How do you pre-compose in After Effects?

Select the layers, then choose Layer ▸ Pre-compose or press Ctrl+Shift+C (Cmd+Shift+C on Mac). Name the new composition and confirm; the layers are replaced by one composition layer.

What does pre-composing do?

It moves layers into their own composition and puts that composition back as a single layer. The group renders first and then composites as one image, so opacity, blend modes and effects apply to the whole group.

Can you time remap a pre-comp?

Yes. Enable Time Remapping on the pre-comp layer to hold, reverse or speed ramp everything inside it, independently of the parent composition's time.

Glossary

Pre-composition

Name: Premation
Author: Premation

A composition nested inside another as a single layer. Its layers render to their own buffer and composite as one unit, which is how complex scenes stay editable.

Also called Precomp, Pre-compose, Precompose, Pre-composition, Nested composition.

In After Effects

Select layers and choose Layer ▸ Pre-compose (Ctrl+Shift+C / Cmd+Shift+C). The selected layers move into a new composition, which replaces them in the timeline as a single composition layer.

In Premation

Select layers ▸ Layer ▸ Pre-compose. A nested comp's time can be remapped, and the assistant's create_precomp tool does the same thing.

Step by step

Select the layers you want to group, in the timeline or the Layers panel.
Press Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + C, or choose Layer ▸ Pre-compose…. The Layers panel's right-click menu has Pre-compose too.
Transform, fade, blend or add effects to the new composition layer, and they apply to the group as one unit.
Double-click the composition layer in the viewport to open the composition inside it and edit its layers. Shift + Esc steps back to the one you came from.
To retime the nested animation, choose Animation ▸ Time ▸ Enable Time Remapping on the pre-comp layer.

Tips

Fading overlapping layers one by one lets the overlaps show through. Pre-compose them and fade the pre-comp instead.
A pre-comp is a reference: reuse it in several places and editing the source updates every instance.
A placed composition renders at its own size with its own camera; turn on Collapse Transformations when its layers need to meet the parent's camera and lights.
Name pre-comps as you make them. A project full of "Pre-comp 1" is hard to navigate a week later.

Read the docs: Compositions

Questions

How do you pre-compose in After Effects?: Select the layers, then choose Layer ▸ Pre-compose or press Ctrl+Shift+C (Cmd+Shift+C on Mac). Name the new composition and confirm; the layers are replaced by one composition layer.
What does pre-composing do?: It moves layers into their own composition and puts that composition back as a single layer. The group renders first and then composites as one image, so opacity, blend modes and effects apply to the whole group.
Can you time remap a pre-comp?: Yes. Enable Time Remapping on the pre-comp layer to hold, reverse or speed ramp everything inside it, independently of the parent composition's time.

Related terms

Keep exploring

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