.

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