Use another panel when you want two arrangements visible at the same time. For example, keep a narrow toolbar beside the timeline and a larger dock for the tools you are working with.
Open another panel
- Click Settings, the gear in the dock’s top bar.
- Select Motion Dock in the settings sidebar.
- Under Panels, find Open Another Motion Dock Panel.
- Click Motion Dock 2, Motion Dock 3, Motion Dock 4 or Motion Dock 5.
- Dock or float the new panel in After Effects, resize it, then choose a starter or add tools.
The current panel’s button is disabled. Opening an existing panel brings up that panel; it does not create another copy of its canvas.
A second Motion Dock panel opens and is docked into the After Effects workspace.
What is independent and what is shared?
| Each panel keeps its own | Shared across dock panels |
|---|---|
| Three layouts and the active layout number. | Dock preferences, including Keep modules fixed and Warn when offline. |
| Tool positions, sizes, slot colors and elements. | Tool settings and the libraries each tool shares. |
| Saved-project layout assignments. | The installed dock version and its updates. |
Changing a shared tool setting in one panel can affect the same tool elsewhere. Separate panels give you separate canvases, rather than separate installations of the tools.
There are five dock panels in total, including the first Motion Dock panel. Each one can show one of its three layouts at a time.