Step the rotation across a group
Pick Rotation, then set Stagger to Rotation, +, and 10. Press Enter to commit the amount.
With three selected layers and a source rotation of 0, click Link. Their rotations become 0, 10, and 20 degrees.
Each step uses the layer’s zero-based position in the selection returned by After Effects. The source is position 0. Locked layers keep their positions in that sequence even though they are skipped. The step is written when you link; later timeline reordering does not recalculate it.
This is a value stagger, not a time delay. Animated controls play at the same times on every member, with a different value added or multiplied.
Choose the property and operation
Click the property button beside Stagger to cycle through the currently picked linkable properties. Only one property gets the stagger. Every other picked property links without an offset.
Click + to switch to ×, or × to switch back. Switching operations keeps the amount, so enter the amount you want before linking.
| Mode | Result at positions 0, 1, and 2 | Off value |
|---|---|---|
| + | Control value, value + amount, value + 2 × amount | 0 |
| × | Control value, value × amount, value × amount² | 1 |
For example, a control value of 100 with a multiplier of 0.5 gives 100, 50, and 25. A negative additive amount steps downward. A multiplier of 0 is active, so it gives the full value to position 0 and zero to later positions.
For a point or vector property, the operation affects each component. A Position step of 10 adds 10 to both X and Y on the second member. For colors, it affects red, green, and blue while leaving alpha alone.
Adjust a stagger after linking
Editing Stagger configures the next Link action. It does not change an existing group’s expressions. To make a new step from a clean source value, undo the link or unlink the group, check the source value, then link again with the new amount.
Nothing linkable means none of the picked properties can be used as a stagger property. Choose a numeric effect parameter or transform property. The stagger controls do not affect Copy or Copy keys.