How to enable the 'track' in timeline?

[ayubekk]

Message was edited by: Rameez Khan

[Mylenium]

Zooming in to 1 frame increments is perhaps not the most useful way to diagnose such issues. Given the insane number of layers this might be simply a display glitch, so perhaps consider actually organizing your project into sub-comps.

Mylenium

[ayubekk]

What ? I still don't understand — because i'm new at after effect...

[Rick Gerard]

Start here: Basic AE

You have to understand the UI. You have a layer selected that is not visible on at the current time because it looks like you have about 1200 layers in your comp. You need to zoom out on the timeline so you are looking at more than one frame and then scroll up or down in the timeline until you have found the selected layer.

If you are new to AE you have no business in a comp with 1200 layers that is about 20 minutes long. AE is for creating shots not editing video. 1200 shots is a good number for a 20-minute video but the average comp in my shop is one shot under seven seconds. Some comps have more than 100 layers, but I never edit anything more than three or four shots in AE because it is completely unmanageable. The app was never designed for or intended to be used for editing.

[ayubekk]

No, i'am not editing videos, i make a project for performance in my school, but when i want to edit the 'track', their gone from the timeline, i dont know how to visible the 'track'

[dj.summitt]

Your timeline, from your image, is zoomed in so that we are only seeing .5 seconds. We cannot help with only that info. Furthermore, it sounds like you have bitten off more than you can chew. No one can just open up AE for the first time and "make a performance for your school." People spend their entire careers without making a  project as complex as yours. I can't remember a 1200 layer comp I have done in quite some time....ever(?).

My advice is first give us a screen shot of the project timeline zoomed out & full screen.  Then you are going to want to PreComp, delete layers, simplify. Only then are you going to be able to make sense of this project.

[ayubekk]

Zoom-Out

Zoom-in

see ? theres no layer in the timeline

[dj.summitt]

That is not a zoomed out timeline. See this UI element in the bottom center? Drag it to the left all the way.

Videos are made up of individual still frames. In your case you have 20 minutes with 60 individual still frames per second. Your timeline is only showing the length of 15 frames. That means we are only seeing less than one-quarter of a second. Use that slider I posted to zoom out to show the whole timeline.

[ayubekk]

you mean like this ? look, the other layer is visible, but half is invisible.... sorry i'm not really good at english

[dj.summitt]

There you go, all those layers are on for a second or so at ~14 seconds

[ayubekk]

wait, sorry, i still don't understand, what am i need to do so the layer will visible in my timeline ?

[dj.summitt]

Those blue-green boxes at 14 minutes are your layers. If it's not one of the layers that you're looking for then scroll up and down till you find the one you need. That's why using so many layers is bad. It's too complicated, especially for a new user.

My honest advice on this is to use the link above to learn the basics before you go forward. If these are the questions you have now it's going to VERY difficult for you to work with a 1200 layer, 20 minute long project. I've been doing this for 15 years and I would not have an easy time with a project like that. It's not using the software in the way it's meant to be used, 

[dj.summitt]

Ignore the above, sorry. Chrome was glitchy and opened the same 2x.

OK, when you zoom into the frame level drag across the timeline to see if there's any sign of the frames.

[ayubekk]

I thought there's still no any sign, still disappear....

[P.M.B · Accepted solution]

You need to move your layers in and out points.  However that means nothing to you since you have no clue what you're doing. So....

Select all your layers, move your CTI (playhead thingy) all the way to the start of the timeline & hit Alt+[   then move CTI all the way to the end of timeline and hit Alt+].  Finally,  follow some basic training to learn basic concepts like, for example:  what UI elements are called.

[ayubekk]

Please just tell me how to appear the layer bar so i can continue my project — I try everything and it doesn't work, please help...

[dj.summitt]

This is the last time I am replying. The layer bars are there. I can not know which bar you need. There are far too many layers for me to even guess. After Effects is a very complex piece of software used by professionals. You must learn the basic interface to be able to use it, even on a basic project. And your is not a basic project.  There's nothing anyone here can do to help you if you are unwilling to learn the program enough to be able to even view your project.

[P.M.B]

I literally already told.

1. Select all your layers,

2. Move your CTI (playhead thingy) all the way to the start of the timeline & hit Alt+[ 

3. Then move CTI all the way to the end of timeline and hit Alt+]

I can't make it any clearer.  If you don't understand those instructions then I don't what to tell you.

Theres also the possibility that all of your clips are only 1 frame in duration.  Unfortunately you do not enough about after effects to even

give us the information we need to help you.  That's nobody's fault but your own.

You don't learn by telling a teacher what to teach you.

You learn by finding a good teacher and doing what they tell you to do until you know enough to start

using your knowledge in a personally creative way.

[ayubekk]

Oke thank you so much, you guys help me, really really thanks so much

[P.M.B]

You don't learn by telling a teacher what to teach you.

You learn by finding a good teacher and doing what they tell you to do until you know enough to start

using your knowledge in a personally creative way.