Layers grouped somehow

[ThomasBenstem]

Hi!

I'm no AE Ninja so this might be simple to solve.. but when i split a layer (and it creates anew one) the chaneges i make in one layer also appear in the other.

The are color-marked in a way that makes me suspect they are linked somehow but i cant figure out how to unlink them. 

The layer is a precomp by the way.

So thankful for any sugestions on how to fix this! 🙂

[Andrew Yoole]

If the changes you're making are inside the precomp then that's exactly right.  A precomp is an individual composition within your project.  Any layers that utilise that pre-composition as a source will contain any changes that you make within the precomp.

Except for text and shape layers, which are standalone layers with no external source, every layer in After Effects relates to a source element in the project.  Sources can be video, audio or graphic files, solids, or (in your case) other compositions.  

When you split a layer you don't create any new sources.  The source for both layers remains the same precomp. So if you edit something in the precomp, it will be reflected in both split layers in your main comp.

[ThomasBenstem]

Thank you!

do you know if there is an easy way tobe able to make changes?

Like in FCPX (where precomp is called compound clip) you can duplicat it and "reference as new parent clip" and then the changes wont effect the original compound clip. 🙂

[Ali Jaber · Accepted solution]

Just duplicate your precomp layer in the project panel ( ctrl+d), select the top splitted layer in the timeline, alt + drag your duplicated precomp layer from the project panel to the composition window or the timeline, this will replace the selected layer in the timeline with the dragged layer from the project panel.

[ThomasBenstem]

Awsome! Thank you! That did the trick!