Make a shuffle
Select at least two unlocked layers and click Shuffle. Each plain click requests a new seed. The success message includes the seed, and a small number appears on the button when space allows.
A seed identifies the shuffle. Seeds run from 1 to 999. Lineup remembers the last successful shuffle seed across projects and panel reloads.
The number is a display, not an editable field. There is no seed-entry control.
Reuse the last seed
- Shuffle a selection whose layers have unique names.
- Click Name or another sort to change its order.
- Hold Alt on Windows or Option on macOS and click Shuffle.
The same named layers return to the order produced by the saved seed. Hover with Alt/Option first to see the seed in the preview caption. If no seed has been saved yet, Alt-click makes a new shuffle.
Reusing the seed while the layers are already in that order gives Already in that order. Use After Effects’ Edit > Undo to reverse a shuffle. Undo restores the stack; the remembered seed remains available.
What makes a shuffle repeatable
The order depends on the seed and each layer’s full name, including case. Adding, removing, or renaming layers can change the result.
When names repeat, Lineup distinguishes them by their current top-to-bottom occurrence. The same seed may therefore put different same-named layers into those positions after another reorder. Give layers unique names when their individual order must be repeatable.
A fresh shuffle tries alternative seeds if its first result leaves the current order unchanged. Different seeds can still produce the same order, especially with small selections. The seed is a way to repeat a result, not a guarantee that every number produces a unique arrangement.