How To Add In & Out Points in Adobe After Effects

If you’re familiar with creating motion graphics in Adobe After Effects, you know it’s a powerful tool for digital animation, compositing and video editing. For aspiring and seasoned filmmakers alike, it’s among the leading programs for the creation and perfecting of your creative work.

Video editing might seem intimidating at first, but Adobe After Effects provides a wealth of features that make the job easier. One of these is the in and out points, which give you an entrance to (in points) and an exit from (out points) a video you want to alter. Setting these points is a way to control the timing of your layers and clips.

Closeup of a cartoon woman’s smiling face, surrounded by her long black hair, against a cityscape and roadway background with one red car driving by — Mastering in and out points in Adobe After Effects helps you create smooth transitions and add fun visual effects. Still from Skillshare class Beginner’s Guide to Adobe After Effects 2023: Learn Motion Graphics by Hongshu Guo

This guide will cover the basics of adding in and out points, useful shortcuts and tips to improve workflow. You’ll also learn about troubleshooting and exporting clips to ensure your digital animations and other videos are exactly as you want them.

Understanding In & Out Points in After Effects

In video editing, in and out points mark a section of the video that you want to work on, whether for effects, keyframes or trimming the clip. Put another way: In points and out points control where a video clip or layer starts and ends within the timeline. The in point is the beginning of the segment you’re editing, while the out point is the end of it.

Once you’ve marked in and out points on your timeline, only the portion between them will be affected by your editing actions. This is a significant capability for motion design, text animation and overall project organization. It’s especially helpful when trimming clips for smoother transitions.

Step-by-Step Guide: Setting In & Out Points

Once you know the tasks in this step-by-step Adobe After Effects tutorial, setting in and out points for your video project will be straightforward.

Open your project in Adobe After Effects by opening the program and double-clicking on the layer or video file you want to edit. The footage will open in its own layer.
Move the playhead (little orange time marker) to the desired starting point and press the keyboard shortcut Alt + [ (on Windows) or Option + [ (on Mac) to set the in point.
After confirming the correct location of the in point, move the playhead to the desired ending point and press Alt + ] (on Windows) or Option + ] (on Mac) to set the out point.

You may also set the in and out points manually if you know the exact timing of the clip you want to work with and prefer not to use keyboard shortcuts.

Your time bar should now show exactly where the window between the in and out points is, and the time indicator should provide the exact timing of the in and out points, as well as the total length of your selected segment.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts for Efficiency

Want a quick tip for working smarter, not harder? Using keyboard shortcuts for setting in and out points can speed up the video editing process. Rather than going into menus and searching, you can keep one hand on the mouse and the other on your keyboard.

Try out and master useful shortcuts to enhance your overall Adobe After Effects workflow and improve control over your clips:

Ctrl + D (duplicate layer)
Cmd + Shift + D (split layer)
Ctrl + Alt + Down Arrow or Ctrl + Alt + Up Arrow (move items down (back) or up (forward) in stacking order)
Shift + Down Arrow or Shift + Up Arrow (extend the selection to next/previous item)

Advanced Tips: Working with In & Out Points

Adobe After Effects has more advanced functionalities to explore, such as:

Using in and out points with pre-comps for cleaner, more organized projects
Combining in and out points with keyframes for precise motion control and fine-tuning transitions
Adjusting in and out points within shape layers and text animations for added effects in motion graphics

Use these techniques in conjunction with plugins and presets to achieve professional results.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Adobe After Effects may come with a couple of common issues that would benefit from troubleshooting:

Layers not trimming correctly so you end up working with the wrong part of your project
Out points not setting as expected and not lining up with the pre-comp transitions
Layers are suddenly hidden when you double-click so that you can’t work on them
Right-click functionality not working and hindering access to features

Quick solutions to try include:

Checking layer selections
Ensuring the correct use of the playhead and time indicator
Restarting the computer
Disconnecting external interface tools, such as extra monitors and tablets
Check your selected layer with CMD + up arrow or down arrow

Exporting Clips with Adjusted In & Out Points

Once you’ve adjusted the in and out points of a clip, you can use the export functionality the same way you’d export any other video in Adobe After Effects:

Go up to File, scroll down to Export and select Add to Render Queue.
Make any necessary adjustments in the Render Settings beneath your composition in the Render Queue.
Choose how to download your file in the Output Module option in the Format dropdown menu.
Set a location for the download in the Output To option.

If you want to export only a segment of your composition, rather than the full video, align the work area markers with the start and end point that you want. Then choose Work Area Only before exporting. If you’ve added in and out points, you can use the work area bar and set the work area to match your in and out points for efficient exporting.

Key considerations for exporting full video vs. trimmed segments include:

Do you need a section of the clip on another device?
Do you want part of the composition saved in a different format?
Do you only need part of the video for the final product?

Grow Your Skills in After Effects

Mastering in and out points in Adobe After Effects can mean a smoother video editing and motion graphics process. You’ll find it useful for perfecting transitions and adding customized effects.

If, after this tutorial, you’d like to learn more and pick up a quick tip or two, check out classes on:

Spend some time practicing the techniques in this guide and these videos, and as your projects become more complex, explore more advanced tutorials.

Whether you’re adding in and out points, creating fun characters or exporting your final product, After Effects is an excellent tool for making videos. Better yet, Skillshare is here every step of the way to help you make the most of the program. Enjoy!

Written By

Katie Mitchell

Katie lives in Michigan with her husband, kids and pets. She enjoys cooking, travel and live music.