Use keyframes to animate layer properties (Photoshop Extended)



You can animate different layer properties, such as Position, Opacity, and Style. Each change can occur independently of, or simultaneously with, other changes. If you want to animate different objects independently, it’s best to create them on separate layers.

For a video on creating animations from images, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0024.

Here are some examples of how you can animate layer properties:

  • You can animate position by adding a keyframe to the Position property, then moving the current time indicator and dragging the layer in the document window.

  • You can animate a layer’s opacity by adding a keyframe to the Opacity property, then moving the current time indicator and changing the layer’s opacity in the Layers panel.

  • You can animate 3D properties, such as object and camera position. (For more information, see Create 3D animations (Photoshop Extended).)

To animate a property using keyframes, you must set at least two keyframes for that property. Otherwise, changes that you make to the layer property remain in effect for the duration of the layer.

Each layer property has a Time‑Vary stopwatch icon  that you click to begin animating. When the stopwatch is active for a specific property, Photoshop automatically sets new keyframes whenever you change the current time and the property value. When the stopwatch is inactive for a property, the property has no keyframes. If you type a value for a layer property while the stopwatch is inactive, the value remains in effect for the duration of the layer. If you deselect the stopwatch, you will permanently delete all of the keyframes for that property.

Choose interpolation method (Photoshop Extended)

Interpolation (sometimes called tweening) describes the process of filling in unknown values between two known values. In digital video and film, interpolation usually means generating new values between two keyframes. For example, to move a graphic element 50 pixels to the left in 15 frames, you’d set the position of the graphic in the first and 15th frames, and mark them both as keyframes. Photoshop interpolates the frames between the two keyframes. Interpolation between keyframes can be used to animate movement, opacity, styles, and global lighting.

In the Animation panel, the appearance of a keyframe depends on the interpolation method you choose for the interval between keyframes.

Linear keyframe 
Evenly changes the animated property from one keyframe to another. (The one exception is the Layer Mask Position property which switches between enabled and disabled states abruptly.)

Hold keyframe 
Maintains the current property setting. This interpolation method is useful for strobe effects, or when you want layers to appear or disappear suddenly.

To choose the interpolation method for a keyframe, do the following:

  1. In the Animation panel, select one or more keyframes.
  2. Do one of the following:

    • Right-click a selected keyframe and choose either Linear Interpolation or Hold Interpolation from the Context menu.

    • Open the Animation panel menu and choose either Keyframe Interpolation > Linear or Keyframe Interpolation > Hold.

Move the current-time indicator to a keyframe (Photoshop Extended)

After you set the initial keyframe for a property, Photoshop displays the keyframe navigator, which you can use to move from keyframe to keyframe or to set or remove keyframes. When the keyframe navigator diamond is active (yellow), the current-time indicator lies precisely at a keyframe for that layer property. When the keyframe navigator diamond is inactive (gray), the current-time indicator lies between keyframes. When arrows appear on each side of the keyframe navigator box, other keyframes for that property exist on both sides of the current time.

 Click a keyframe navigator arrow. The arrow to the left moves the current-time indicator to the previous keyframe. The arrow to the right moves the current-time indicator to the next keyframe.

Select keyframes (Photoshop Extended)

 In the Animation panel, do any of the following:

  • To select a keyframe, click the keyframe icon.

  • To select multiple keyframes, Shift-click the keyframes or drag a selection marquee around the keyframes.

  • To select all keyframes for a layer property, click the layer property name next to the stopwatch icon.

Move keyframes (Photoshop Extended)

  1. Select one or more keyframes.
  2. Drag any of the selected keyframe icons to the desired time. (If you selected multiple keyframes, they move as a group and maintain the same time spacing.)
To expand or compress the spacing of multiple keyframes, Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac OS) the first or last keyframe in the selection. The keyframe at the opposite end of the selection remains in place as you drag, slowing down or speeding up the animation.

Copy and paste keyframes (Photoshop Extended)

You can copy keyframes for a property (such as Position) to the same property in any layer. When you paste keyframes, they reflect the copied offset from the current-time indicator.

You can copy keyframes from only one layer at a time. When you paste keyframes into another layer, they appear in the corresponding property in the destination layer. The earliest keyframe appears at the current time, and the other keyframes follow in relative order. The keyframes remain selected after pasting, so you can immediately move them in the timeline.

Note: You can copy and paste keyframes between more than one property at a time.
  1. In the Animation panel, display the layer property containing the keyframes you want to copy.
  2. Select one or more keyframes.
  3. Right-click a selected keyframe, and choose Copy Keyframes.
  4. In the Animation panel containing the destination layer, move the current-time indicator to the point in time where you want the keyframes to appear.
  5. Select the destination layer.
  6. Open the Animation panel menu and choose Paste Keyframes.

Delete keyframes (Photoshop Extended)

 Select one or more keyframes and do one of the following:

  • Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) a selected keyframe, and choose Delete Keyframes from the context menu.

  • From the Animation panel menu, choose Delete Keyframes.