1. After Effects Master Properties Review
2. Master Realty Properties
3. After Effects Master Properties
4. Master Properties Minnesota
5. After Effects Master Properties Cheat

Essential Properties work as primary controls that allow you to access layer and effect properties of a composition when it is nested in another composition. This can be time-saving when you build complex animations across multiple nested compositions as you don't have to open separate precompositions to view their properties. Essential Properties can override their original values and keyframes, which allows you to reuse the same composition as multiple instances with different values.The source composition remains the same, your edits only create instances that you can render after editing your comp. Refer to the Glossary of terms for a list of terms used to explain Essential Properties.

To create Essential Properties, in the Essential Graphics panel, add properties from a nested composition, or nest the composition (Layer > Precompose) after you add the properties. For more information on the property types supported by the Essential Graphics panel, see Types of supported controls. Once you nest the composition, the Timeline panel displays the Essential Properties group of the precomposition layer.

Link Properties with the Property Link Pick Whip in After Effects. Introduction to Master Properties in After Effects (youtube.com). The new-ish feature of Master Properties in AE makes duplicating precomps obsolete for many cases. Especially when it comes to incorporating changes down the line. I've had projects in the past where Master Properties would have saved me HOURS of work doing all this duplication.

The core workflow to create Essential Properties is similar to how you create controls for a Motion Graphics template. The difference is how you use the properties - whether you use the essential properties on a precomposition in After Effects or on a Motion Graphics template in Premiere Pro.

Refer to the glossary of terms (existing and new) to understand the commonly used terms when you work with compositions and Essential Properties:

Nest: To place a composition inside other composition.

Precomposition: A composition that is nested inside another composition in a project.

When a composition, for example - Comp A is placed inside another composition, for example - Comp B, Comp A becomes the Parent composition which contains Comp B - the Child composition.

A composition you set as Primary in the Essential Graphics panel is the Primary composition. For a primary composition, when you add a layer or effect property from the Timeline to the Essential Graphics panel, the property is called the Essential
property.

The layer or effect property that a essential property refers to.

An essential property of a precomposition when the source property is not modified

An Essential Property of a precomposition when the source property is modified.

To change the value, keyframe, or expression of an expression property on a precomposition.

Linked properties - When you nest a primary composition, the Essential Properties of that precomposition link to the source properties. For example, if Comp B is nested in Comp A, the effect and layer properties of Comp B are the source properties. From Comp B, the properties that you add to the Essential Graphics panel are the Essential Properties. When you modify the source properties, essential properties of the precomposition also change.

Unlinked properties - When you modify Essential Properties of the precomposition, however, they become unlinked. Unlinking creates an instance of the primary composition. You can modify both the essential properties and the source properties independently.

When you modify an Essential Property, it overrides the value or keyframes of the source property. The precomposition is a unique instance of the primary composition and only this instance renders with the modified value or keyframes.

When you modify a essential property, the Pull and Push buttons in the Timeline panel are enabled, and the name of the essential property turns bold. These are the indications that a property is unlinked.

The Pull and Push buttons relink an essential property with the source property. There are Pull and Push buttons for each essential property, and for the entire Essential Properties group.

• Pull discards the modified value, keyframes, and expression of a essential property.
• Push applies the modified value, keyframes, and expression of a essential property to the source property.

After you click either the Pull or Push button, essential properties again link to their source properties, and disable the Pull and Push buttons.

When you push a modified essential property back to source property, all instances of the same primary composition are updated if the same essential property is linked. For example, you create a primary composition for a credit roll and nest it multiple times, and modify the color essential property on only one of the precompositions. When you push the new color value back to source value, all instances of the primary composition render with the new color value.

• To relink multiple Essential Properties of a precomposition with their source properties:

Select the specific essential properties and click the Pull or Push button on the Essential Properties group.

• To relink all essential properties of a precomposition with their source properties:

Deselect all Essential Properties in the Timeline panel and click the Pull or Push button on the Essential Properties group.

In the context of a parent composition, you cannot use the Type tools to modify Source Text essential properties in the Composition panel.

To modify the text string of a Source Text essential property, do either of the following:

• Right-click the Source Text essential property and select Edit Value. Edit the text string in the dialog, then click OK.
• Apply an expression to the Source Text essential property. Ensure to include double quotes around the new string. For example, 'She sells seashells by the sea shore.'

From the course: After Effects CC 2019 Essential Training: Motion Graphics

After Effects Master Properties Review

From the course: After Effects CC 2019 Essential Training: Motion Graphics

Course Transcript

- [Instructor] Master Properties are a great new workflow addition to After Effects and can dramatically change how you work. They work along with the Essential Graphics panel and offer users a method for both overriding and versioning. This means that we can tweak existing animation non-destructively and create different versions of an animation without having to create duplicate compositions first. Let me show you what I mean. In this example, I have a box, and I'm going to animate it moving from left to right. So with layer one selected, I'll hit p and insert a keyframe. Down at one second later, I'm going to nudge this over to the right-hand side. And here's our simple animation. Now I'd like to take this Position parameter and add into my Essential Graphics panel. If you don't already have this open, you can find it here under Window, Essential Graphics. Now I'm going to define the master comp here by selecting my Box Move from this drop-down list, and now I can add my Position…

Practice while you learn with exercise files

Master Realty Properties

Download the files the instructor uses to teach the course. Follow along and learn by watching, listening and practicing.

Download the exercise files for this course. Get started with a free trial today.

After Effects Master Properties

Download courses and learn on the go

Master Properties Minnesota

Watch courses on your mobile device without an internet connection. Download courses using your iOS or Android LinkedIn Learning app.

After Effects Master Properties Cheat

Watch this course anytime, anywhere. Get started with a free trial today.