Timeline reference
Every part of the timeline: header, lanes, clips, diamonds, curves, menus, marquee, nudge, copy and paste, filter.
This page lists every part of the timeline and what you can do with it. For a guided introduction, see Keyframes and easing curves. Show or hide the timeline with ⌥⌘1.
Header
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| Play / pause | Plays the scene (Space when you're not typing, ⌥⌘P anywhere) |
| Clock | The playhead time and the total duration (the total steps aside in a narrow timeline) |
| Previous keyframe / Next keyframe | Moves the playhead to the neighbouring keyframe |
| Keyframe diamond | Adds or removes a keyframe at the playhead on the selected lane; filled when one is there |
Component path
While a component is open: ‹ Main timeline › ◆ Card › ◆ Button. ‹ Main timeline goes back to the scene, a crumb goes back to its level, and the last item is where the lanes and clock come from. The middle folds into “…” when narrow.
Filter bar
Shown once a scene has more than eight layers, or while a filter is set.
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| Filter by name or kind | Narrows the lanes by name, or by kind with kind:path, kind:text, kind:instance …; esc clears |
| Count | “400 layers”, or “12 of 400” while filtering |
| Expand all groups / Collapse all groups | Opens or closes every group |
Ruler and playhead
The ruler band shows time; the playhead is an accent pill with the time and a thin line through the lanes. Click or drag in the ruler to scrub.
Lanes
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| Icon and name | The layer, indented under its group |
| Group chevron | Opens or closes a group; a closed group is one clip carrying its subtree |
| ◆ and component name | An instance; double-click to open the component |
| ↔ / ↕ badge | A group with Auto Layout (row or column); hover for its direction and gap |
| Lock | The layer is locked for AI |
| Eye (on hover) | Hide in Preview / Show in Preview: hides the layer on the stage while you work (a view setting, not an edit) |
| Color label | A label you set from the lane menu |
| Click | Selects the layer; ⇧- or ⌘-click adds or removes it from the selection |
Clips
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Drag a clip | Moves the layer's motion in time |
| Drag an edge | Stretches or shortens it (springs stretch with it) |
| Snapping | Edges snap to the playhead and, with music, to beats (you feel a tick) |
| ⌥-drag on a clip | Selects keyframes instead of moving the clip |
| Instance clip (magenta) | Drag to move the component's clock; the tooltip shows start, length and speed |
| Action bar | Drag to move, drag the right edge to change the length |
| Video filmstrip | Drag to move the clip's start, drag an edge to trim |
Keyframe diamonds
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Click | Selects the diamond |
| Drag | Moves the selected diamonds together |
| Drag on empty lane space | Marquee over diamonds, across lanes (also lanes scrolled out of view) |
| ⌥-drag | Marquee even over clips |
| ⇧-drag | Adds to the selection |
| ← / → | Nudge one frame; ⇧ ten frames |
| ⌘C / ⌘X / ⌘V | Copy, cut, paste at the playhead on the selected layer |
| ⌫ | Delete the selected diamonds |
Curve rows
Click Curves in the toolbar: under the selected lane, one row per animated property (opacity, y …) with a glyph per segment. Click a segment to open the curve editor (Tween or Spring). Segments whose start and end values are equal have no glyph.
Selected layer toolbar
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| Action | Adds a ready-made motion at the playhead |
| Curves | Shows the curve rows |
| Keyframe | Adds a keyframe at the playhead |
| Start → Playhead | Moves the layer's motion so it starts at the playhead |
| Faster | Shortens the motion by 20 % |
| Slower | Lengthens the motion by 25 % |
| Range | The motion's span, for example 0.2–0.8 s · 600 ms |
Menus
Lane and clip menu
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| Add Keyframe at Playhead / Delete Keyframe at Playhead | On the layer's tracks |
| Move Start to Playhead | Moves the motion (or an instance's clock) to the playhead |
| Color | Recolors the layer (a group recolors its contents); More in Inspector… |
| Label | Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Pink, Gray, None |
| Use as Mask / Release Mask | Mask toggle |
| Stroke Animation | The six stroke presets for every selected stroked layer |
| Expand Group / Collapse Group, Expand All Groups / Collapse All Groups | Groups |
| Create Sub-composition | Groups the layers into one clip you can open |
| Create Component | Makes a component from the layers |
| Trace Image… | Images |
| Open Component, Go to Main Component, Detach Instance | Instances |
| Ungroup | Groups (not when the group is animated) |
With several lanes selected, the menu acts on all of them (“Create Component from 3 Layers”).
Keyframe menu
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| Curve into Keyframe | Ease Out — settles softly, Ease In-Out — calm, Ease In — accelerates away, Spring, Spring with Bounce, Linear, Hold — jump |
| Reverse Keyframes | Mirrors the times within the selection |
| Distribute Evenly | Spaces three or more moments evenly |
| Align to Playhead | Moves each lane's selection so its first key sits on the playhead |
| Copy Keyframe, Paste Keyframes at Playhead | Clipboard |
| Select All Keyframes on This Layer | Selects the lane's diamonds |
| Delete Keyframe | Removes the selection |
Action menu
Intensity (Subtle, Normal, Strong), Direction (Enter, Slide-in, Leave, Slide-out), Run to End, Duplicate, Remove.
Audio clip menu
Split at Playhead, Trim Start to Playhead, Trim End to Playhead, Fade In, Fade Out, Volume, Duplicate, Move to Voice & FX Lane / Move to Music Lane, Delete, Ripple Delete, Close Gaps on This Lane, Move First Beat to 0 s, Fit Scene to Music, Remove All Music. See Audio and music.
Big scenes
Only lanes in view are built, up to 2,000 lanes (a notice appears past that). Selecting a layer on the stage scrolls to its lane.