Main controls
| Control or gesture | Result |
|---|---|
| Copy | Duplicates each selected precomp layer directly above its original and gives the new layer a copied source tree. New layers are selected; the original precomp layers are deselected. |
| Alt-click Copy | Replaces each selected precomp layer’s source with a copied tree. See Copy in place. |
| Depth chip | Click to move from All to 1 level to Pick. Entering Pick opens its list. Click a closed Pick chip to edit the choices; click the chip while that list is open to return to All. |
| Right-click Copy or the depth chip | Opens the depth menu. This works even when the slot is too small to show the chip. |
| Done checkmark in Unique copies | Closes the list. Clicking outside also closes it. |
On macOS, Option is Alt. Shift, Cmd, and Ctrl add no separate Copycat actions. Escape has no Copycat action for closing the Pick list.
The tile is disabled while a copy is running. A success badge shows the number of comps created, and a toast identifies the copied source or source count. It also reports nested comps, any retargeted expressions, and skipped locked layers when applicable. Failure messages are listed in Troubleshooting.
Depth
| Chip | Right-click menu | What gets copied |
|---|---|---|
| All | All nested comps | The selected source comp and every comp nested beneath it. This is the default. |
| 1 level | 1 level | Only the selected source comp. All nested comp sources stay shared with the original. The compact chip reads 1. |
| Pick | Pick nested comps… | The selected source comp, the nested comps you check, and the parents needed to reach them. |
The session’s initial depth comes from Settings. Chip and menu changes do not change that saved default. Pick choices are session choices, rather than a saved Depth option.
The Pick guide explains the list’s checkboxes, counts, and repeated-comp rows.
Which selection Copycat uses
Copycat first looks for selected precomp layers in the active composition. An unlocked precomp layer is usable. If any selected precomp layers are found, including locked ones, that Timeline selection takes priority over Project panel comps.
When no selected precomp layers are found, Copycat uses selected comps in the Project panel. It ignores non-comp project items. Selecting only a footage, text, or shape layer does not make that layer a copy target.
Copy comps from the Project panel
- Deselect precomp layers in the active composition, including locked precomp layers.
- Select one or more comps in the Project panel.
- Choose a depth and click Copy.
The copies appear as new Project panel items. Copycat adds no layers to the open composition and does not replace existing layers. You do not need an open composition for this workflow. Alt-click gives the same result as clicking.
Each selected layer or project comp gets a separate copied tree. Within one tree, a nested comp used several times is copied once, and those uses point to that single copy.
Hover preview
Hover Copy to inspect the current selection. The count includes the top comp and all nested comps the current depth will copy.
Filled dots represent copied comps. Outlined dots represent comps that stay shared. The miniature shows at most four rows and five dots per row, so use the count for the total.
The preview refreshes when you enter the tile, open Pick, or complete a copy. It does not continuously watch your After Effects selection. Move off the tile and hover it again after changing the selection. Smaller slots shorten or hide the preview.
Sources and expressions
Copied comp layers are reconnected to their corresponding copied comps. Footage, solid sources, and other non-comp sources remain shared. Layer edits inside copied comps are independent, but editing a shared source affects every layer using it. Copycat does not duplicate source files on disk.
Inside copied comps, Copycat updates literal references such as comp("Text animation") and comp('Text animation') when that named comp was copied and renamed in the same tree. The toast counts expressions changed, rather than individual references. Original comps’ expressions are left as they were.
Expressions outside the copied comps are not rewritten. Computed names such as comp(prefix + "Title") are not retargeted. Name matching cannot distinguish two original comps with identical names, so use distinct original comp names when expressions depend on them. Check expression results after copying. Keeping nested names unchanged with Rename Children Too off also leaves those name-based references ambiguous.
Locked layers inside a copied comp are temporarily unlocked when needed to reconnect sources or update expressions, then locked again. This does not make a locked selected Timeline precomp eligible for copying.
Each copy action is one After Effects undo step, named Copycat: Copy N, where N is the total number of comps copied.
Resizing Copycat
Copycat starts in a half-width slot and also supports full width. In Edit layout, drag the slot’s resize handle to change its shape.
A short row puts the depth chip beside Copy. Taller slots put it underneath. Roomy slots also show the modifier hint.
Narrow slots hide the tile label and preview. At the smallest sizes, the depth chip can disappear too. Right-click the Copycat icon to choose depth, and Alt-click it to copy in place.
Tiny slots suppress tooltips. Enlarge the slot when you need labels or the selection preview.