Isolate a panel when you want its tools and nothing else. The top bar and the space around each tool go away, and the layout stretches to fill the panel. A panel holding only Petals looks and works like the standalone Petals extension.
Turn isolation on
- Click inside the dock panel so its tab is active.
- Click ≡, the panel menu beside the panel’s name in its tab.
- Choose Isolate Panel.
- Click Isolate in the dialog.
The panel menu belongs to After Effects, so it stays reachable whatever the tools inside use their clicks and right-clicks for.
Use an isolated panel
The panel menu holds everything the top bar does:
| Panel menu item | Action |
|---|---|
| Layout 1, Layout 2, Layout 3 | Switch layouts. The check marks the one on screen. |
| Edit Layout | Bring back the top bar and the grid to arrange tools. Choose it again, or click Exit layout mode, to return to the isolated view. |
| Settings… | Open dock and tool settings. |
| Isolate Panel | Turn isolation on or off. |
The 1, 2 and 3 keys still switch layouts while the panel has focus.
How an isolated panel fills its space
Tools sit edge to edge, with a thin line only where two tools meet. The Spacing setting still sets the space inside each tool, so tools keep their usual look.
The layout already stretches to the panel’s width. Isolated, it also stretches to the panel’s height, so resizing the panel resizes its tools. A panel shorter than its layout scrolls, as it does when the panel isn’t isolated.
Turn isolation off
Choose Isolate Panel in the panel menu again. The top bar and spacing come back.
Each dock panel remembers isolation on its own, so you can isolate a Petals panel and keep your main dock as it is.