Mask Stopwatch On by Default?

[kevina41766135]

90% of my masks, I'm going to be keyframing its path. So every time I make a new mask, I have to remember to click the stopwatch. Is there a way for this to just automatically happen every time I make a mask? Sometimes I forget to click the stopwatch and don't notice for a while that it hasn't been saving any of my keyframes.

[Warren Heaton]

Which version of After Effects under what operating system are you experiencing this with.

The setting for key-frames being enabled (the Time-vary Stopwatch) should remain enabled unless clicked again.

[kevina41766135]

The latest version of AE (23.4.0) and Mac OS Ventura

But this isn't a bug, this is how it's always been. The stopwatch does remain enabled for the mask after I click it. I'm asking if there's a way to have the stopwatch automatically enabled any time I make a mask, so I don't have to click the stopwatch to enable it every single time I make a new mask.

[Andrew Yoole]

No, unfortunately this isn't a controllable feature in AE. You always have to click the stopwatch first time  to activate keyftame animation. 

[Warren Heaton]

@kevina41766135 

To enable the Time-vary Stopwatch for the Mask without having to click the Time-vary Stopwatch, select the Layer(s) and press Option/Alt+M to add a Mask Path keyframe.

If the Time-vary Stopwatch is off, it will be enabled.  If the Mask property is hidden, it will also be shown.  This works for any property that has a hard-wired keyboard shortcut to show/hide it in the Timeline: "a" for Anchor Point, "p" for Position, "s" for Scale, "r" for Rotation, "t" for Opacity, "m" for Mask, and "f" for Feather.

If there is more than one Mask applied and none are selected, all Masks Paths for the selected Layer(s) will get a keyframe.  If one or more Masks are selected, only those will get a keyframe.

One caution for using Option/Alt with this keyboards shortcuts:  They work even if a Layer is locked.  As long as the Layer remains locked, the resulting keyframe values cannot be edited, but the Time-vary Stopwatch is active.

For a brief time, an Auto-Animate Composition Switch existed, located near the other Comp Switches next to Shy, Frame Blending, Motion Blur, and Graph Editor.  If enabled, editing any property enabled the Stopwatch and added a keyframe.  It did not stay around very long.

[kevina41766135]

Thank you for the very thorough answer, this will at least save me a click or two. Maybe there's a plugin or something out there that defaults the stopwatch on for new masks, but I can manage until that day comes.

[Warren Heaton]

This keyboard shortcut is the exact same result as clicking the Stopwatch.