Adobe AFTER EFFECTS CS3 PROFESSIONAL User Manual page 192

When a keyframe is selected, information regarding its value, speed, and interpolation method are shown in the Info
panel. Different information is shown depending on whether the Timeline panel is in Graph Editor mode or layer
bar mode. You can also place the pointer over a keyframe in the Graph Editor to see some of this information.
Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) a keyframe to open its context menu. Alt-click (Windows) or
Option-click (Mac OS) two keyframes in layer bar mode to display the duration between them in the Info panel.
When the stopwatch is active for a specific property, After Effects automatically sets or changes a keyframe for the
property at the current time whenever you change property value. When the stopwatch is inactive for a property, the
property has no keyframes. If you change the value for a layer property while the stopwatch is inactive, the value
remains in effect for the duration of the layer.
If you deselect the stopwatch, all keyframes for that layer property are deleted, and the constant value for the property
becomes the value at the current time. Don't deselect the stopwatch unless you're sure that you want to permanently
delete all of the keyframes for that property.
Change the keyframe icons in layer bar mode to numbers by choosing Use Keyframe Indices in the Timeline panel
menu.
Keyframes as icons compared to keyframes as numbers
Before you make any changes to a keyframe, make sure that the current-time indicator is positioned at an existing
keyframe. If you change a property value when the current-time indicator is not at an existing keyframe, After Effects
adds a new keyframe. However, if you double-click a keyframe to modify it, the current-time indicator location is
not relevant, nor is it relevant when you change a keyframe's interpolation method.
Expressions
Expressions use a scripting language based on JavaScript to specify the values of a property and to relate properties
to one another. You can create simple expressions by connecting properties with the pick whip.
See also
"Interpolation" on page 205
"Expressions" on page 543
"About animation presets" on page 346
"Shortcuts for keyframes" on page 643
Work with the Graph Editor
The Graph Editor represents property values using a two-dimensional graph, with composition time represented
horizontally (from left to right). In layer bar mode, on the other hand, the time graph represents only the horizontal
time element, without showing a graphical, vertical representation of changing values.
To toggle between layer bar mode and Graph Editor mode, click the Graph Editor button
or press Shift+F3.
AFTER EFFECTS CS3
User Guide
in the Timeline panel
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