Copy a Nest and be able to edit it without changing the original nest

[AlteredDom7]

Hi All

Anyone know if there's a way to copy/duplicate a nest and be able to edit it without changing the original nest?

I created an animated lower third, nested it and thought I'd be able to use it as a template, only to find out that when I changed the title in the nest copy, it also changed the original nest.  And to be perfectly clear, I did use "new title based on current title" when I stepped into the nest copy.

My work-around (just so I get the project delivered) was to just not include the title in the nest.  Obviously I know you can duplicate a sequence and edit it without affecting the original so why not a nest?? 

I've been on Premiere Pro CC for about 3 months now but after 18 years on Avid Media Composer I was used to building lower thirds, collapsing them into submasters, copying and pasting them, then just stepping in and changing the text.  So I'm a bit baffled that I can't seem to find a way to accomplish this.

Any insight into this would be greatly appreciated.

[Meg The Dog]

AlteredDom7 wrote:

Anyone know if there's a way to copy/duplicate a nest and be able to edit it without changing the original nest?

In the project panel, select the original nest and duplicate it, then drag or edit the copy to the timeline.

If you have a title in the original nest that you want to modify it for the copy, even if you use the "New Title Based on Current Title" you'll need to replace the old one with that newly created title in the nest copy - using "New Title Based on Current Title" never replaces a title, it only creates a new one.

MtD

[AlteredDom7]

Thanks for your response...guess I should have mentioned that yes, after creating the new title I lifted the old one out and put the new one in...the result is that my original nest now had the new title as well...that's the problem!

I have done more searching since I posted my question and found that when you copy a nest it is "linked" to the original nest...which so far means I can't do what I thought it would do!

[Meg The Dog]

Try the method I posted. My nests (original and copy) are not linked and can be edited independently - at least on my system.

MtD

[AlteredDom7]

Hey thanks for your help, Meg...you must have assumed I knew to duplicate in the project window, not the sequence...I didn't know that!!  So I guess when you copy and paste a nest WITHIN the sequence the copies are linked, but when you duplicate in the project bin...there's no link!

[SundayGladiator]

So I found this thread, and feel like I'm close... !

When you say 'duplicating the nest' within the project bin, I am doing just that. I have this nested sequence, a complex text animation from Motion Array, which has layers upon layers of nested clips, the final one being the text editable.

Now I want to have a series of these sequences on a master timeline, each having unique text. But alas, when I change one, it changes the source sequence that it was copied from.

So I did the 'duplicate', but doesn't copy unique instances of all the nested clips + the text box. I have to go into the project window and copy/paste/rename all the nested clips associated with that nested clips.

My head is spinning..

Maybe there's a plug-in I'm missing here?

[joe.unsworth]

Did you ever figure this out? Having the same experience with a MotionArray template and it's nests within nests within nests! Nightmare when trying to use the same one twice... If you managed to find a workaround I'd love to hear it. Thanks in advance!

[SundayGladiator]

Hey Joe, try this..

The Quick How-To: https://motionarray.com/learn/motion-array/duplicate-elements-premiere-pro-templates/

You need to import that nifty text animation from Motion Array as a project into your main project timeline.

That way you have a separate copied instance of that animation, thereby being able to edit the text without editing the source text from the sequence you copied from.

If you need another instance of that animation with different text - import that sequence as a project again.

The key for me was to make sure to edit and change all the text in the sequence BEFORE importing another project with the same sequence again.

See how that works. 

[brad5D2C]

THIS IS THE ANSWER THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!! I just had to click the boxes like the link said to. 

[muhannad_alani · Accepted solution]

when you duplicating the nesting, you are not duplicating the Title.here is what you have to do :

1. put the graphic in a Sequence and the title .

2. nest the sequence .

3. duplicate  the nested sequence and the first title in the project window.

4. open the second nest sequence and drag with holding ALT the duplicated title to the title position in the timeline to replace the old title .

now when you edit each title will be separately  .

[ian9outof10]

muhannad_alani you're a legend! I was really stuck with this problem and your solution fixed it for ...

[muhannad_alani]

Most welcome!

[BeatrxKiddo]

Another solution that I just found is to duplicate the nested sequence in the timeline then right click the dupliacted clip and "Replace with After Effects Composition". I was able to edit/change the parts I needed without it changing the original clip. 

[muhannad_alani]

i just did it on my system, try to copy paste the nested sequence in the project bin

[AlteredDom7 · Accepted solution]

ok...I tried copying and pasting the nest in the project window and for some reason it didn't work...but what DID work was DUPLICATING the nest within the project bin, then dragging it into my sequence and swapping out the title!  So for me the answer was DO NOT copy and paste a nest WITHIN a sequence...duplicate it in the project window.

So thanks so much for the "project window" suggestion!

Have a great day!!

[muhannad_alani]

yes i mentioned that in point number 3 in my first comment

glad it worked for you

you have great day !

[AlteredDom7]

I know...that's why I tried it...I tried the copy/paste first when I should have tried the "duplicate" first!

Thanks again, man!

[fredrikj85299846]

It's bugged though. Duplicating the Bin nest for me not only misses the effects added to the sequence, it also splits the content of the nest into different tracks.

[SundayGladiator]

Anyone find a solution for this?

I'm stuck in copy/paste/rename land with nested sequences.

[jampff]

You could always just open the nest in its own timeline, change the text, and export it (as ProRes probably, with alpha if you need it). Keep that timeline as your template. Then just keep changing the text and rendering, and importing back in.

I'm thinking specifically of the folks that mentioned their Motion Array template here... of course this isn't actually what you're asking for, but will do the job. Those templates can be very complex and confusing to track which part is nested where. It can be done, and I know how to do it, but with stuff like that I'd rather not. I just did it the render way in a similar situation in After Effects... had some stock aminations I bought and comps were precomped into precomps fifty layers deep... and I just wanted the same animation twice with different text. It was so much faster to just type, render, retype, rerender.

[cmplcr]

Just tried this in Premiere Pro 2022 22.6.2 and didn't work. In my case I had nested sequences within the nested sequences. I had to create a new project only with the target secuence to duplicate (cloning template). Then copied and pasted from one project to the other. However I would first have to rename all sequences, videos and elements (added a # at the end) so that when the paste was done it created a new separate instance which I could edit freely. I hope there is a better way but that's how I solved it as a newbie on this.

[Bart111]

Just 10 minutes ago, I was looking for a solution to this problem for the 50th time.
Thank the God I found someone in Internet who know how to do that in a simple way!
I checked and it works.

Correct solution:
https://motionarray.com/learn/motion-array/duplicate-elements-premiere-pro-templates/

Here is a video explaining what and how.

Out of respect to the author who solved our problem, I am giving a link to his website instead of copying what he wrote in his tutorial.

Happy new year 🙂

[Riotearp07]

you... thank you.. so much. and much respect for sharing original tutorial

[Art Cave]

This solution is working without error for me. https://youtu.be/ypAXQH049f8

[defaulttnzib1h4hoh5]

I just found another way if it hasn't been mentioned here.

1 Duplicate nest in Project window

2 R click the duplicate - New sequence from clip

3 Make whatever changes in the new sequence

4 Drag the new sequence back into the original timeline/sequence.

You can do the same for nests inside nests too. Yippe.