I see “No active composition”
Open and activate a composition in After Effects, then run the action again. Selecting a comp in the Project panel is not enough. A roomy button may also show No comp.
I see “Select keyframes or keyed properties”
Select keyframe diamonds or individual keyed properties in the Timeline. A layer or property group by itself does not supply keys. With no keys selected, check that the selected properties have keys inside the work area. See the selection rules. The short badge is No keys.
I see “That layer is locked” or “Those layers are locked”
Unlock the layers you want to edit. Keymaster leaves locked layers alone. With a mixed selection, it can finish on unlocked layers and report a locked-layer count. The short badge is Locked.
Only some of my selected properties changed
Selected keys take priority over work-area keys. If one eligible property has selected keys, properties with no selected keys are excluded from key-based actions. Select keys on every intended property, or deselect all keys and use the selected properties’ work-area keys instead.
Success messages can also report skipped properties or locked layers. Math and Redundant thinning need numeric values. Stamp and Bake need individual properties that can take keys. Separate targets Position rather than other properties.
A timing action says there is nothing to do
| Message | Fix |
|---|---|
| Keys already sit on the playhead | Move the playhead, or use Alt-click if you intended to align the last key. |
| Move the playhead off the first key to clone | Put the playhead at a different start time for the copy. |
| Reverse needs keys at two times | Target keys at more than one distinct time. |
| 100% leaves the timing as it is | Choose a percentage above or below 100. |
These refusals may show the brief badge Nothing to do. They leave the animation unchanged.
Math refuses my values
| Message | Fix |
|---|---|
| Can’t divide by zero | Enter a nonzero divisor. |
| Those keys aren’t numbers | Select numeric properties. Text and shape paths cannot use Math. |
| No keys on that axis | Choose All or an axis that exists. Most single-number properties use All or X. |
| Math needs a number | Enter a finite number. |
| Pick + − × ÷ or = | Choose an operation in the drawer. |
An invalid request shows Check value. Pressing Enter on invalid or blank drawer text doesn’t run anything. The field goes back to the saved value so you can type a number and press Enter again.
Thin removes nothing or changes the motion
Too few keys to thin means Every Nth mode has no interior keys to remove. No redundant keys means Redundant mode found no removable numeric key values. Select a larger range or review the thinning criteria.
Redundant mode checks values at key times, rather than the complete curve. Every Nth mode removes keys without a value check. Undo the action if the resulting motion changes more than you intended.
Stamp adds no keys
Select properties to stamp means no eligible selected property was found. Select individual properties, including separated Position axes when needed. Those properties can’t take a key means all eligible writes failed. Choose properties you can key normally in After Effects.
If a stamped key differs from the visible expression result, that is expected. Stamp uses the pre-expression value. Use Bake to record expressions.
Bake adds no keys
Select properties with expressions to bake means no eligible selected property was found. No live expressions to bake means none of the eligible properties has an enabled expression. Select the actual properties and enable their expressions before baking.
Bake always uses the work area, even when only a few keys are selected. Its guide explains key replacement, sampling and expression disabling.
Position will not separate
| Message | Fix |
|---|---|
| Select a layer or its Position | Select the layer or its Transform Position property. |
| Position is already separated, Those are already separated | Use the existing axis properties. No further conversion is needed. |
| Position can’t be separated here | Choose a layer whose Transform Position can be separated in After Effects. |
If a curved path changes, undo and enable Keep path before separating. This adds samples on curved segments, as described in Separate Position dimensions.
The key count looks stale or labels are missing
Return focus to the panel or move the pointer into Keymaster to refresh selection data. Hover diamonds are illustrative and show at most eight distinct times. They do not display every key.
Small slots hide labels and the hint line. Hover for tooltips, or give the slot more room in Edit layout. All main controls remain available.
I see “Keymaster could not finish”
This is the fallback when no more specific message is available. A button may show Not done. Check that the comp is active, the target layers are unlocked and the selected properties support the operation. If a host error appeared after changes began, inspect the Timeline and use Edit > Undo to return to the previous state before trying again.