Select layers in the active composition, choose a mode, then drag in the pad. The same drag means different things for different shapes.
Use the preview to judge placement before releasing. Dots represent anchor positions, so large artwork can extend beyond them or overlap.
The pad follows the composition's aspect ratio. The area outside its rectangle is usable too, so a layout can start or end off screen.
Match the drag to the shape
| Mode | Your press sets | Your drag sets |
|---|---|---|
| Line | First point | Last point of a straight, evenly spaced line. |
| Grid | One corner | Opposite corner. Fling chooses rows and columns to fit the rectangle and layer count. Reversing the drag reverses the fill direction. |
| Ring | Center | Radius and starting angle of the circle. |
| Burst | Center | Radius and orientation of the filled circular spread. |
| Arc | Center | Radius and direction of the arc’s middle. A longer pull also increases its sweep. |
| Spiral | Center | Outer endpoint. A longer pull also adds turns. Layers are spaced along the spiral arm. |
| Wave | Start | End and direction of the wave. The quick layout adapts its frequency to the layer count. |
| Slingshot | Launch point | Pull distance and direction. Layers scatter away from the pointer, on the opposite side of the launch point. |
These are the quick pad layouts. For an exact column count, arc sweep or wave frequency, use Edit Mode.
Keep or replace the originals
A normal drag moves the selected layers. Hold Shift through release to duplicate them and place the copies instead. The originals keep their positions. This shortcut belongs to pad drags; the editor’s Apply places the current selection.
For Slingshot and Burst, hold Option on macOS or Alt on Windows to use Uniform placement. This removes the quick layout’s scatter variation. Other pad modes are already deterministic.
Snap the drag to a grid
Open Grid options, the magnet button, and click Enable Grid. Set Cols and Rows to divide the composition horizontally and vertically.
Hover to see the grid point under the cursor before pressing. During a drag, the start and end points snap to that lattice.
Hold Cmd on macOS or Ctrl on Windows to temporarily invert snapping. The footer says Snap when this turns snapping on, or Free when it turns snapping off.
Snapping controls the drag endpoints. It does not force every resulting layer onto a grid intersection. The lattice continues beyond the composition edges. Edit Mode uses its numeric Transform controls instead of this snap grid.
The complete shortcut table lists these gestures together.