Blending layers

[the big one]

Hey guys,

I'm rather new to ACC so please excuse me if the terminology isn't right. This isn't a massive issue but when I try to change the blending modes for the layers, unlike the people I have seen in tutorials, I have no 'modes' option in my timeline. So I have to go to Layer>Blending modes, It would be convenient to have a shortcut if possible,

Many thanks!

Elliot

[Mike_Abbott · Accepted solution]

In the extreme lower left corner of your AE interface you'll find 3 icons. Grey is off, blue is on. If you have the left and middle icons on, you'll see the  'layer switches' panel and the 'blending modes' panel. If you have just one of those on, you'll see an additional button at the bottom of the timeline : "toggle switches / modes" which will flip between them.

The rightmost icon displays the 'in, out, duration and stretch' panel - which is generally less used than the other two.

Understanding the AE interface is critical, so I'd suggest you start here:
https://helpx.adobe.com/support/after-effects.html

[Rick Gerard · Accepted solution]

If you are new, start with the learning section of the Home Screen in AE, or the User Guide section of this forum, or the After Effects product page, to get a handle on the UI. All of those locations will take you here: Learn AE

You could also use the Search Help field in the top right corner of AE. I've been using AE for more than 20 years and I still use Search Help about once a week to make sure I have not missed any new techniques or capabilities.

As Mike said, use F4 or enable both Switches and Modes columns in the timeline. With a layer selected you can use Shift plus + or Shift plus - to cycle through the blend modes without using your mouse.