Move the current-time indicator

The most basic way of previewing frames is to manually preview by moving or dragging the current-time indicator.

The time ruler visually represents the time dimension of a composition, a layer, or a footage item. In a Layer or Footage panel, the time ruler appears near the bottom of the panel. For a Composition panel, the time ruler appears in the corresponding Timeline panel. The time rulers in different panels represent different durations. The time ruler in a Layer or Footage panel represents the duration of the contents of that panel; the time ruler in the Timeline panel represents the duration of the entire composition.

On a time ruler, the current-time indicator indicates the frame you are viewing or modifying.

Current-time indicator in the time ruler in the Timeline panel (left) and in the Layer panel (right)

  • To go forward or backward one frame, click the Next Frame   or Previous Frame  button in the Preview panel, or press Page Down or Page Up.

  • To go forward or backward ten frames, Shift-click the Next Frame or Previous Frame button, or press Shift+Page Down or Shift+Page Up.

  • To go forward a specific period of time or number of frames, click the current-time display, and then enter the plus sign (+) followed by the timecode or number of frames to advance. For example, enter +20 to go forward 20 frames or 1:00 to go forward one second. Precede the value by the minus sign (-) to go backward. For example, enter +-20 to go backward 20 frames or +-1:00 to go backward one second.

  • To go to the first or last frame, click the First Frame  or Last Frame  button in the Preview panel, or press Home or End.

  • To go to the first or last frame of the work area, press Shift+Home or Shift+End.

  • To go to a specific frame, click in the time ruler; click the current-time display in the Footage, Layer, Composition, or Timeline panel; or press Alt+Shift+J (Windows) or Option+Shift+J (Mac OS).

  • Shift-drag the current-time indicator to snap to keyframes, markers, In and Out points, the beginning or end of the composition, or the beginning or end of the work area.

Jeff Almasol provides a script that creates a panel with controls for moving the current-time indicator to different times in the composition. The panel provides buttons for jumping a specific number of frames forward or back from the current time, as well as buttons for capturing different times and jumping to them easily. For more information, go to Jeff Almasol’s redefinery website.