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I have imported a layered Photoshop file into After Effects as a layered comp with several .psd "footage" layers.

I've created and edited the comps within the 20s main comp with animations and effects. Now I need to extend the static layers(all 7s) to the length of the main comp(20s).

I've tried dragging to extend their regions and right-clicking > Time > Enable Time Remapping(this allows me to extend the region with keyframes, but the content still ends short of the comp length).

When I right-click the static layer and click "Open Layer Source", the preview shows the layer region extending to the same time as in the timeline...

layer region length

but the green render bar only goes to 5s...

layer render bar

I can see this when I drag the playhead in the main comp timeline—the layers with this problem disappear at 5s even though their regions extend to 7s.

1. I need to get these layer regions to extend the length of my 20s comp.

2. It seems like the layer source only goes to 5s when I "Open Layer Source", so even if the region goes to 20s, the 'content' only goes to 5s.

How can I extend everything to 20s without reimporting everything and doing all of my keyframes/animations/effects over again?

Or is there a way to reimport those layers, but keep all of my keyframes/animations/effects.

Using the latest Photoshop CC 2015.5 & After Effects CC v2015.3.

5 Answers 5

4

Open the imported comps. Not in the layer source window, just as comps (i.e. double click from the project panel).

Go to the composition settings menu and change the duration to whatever you want.

Drag the out-points of all the layers to the end of the comp (hint, press the end key on your keyboard and then with all the layers selected hit alt+]).

In your main composition you will now be able to drag the end of the photoshop comps to their new length.

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  • thanks for the reply. Unfortunately the PSD that I'm importing creates comps for layer groups, and .psd layers for regular layers, see here, i.imgur.com/DJBPeT5.png, so I can't open those layers(as I would comps) and change their duration. That's essentially my question: how do I extend the duration of non-comp, imported, PSD layers?
    – dmoz
    Jun 27, 2016 at 15:37
  • You'll be still able to drag out the end of those layers, even though it says they are of a specific duration.
    – stib
    Jul 15, 2021 at 7:16
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If I'm understanding your situation correctly...

two options:

  1. Place your cursor over the very end of the layer bar in the timeline. It should be a horizontal double ended arrow cursor. Drag to the right to extend the layer to the end of the comp.

  2. Select the layer. Move the playhead to the end of the timeline. Alt ] (that's: Alt 'right sqaure bracket')

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  • Already tried both but they're not working. That's why I asked the question. Thanks.
    – dmoz
    Jun 27, 2016 at 23:21
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I had the same issue. Time remapping worked for me. When you Time Remap, it adds Time Remap keyframes to your layers. enter image description here

Then you can extend your layer bar as you usually do.

And finally drag Time Remap keyframes to the end of the comp. enter image description here

That worked for me and didn't stretch the time.

Hope it will work for you as well.

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here's what worked for me. Go to the layers, Right click on the static image/file, Click on time remap, and you should be able to extend the duration of the fixed image!

hope this helps.

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I had this happen to me when importing a single .png. No matter what I did once the file was in AE, I just couldn't adjust it. Turns out that when you import a .png there is an option to import as a "PNG Sequence" at the bottom of the import file dialog. It was checked. So, I unchecked it. POW, worked like a charm. Imported PNG assumed the full length of the composition when I dropped it in.

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