How to commit changes to text with Escape

[ssanagustin]

Is there a way to set "Commit changes to Text" using Escape as a keyboard shortcut? I tried mapping it in the keyboards shortcuts panel, but everytime I try and input ESC it just exits the window. 

I'm just getting into AE and have heavily used Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign for years where pressing ESC quickly exits the text box and retains any edits. I come to find that I input text in AE and not only does it not commit any changes, but completely deletes the text box all together! This inconsistency after years of muscle memory has caused quite a few headaches when using text in AE.

I've seen some scripting solutions for Windows users, but are there any solutions for those of us on a Mac?

[Warren Heaton]

Escape cancelling the text entry rather than deleting the text that was just entered would make a great feature request.  I'd vote for it.

https://adobe-video.uservoice.com/forums/911311-after-effects

[ssanagustin]

Thanks for sharing that link! Did not know that was a thing. 

I actually found a thread talking about this! 

https://adobe-video.uservoice.com/forums/911311-after-effects/suggestions/35135146-esc-to-leave-text... 

I definitely put my vote in. 

[Warren Heaton]

I just voted as well.

Now... we need to get everyone we know to vote for it, too!

[Acr515]

Any movement on this? This is the only thread I've been able to find about this topic and both of the links posted here are broken. I would at least like to know what I can press on the keyboard instead of escape... this is driving me crazy!

[Warren Heaton]

I'd love to see to, too.

I think it only had three votes. 

Unfortunately, the link earlier in this thread doesn't link to anything any longer because the former User Voice was migrated here to the Adobe Community Forums; however, only topics with 30 or more votes were migrated. 

We're probably not the only users who would like to see this behavior from Illustrator also be in After Effects, but we are the only ones who've made mention of it or voted for it.

[RHT5CE5 · Accepted solution]

Would love this feature as well. To future people who arrived here like I did from google: I am new to the support community and don't know if votes do anything, but the new link to upvote (as of 4.11.2023) is here:
https://community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects-ideas/esc-to-leave-text-editor-like-in-ai-ps-and-id/idi...
or search for the discussion title
“ESC to leave text editor, like in Ai, Ps, and iD”

[Warren Heaton]

@RHT5CE5 

Thank you for posting the link to the feature request in the Adobe Community Forums!  I just voted.

I've also marked your reply as correct for this thread.  Hopefully, anyone who comes across this thread will follow that link and vote.  With enough votes, it'll get flagged as "under review" which is the next step toward it becoming a feature.

What's kind of funny is that (as pointed out by @ssanagustin) we have "Commit Changes to Text" for the Character and Paragraph Panels in the Visual Keyboard Shortcut Editor dialog box (Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts), but if we try to set Escape as the custom keyboard shortcut we wind up activating the Cancel button instead.  Kind of funny, or utterly maddening, I suppose.