New Feature: Alt/Option-Drag to Duplicate Layers in the Composition Panel

[Amir Stone]

We’re excited to announce a new feature in After Effects: you can now Alt/Option-drag layers in the Composition panel to instantly duplicate them. This works in both 2D and 3D compositions and is a first step toward the broader “Alt/Option duplicate all the things” workflow the community has requested.

With this update, we’ve also addressed the overlap between Alt/Option-drag for duplicating layers and its previous uses:

• In 3D compositions, Alt/Option-drag can either duplicate layers or activate camera navigation tools. You can choose your preferred behavior in Preferences, and a one-time dialog will help you set this up the first time you use it.
• Alt/Option-drag previously activated wireframe mode to prevent rendering while held. Releasing Alt/Option now renders the newly duplicated layers.

Note: This feature currently only supports duplicating layers. We know many of you want to duplicate keyframes and other elements as well, and this is just the beginning.

We’d love your feedback:

• Do you still use temporary wireframe mode activated by Alt/Option? Should we keep or remove it?
• Is the new preference and first-time dialog for 3D camera navigation clear and helpful?
• Would a quick toggle in the toolbar to switch between duplicate and camera navigation be useful? How often do you need to switch between these behaviors?

Seamless-Offset Workflows with Quick-Offset Layers:

Pair Alt/Option-drag duplication with our Quick-Offset Layers feature—simply drag on a stack of selected layers to stagger their start times in one smooth gesture. Duplicate a group of elements, nudge them with Quick-Offset, and you’ve created an eye-catching cascade or ripple animation in seconds. The two features together let you build complex, rhythmic motion with fewer clicks and no manual time-shifting.

Your input will help us refine this feature and guide future improvements.

Thank you!
- Amir

After Effects Engineering Team

[marco san]

The duplication feature is nice, well done! But requiring a drag action for it doesn't work for in-place duplication. It should work in the timeline panel just like in Premiere, so you can duplicate a clip and then drag it anywhere in the layer stack, but without moving the duplicate in the composition panel

[Shebbe]

Appericiate the new direction. Here's some feedback.

1. The alt dupe behavior does not work with dragging the gizmo in 3D which is what you probably need more than a camera based duplication. (axis locked duping and moving)

2. It's really silly that you either have dupe behavior or camera navigation. All actual 3D software can do both at the same time. Can't imagine anyone want to sacrifice navigation for this. A toggle in the UI is not going to make this any better.

3. I echo @marco san 's comment that ALT dragging layers in the timeline to duplicate will also be useful as now users need to duplicate and then move the duped layer if they want it at a different position than directly above the original.

[Amir Stone]

Great points.

I have a couple of clarifying thoughts.

Some other 3D apps allows duplicate using control/cmd, however that shortcut is currently in use and enables snapping of layers in the composition panel while dragging.

Additionally, other Adobe apps like Ps, and Il, use Alt/Option to duplicate, so consistency with other Adobe apps seems important as well.

Do you have any thoughts on how we could both enable duplicate and camera navigation simultaneously given the above points?

[Shebbe]

Yea I'm not suggesting using a different modifier key. Alt should work fine. I think functionality wise it is a bit tricky because in AE dragging an object itself always means moving the object if the normal Selection Tool is active and you start from within it's bounding box. AFAIK that behavior doesn't really exist in 3D apps where you use the gizmo, dedicated move tool or kbd shortcuts instead.

I can think of a solution to remove the layer move behavior from the 3D view when Selection Tool is active but still allow manipulation through the visible gizmo and even duplication via alt + drag a gizmo arrow/ball/cube and thus force the use of the gizmo or layer properties so the alt modifier always makes the camera rotate(unless you started clicking on the gizmo when dragging begins), but I do not have any data on if users actually rely on this. IMO camera view based moving is never desired in 3D space.

Another approach could be to flip the camera manipulation mechanism to 3 keyboard modifiers instead of 3 mouse buttons. So ALT, SHIFT, CTRL, + middle click or right-click for orbit, move, zoom respectively.

There could be more solutions of course. I understand the desire for parity but I think that if you want to encourage users to use a new feature, doing so at the cost of another ain't the best way. I'm not really a 3D space Photoshop user, but maybe given this challenge, it can be tackeled in Ps as well if present there.

[Amir Stone]

We do have the independent camera tool keyboard modifiers currently. If you hold down 1, 2, or 3 keys and drag, you should get the orbit, track, and dolly functionality of the alt behavior. Does this serve the purpose you're suggesting?

[Shebbe]

To me that doesn't really resolve the issue and here's why.

1.

1,2 and 3 are not 'natural keys' under rest position of the hand, requiring too much hand gymnastics for a task that is executed too commonly when working in 3D.

2.

It is globally expected (because it's efficient) for any software with a 3D environment that camera manipulation is either 1 mouse button with 3 modifiers (CRTL/ALT/SHIFT) or 3 mouse buttons with 1 modifier. Or maybe a slight hybrid of the two. So having 1,2,3 as an option would be considered secondary rather than primary way of operation.

In contrast, for manipulating 3D objects, flipping through dedicated tools (which AE doesn't even have kbd shortcuts for, nor are they bindable?) or using the gizmo is more expected. Typically QWER are select/move/rotate/scale in that regard or maybe 1234...

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If for some reason the team really stands behind the current restrictive implementation, making a new feature not really an added future but an exchange in features, why not give the user the option to use CTRL/CMD for duplication instead of ALT so it doesn't need this unnecessary sacrifice. This would fall in line with how C4D works together with it's camera movement which happens to be the same as AE and would make a lot more sense in parity since Cineware is a thing. Despite the software not being part of Adobe it's a more logical approach than expecting users to have muscle memory from Photoshop 3D for most motion designers.

Ultimately I would just like to see camera movement with ALT + 3 mouse or another 'natural' method co-exist with layer duplication one way or another. I hope you agree.

[simon0815]

I can duplicate footage with Ctrl+D. But holding Alt and drag, nothing happens.

btw, it would be nice if it would remember what is twirled out. (unfoldet)

If I duplicat a Comp, in the new comp everything - each value is twirled in(foldet)

[Amir Stone]

Alt-Drag is in the composition panel, it won't work in the project panel currently.

[Amir Stone]

Seamless-Offset Workflows with Quick-Offset Layers:

Pair Alt/Option-drag duplication with our Quick-Offset Layers feature—simply drag on a stack of selected layers to stagger their start times in one smooth gesture. Duplicate a group of elements, nudge them with Quick-Offset, and you’ve created an eye-catching cascade or ripple animation in seconds. The two features together let you build complex, rhythmic motion with fewer clicks and no manual time-shifting.

[Valentin Robert]

Nice addition, should work in the timeline though.

[marco san]

Yeah, like in Premiere. Let's hope Adobe listen to our request