Renamer says “Select layers or project items”
Select layers in the active composition or items in the Project panel, then move the pointer into Renamer. With no targets, the list shows example names behind the hint. They are not project results. Apply briefly says Select first.
You do not need an open composition to rename Project panel items. If layers are selected as well, click the target chip to choose items.
The preview shows the wrong selection
Return the pointer to Renamer or refocus its window to refresh. The target chip prioritizes selected layers automatically. Click it to switch to selected Project panel items, or back to layers.
Updated with The selection changed · check the preview, then Apply means the final selection read differed from the one you reviewed. Check the refreshed names and click Apply again.
Apply says “No change” or “Applied”
No change with Nothing would change means the proposed names match the current names. Change the pattern, replacement, or case mode. A whitespace-only result falls back to the original name.
Applied with Already applied · edit the pattern to rename again means this recipe has already run on these targets. Edit the recipe before another rename. After undoing in After Effects, return to Renamer to refresh its names.
If find and replace appears to do nothing, check that the pattern contains {name}. If a prefix or replacement keeps appearing, check the other view. Its edits remain active when hidden.
Some layers keep their names, or the preview shows “!”
Lock icons mark skipped layers. Unlock them in After Effects, return to Renamer, and review again. Skipped layers do not consume counter values.
An exclamation mark means two preview rows would share a name. This is a warning and still allows Apply. Add {#} or more context to distinguish them.
All locked with Every target is locked means none of the selected layers can change. If they become locked during application, Renamer may instead show N locked with Selected layers are locked. Unlock the intended targets and retry.
Apply says “Fix regex”
Invalid regex means the expression in Find cannot be parsed. Fix unmatched brackets or parentheses, or turn the regex button off to search for literal text. Find and replace includes a working capture-group example.
A token disappears or the name looks incomplete
The selected target may have no value for that token. For example, Project panel comps have no {comp} value, and unparented layers have no {parent}. Check the token reference and use {name} when you need the target’s own name.
Unknown or incorrectly capitalized tokens remain literal text. Case changes text tokens only, so typed prefixes and suffixes keep their original case.
A source has a different name from the preview
Several selected layers may share a source item. Only the first unlocked layer needing a layer or source rename, in timeline order, supplies that source’s name. The src tags are per-layer hints, not separate source items. Review shared source behavior before renaming these together.
The option works only for precomp and footage layers. It does not rename solid sources or files on disk. A source-only rename may report 0 renamed on the button; read the toast’s source count.
The applied name is shorter than the preview
Applied names are limited to 255 characters. The preview does not show this truncation. Shorten the pattern and review the result in After Effects after applying.
I cannot see the preview or a control
Enlarge the slot in Edit layout. Short slots hide the list, and the ellipsis holds controls that do not fit. Narrow previews show only proposed names. In a compact find view, open the ellipsis to reach Replace.
Renamer says “Not renamed”
Targets changed, read them again means the stored layers or project items could no longer be found. Reselect the intended targets and return to Renamer before applying again.
Nothing to rename means no valid rename entries reached After Effects. Refresh the selection and use a nonempty name. For Renamer could not finish or another host error, inspect the project before retrying and use After Effects’ undo history if any names changed.
Renamer reads at most 2,000 targets per batch. Split larger selections into smaller groups.