How to delete a layer in after effects

While working in After Effects, you may sometimes want to delete a layer in order to clean up your composition or remove unnecessary elements.

Follow these steps to delete a layer in After Effects:

1. Open the Composition and locate the layer that you want to remove. Once you have found the layer, you can select it by clicking on it with your mouse.
   
2. Once the layer is selected, you can delete it by pressing the Delete key on your keyboard.

If you want to delete multiple layers at once, hold down the CMD key on Mac or CTRL key on Win, select all the layers you want, and hit the Delete key.

If you want to delete an asset entirely from After Effects, the process is similar:

1. First, go to the Project panel and locate the asset that you want to remove.
   
2. Once you have found the asset, select it by clicking on it with your mouse. Then press the Delete key to remove the asset from your project.

However, if the asset is being used in a composition, you will receive a warning box asking if you are sure you want to delete the asset.

It is important to note that deleting an asset from your AE Project will not delete the actual file from your hard drive. It will simply remove it from the project.

Sometimes, you may need to hide a layer in order to better navigate and organize your composition.

To do this, you can use the “Shy Guy” feature:

1. Locate the layer that you want to hide in the Composition panel.
2. Click on the “Shy Guy” icon for that layer. This will cause the layer to become “shy”, which means it will be hidden from view.
   
3. Click on the “Shy Guy” icon at the top of the Composition panel.
   
4. If you want to make all “shy” layers visible again, click on the “Shy Guy” icon at the top of the Composition panel.

• If the icon is not colored, it means “Shy” is turned off and all “Shy” layers will be visible.
• If the icon is colored, it means “Shy” is turned on and all “Shy” layers will be hidden.

This feature can be particularly useful if you have a large and complex composition with many layers, as it can help you avoid confusion and keep your project organized.