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Proportional Scrubbing in timeline

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Learn to create proportional, selection-based value changes for selected layer properties using Proportional Scrubbing.

About Proportional Scrubbing

  Use new beta features

Proportional Scrubbing is now available for testing and feedback. Try it now in After Effects (beta).

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Proportional Scrubbing lets you adjust multiple selected properties across multiple layers, distributing the value change proportionally based on the selection order.

Instead of applying the same value change to every selected property, as with standard After Effects scrubbing, proportional scrubbing creates a gradual, evenly distributed change from the first selected property to the last, enabling instant cascades, spreads, and gradient-style animation with a single drag.

Before using Proportional Scrubbing

The original state of the shape layers in the composition.

The Position properties of the shape layers are offset on the Y‑axis to stack the circles vertically.

When Proportional Scrubbing is used

Proportional Scrubbing applied to the Position properties of all shape layers to offset them along the Y-axis and stack them.

The change in Position property values in the timeline across all selected layers when Proportional Scrubbing is performed.

Use Proportional Scrubbing on selected layers

  1. Select multiple layers in the order you want the distribution to follow.

  2. Hold Cmd+Opt for macOS and Ctrl+Alt for Windows.

  3. Scrub any selected property’s hot text, such as Position, Scale, Rotation, Opacity, Effects, Shape Layer properties, etc.

  4. The distribution of values across the selected properties and layers occurs in the following way:

    • The first selected layer does not change because it receives 0% of the scrub amount.
    • The last selected layer changes by the full scrub amount, receiving 100% of the adjustment.
    • All layers in between receive proportional values, distributed according to their position in the selection order.
    Note

    When proportionally scrubbing Scale values, the scrubbing for all layers will use the Constrain Proportions setting of the last selected layer.

    The Shape layers are open and the Position property is adjusted in the timeline.
    An example where the last layer gets the full scrub, mids scale proportionally, and the first stays unchanged.

    A. The last selected layer takes the full scrub amount. B. All in‑between layers get proportionally distributed values by selection order. C. The first selected layer stays unchanged, receiving 0% of the scrub. 

    In the example above, each shape layer has a different X‑position. The first selected layer stays at its original Position value of 1082, which does not change during Proportional Scrubbing. The last selected layer is scrubbed until it reaches 1519. Based on the layers in between, After Effects distributes the movement proportionally, resulting in a spacing difference value of 437 pixels. 437 pixels here represents the total horizontal offset created between the first and last selected layers, which After Effects then uses to evenly distribute the incremental shifts across all layers in the selection.

Join the conversation in the After Effects (beta) community about Proportional Scrubbing.

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