Pro TimelineDownload
promad.design

Layer groups for After Effects

Make room for motion.

Pro Timeline brings clear structure to your busiest After Effects compositions. Organize related layers into groups, collapse the busy parts, and move whole groups in time together.

Download Pro TimelineSee it in action
Version
1.0 in beta
Host
After Effects 2024 (24.0) or newer
Platforms
macOS and Windows
Price
Free for personal and commercial work

See it in action

Try the panel right here.

  • Drag a group bar to move every member and its keyframes.
  • Press ⊟ or ⊞ to collapse or expand a group in the timeline.
  • Shift-click loose layers, then + Group.
Pro TimelineProduct launch
0:00:02:12
Layer
0s1s2s3s4s5s6s7s8s9s
Cursor1
Tap ripple2
Title card33
Headline4
Subhead5
Title plate6
Phone mockup37
Screen UI8
Phone frame9
Soft shadow10
Logo sting11
Camera12
Background13
Product launch13 layers · 2 groups · 10 visible in timeline

Interactive illustration of the panel with sample layers, not a screenshot. Fold hides rows in the panel; collapse hides them in the After Effects timeline.

What it does

Clear structure for complex timelines.

  1. 01 · Group

    Organize related layers into clear groups.

    Select layers and press + Group. A header layer is added above them and the members are parented to it, so a whole group selects, solos, locks and relabels as one.

  2. 02 · Collapse

    Collapse groups to keep complex timelines readable.

    Collapsing hides a group's members in the After Effects timeline and keeps its header in view. Expanding brings every layer back as it was, including layers you set to shy yourself.

  3. 03 · Move

    Shift whole groups in time together.

    Drag a group bar in the panel's track area. Every member and its keyframes move by the same frame-snapped offset, in one undo step.

Under the hood

Made to hold up in real projects.

After Effects has no native layer folders. Pro Timeline builds groups from ordinary layers, parenting and shy switches, so your project stays standard After Effects.

  • Keyed to layer ids

    Groups follow After Effects' persistent layer ids, not names or positions. Rename, reorder and write expressions freely.

  • Saved with the project

    Group data lives in the project's metadata and travels with the .aep. Per-layer tags let groups be recovered if that data is lost.

  • One undo per action

    Grouping, collapsing, relabelling and moving in time each land as a single step in After Effects' undo history.

  • Whole-group switches

    Solo, lock, hide, relabel or select every layer in a group from its header row.

  • Built for dense comps

    A virtualised outline and one script round-trip per action. Tested against 500-layer compositions.

  • Quiet update notice

    The panel checks GitHub once on launch and notes a newer version in its status bar. No project data is sent.

Installation guide

Install in three steps.

Pro Timeline ships as a signed .zxp extension. The ZXP/UXP Installer puts it in the right place on macOS and Windows.

Host
After Effects 2024 (24.0) or newer
Platforms
macOS and Windows
Price
Free for personal and commercial work
Download Pro TimelineZXP/UXP Installer
  1. 1

    Download the installer file

    Get com.promad.protimeline.zxp from the download button or from GitHub Releases.

  2. 2

    Install it with the ZXP/UXP Installer

    Install the free aescripts ZXP/UXP Installer, then drag the .zxp file onto its window.

  3. 3

    Open the panel

    Restart After Effects, open the panel from the Window menu and dock it beside your timeline.

    Window › Extensions › Pro Timeline

  4. The panel checks GitHub once when it opens and notes a newer version in its status bar. Download the new file here and install it the same way.

Changelog

What's new

All releases on GitHub

1.0.0

BetaFirst public release, in beta testing
  • Layer groups for the After Effects timeline: group, collapse, solo, lock, relabel and select whole groups of layers, each in one undo step.
  • Group membership keyed by After Effects' persistent layer ids, so reordering and expressions keep working.
  • Groups are saved in the project's XMP metadata and travel with the .aep; per-layer tags let groups be recovered if that data is lost.
  • Track area beside the outline: time ruler, playhead, layer bars, keyframe marks and group bars. Drag a bar to move a layer, the selection or a whole group in time.

Questions

Good to know

Is Pro Timeline free?

Yes. You can use it on any number of computers for personal and commercial work, including client projects. It is proprietary freeware, so please link to this page rather than re-sharing the installer.

Does it add native folders to After Effects?

No. After Effects has no native layer folders. Each group is a null header layer with its members parented to it. Collapsing a group marks its members shy and turns on Hide Shy Layers; expanding restores each layer's previous shy state.

What happens if I open the project without the panel?

Everything is ordinary After Effects: header nulls, parenting and shy switches stay as they were. Collaborators without Pro Timeline can open and render the project as usual.

Does it replace the timeline?

No. Pro Timeline is a dockable panel that sits beside the After Effects timeline. It shows an outline of the active comp with a compact track area for moving layers and groups in time.

Where do I report a bug?

Open an issue on GitHub with your After Effects version, operating system and the steps that led to the problem. Open GitHub Issues