After Effects CC 2022: How To Use Essential Properties

Description:
This tutorial will show you how to use Essential Properties and the Essential Properties Panel in Adobe After Effects CC 2022. The benefit of using Essential Properties is to make it easy to change properties of a Pre-Comp or Nested Comp without ever leaving the Main Comp.

Keyboard Shortcuts:
Deselect all layers (F2)
Search for Properties: Cmd/Ctrl + F

Chapters:
00:15 Why use Essential Properties?
00:25 Open Pre-Comp or Nested Clip
00:30 Open Essential Graphics Panel
00:37 Twirl open layers & select properties
00:46 Add Source Text property to Essential Graphics Panel
00:56 Add Text Color Overlay Layer Style
01:21 Add Text Color to Essential Graphics Panel
01:28 Search For Properties (Cmd/Ctrl + F)
01:44 Rename labels in the Essential Graphics Panel
01:53 Search for all color properties (Cmd/Ctrl + F))
02:17 Re-arrange or Delete labels in the Essential Graphics Panel
02:35 Enter ‘Name’ for Essential Graphics Panel
02:47 What is ‘Solo Supported Properties?’
03:00 Essentials Properties in the Layers Panel
03:34 How to add additional properties

Software Used:
Adobe After Effects CC 2022 (Click To Try or Buy)

How To Use Essential Properties in Adobe After Effects CC 2022:

  1. Open Main Composition that contains a Pre-Comp or Nested Comp
  2. Double-click on Pre-Comp to open a new tab in the Layers Panel
  3. Open Essential Graphics Panel (Window…Essential Graphics)
  4. Twirl open the Text layer
  5. Select Source Text property
  6. Drag the ‘Source Text’ property Essential Graphics Panel (this will allow you to change the text)
  7. Right-click on the text layer and select ‘Layer Styles’…Color Overlay
  8. Change the default red to the preferred color
  9. Click on Color Property and drag to Essential Graphics Panel
  10. Click in the Layers Panel search field or Use Cmd/Ctrl + F to search for properties
  11.  Drag any supported property to the Essential Graphics Panel
  12. Click on any property in the Essential Graphics Panel to  change the label
  13. Click and drag to re-arrange properties
  14. Select and tap the ‘Delete’ key to remove a property
  15. Click in the ‘Name’ field to give the Essential Graphics Panel  for the Pre-comp a name
  16. Click on ‘Solo Supported Properties’ to expand all layers
  17. Click on ‘Solo Supported Properties’ to collapse  all layers
  18. Close down Pre-Comp 
  19. Twirl open the Pre-Comp layer in the Main Comp and notice ‘Essential Properties’
  20. Twirl open Essentials Properties to reveal all of the same properties in the ESG Panel
  21. To add additional properties, double-click on Pre-Comp and drag it into the Essential Graphics Pane.