In this post, you will learn how to quickly and efficiently copy and paste layers at the current time in Adobe After Effects using a simple keyboard shortcut. Let’s dive right in!
Let’s open up Adobe After Effect and for this example, I’m going to select my UKRAMEDIA.COM text layer in my timeline. I will copy the selected text layer with the copy keyboard shortcut (CTRL+C on a PC or CMD+C on a Mac).
Next, I want to paste the UKRAMEDIA.COM text layer we just copied right to the location of my current time indicator. We can do that by pasting the UKRAMEDIA.COM text layer in our timeline with the keyboard shortcut CTRL+V on a PC or CMD+V on a MAC.
However, pasting the UKRAMEDIA.COM text layer inside of our timeline is not a very efficient solution because it will paste whatever we copied right at the beginning of our own timeline, not at the current time indicator.
I guess we can click and drag the UKRAMEDIA.COM text layer and shift snap it to the time indicator but that’s one too many steps.
There is a much quicker and easier way to do this. I promise! Let me show you.
Paste Layers At Current Time Keyboard Shortcut
Next, we are going to use paste layer at a current time using a keyboard shortcut CTRL+ALT+V on a PC or CMD+ALT+V on a MAC.
As you can see, this keyboard shortcut will place the text layer right at the location of our current time indicator.
Applying Paste Layers At Current Time Keyboard Shortcut on Multiple Layers
The paste layers at the current time keyboard shortcut can also work on multiple layers in the After Effects timeline. For example, I can select the two layers in my After Effects timeline and copy them with the copy keyboard shortcut we used earlier (CTRL+C on a PC or CMD+C on a Mac.)
Then I can paste the two selected layers with the paste at the current time indicator keyboard shortcut we used earlier (CTRL+ALT+V on a PC or CMD+ALT+V on a MAC). As you can see both of my selected layers are not placed right at your current time indicator
I hope you found this After Effects Tip useful. You can check out all of our Tips on our website. Also, make sure to subscribe to our email list!
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