Build a chain
- In the active composition, select the unlocked layer you want at the head of the chain.
- Add the other unlocked layers to the selection in the order you want them linked. You need at least two layers in total.
- Click Chain.
Each selected layer becomes the child of the preceding layer in selection order. Unselected layers do not become links, and no null is created. The timeline stacking order does not choose the direction.
Select A, then add B, then C to get A → B → C. Here the arrow runs from parent to child. B follows A, and C follows B.
Reverse the direction
Hold Shift and click Chain to reverse the selection order. The same selection becomes C → B → A. The hover diagram reverses to show which end will lead.
The first layer in the chosen direction keeps its existing parent unless that would create a parenting loop through another selected layer. Nanny clears that parent link when needed. The other selected layers receive their new chain parents.
Check the result
The selected layers stay in place when the links change. Their selection and timeline order stay the same. The chain count includes the head of the chain, so linking three layers reports 3 chained even though only two new parent links are needed.
Parenting changes what motion a layer inherits over time. Chain does not bake the old parent motion into keyframes. Scrub an animated composition after changing its hierarchy, and use Edit > Undo if the result is not what you wanted.
Locked selected layers are skipped. With fewer than two unlocked layers, the chain cannot run. Select another unlocked layer or unlock the missing link, then retry. With no selection, the message is Select layers to chain.