Adobe AFTER EFFECTS 5.5 Help Manual page 79

Adobe After Effects Help
Using Help | Contents
Renaming a layer
By default, the layer outline in the Timeline window uses the source footage names for
layers. You can rename any layer at any time. Unique layer names can help you identify
layers when you use the same source footage for more than one layer. You can switch
between displaying the original filename and the layer name you've specified; see
"Viewing the source name of a layer" on page 79.
After you rename a layer, all other layers in the composition display with brackets around
the names. Renamed layers display without brackets.
To rename a layer:
1 In the Timeline window's layer outline, select the layer you want to rename.
2 Press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS) and type a new name.
3 Press Enter or Return again to apply the new name.
Viewing the source name of a layer
The Timeline window can list a layer by the name of its source footage or by a name you
give the layer. You can switch between viewing source names and layer names. After
Effects can also display the source filename in the Info palette, which is useful when the
source footage is a still-frame sequence (because each still image has a different filename).
For information about renaming layers, see "Renaming a layer" on page 79.
To switch the type of layer name in the Timeline:
In the layer outline in the Timeline window, click the heading Source Name or Layer Name.
To see a layer source name in the Info palette:
1 Choose Window > Info if the Info palette is not already open.
2 In the Timeline window, select the layer.
3 Press Ctrl+Alt+E (Windows) or Command+Option+E (Mac OS). The name of the source
footage appears in the Info palette.
Changing layer color labels
The Timeline window uses different colored boxes as labels to indicate different kinds of
layers, such as compositions or source footage layers. Use the Edit > Label submenu to
select all layers of a particular type, either by a specific label color or to match the current
layer selection (using the Select Label Group command).
You can customize the label colors at any time for an individual layer, for all similarly
labeled layers in a composition, or at the default level.
To change a color label for an individual layer:
1 In the Timeline window, select the layer.
2 Choose Edit > Label > color name.
Note: To change all the similar labels in a composition, right-click (Windows) or Option-
click (Mac OS) the label and choose Select Label Group. Then, select a new color, as above.
To change the default color label and options for a source type:
1 Choose Edit > Preferences > Label Colors.
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Managing Layers
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