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chloey71918450
New Participant
September 18, 2018
Question

how do i copy and paste something in frames without creating a new layer

  • September 18, 2018
  • 3 replies
  • 3552 views

Recently ive been working on an animation in Photoshop and I've been copying and pasting objects into the next frame to speed up the process. It was pasting into the next frame, but now suddenly it keeps creating a new layer instead when I hit paste. And merging layers wont work because otherwise the video layer converts into a normal layer and clipping masks wont work either. I desperately need answers as soon as possible (before this Friday).

[Title edited by moderator for clarity to include “in frames”]

3 replies

New Participant
February 20, 2025

Having this problem.  Idk if there's a setting I need to tick or what

 

Conrad_C
Community Expert
February 20, 2025

If you want to copy the frame (the animation) without copying the layers (the content), then do not copy the content. Copying and pasting always copies the content, so pasting creates duplicate layers. This isn’t what you want.

 

Instead, duplicate the frame with the [+] button at the bottom of the animation Timeline panel, and then edit the new frame. Duplicating the frame gives you another instance in time (animation) without duplicating any layers (content).

 

New Participant
February 20, 2025

I am pasting an asset from Illustrator into a blank keyframe of an existing timeline in Animate (I'm a professional, I've done this many times).  Lately, Animate insists on generating a new layer and pasting the asset to frame 1 of that layer.  How can I simply paste the asset to the intended keyframe?  

JJMack
Community Expert
September 18, 2018

The only way I have seen paste, paste into and existing layer is when the existing layer is empty.  When you pasted into the  next frame. Was that in a frame animation that you had create a next fame for the paste using empty layer.  How do you past into the next frame in a video timeline. Where is the next frame in a video timeline where you have video layers that have many frames in them. Paste is into a layer not into a frame. If you creat a new next frame in frame animation currently visible in the layers palette is the content of the frame's composite image the same as the previous frame. if  you then do a paste a new top layer is added and is visible so its content is added the frame's composite.

JJMack
Grigor Poghosyan
Participating Frequently
September 18, 2018

Make sure you are selecting correct pasting layer (background , frame etc. )