Introduction | Accordion Docs

Accordion folds layers into groups in the timeline, so a busy composition is easier to navigate without precomposing. It is a free micro tool in Motion Dock.

Select related layers in an open composition, then click Group. Accordion gathers them below a new null layer called the group header.

Click the group's row in Accordion to fold or unfold it. The artwork stays in the same composition.

Accordion before the first group, with Group, Fold, Unfold, Accordion, and the prompt Select layers, then Group.

Keep the timeline readable

The header names the group and stays visible when its members are folded. Folding hides timeline rows using After Effects’ shy switches. It does not turn off the layers in the composition.

Unfolding restores the members’ earlier shy switches. A layer you had already made shy stays shy. Your first layer group walks through creating and folding a small group.

Build groups inside groups

Select existing group headers and click Group to collect them inside a larger group. The indented tree mirrors that structure.

A folded parent dims its nested groups in the panel. Opening the parent brings each child back in its own open or folded state.

Title card folded with seven layers, Type indented and dimmed beneath it, and Background open.

Manage a group as a unit

Use a group’s count to select its contents. Right-click its row to rename, color, move, duplicate, solo, hide, or lock it. Optional parenting, mattes, and Group FX handle movement and compositing.

Groups are saved in the project through their header layers. Keep those headers and their comments intact. Accordion needs After Effects 2022 or later; group mattes need After Effects 2023 or later.