decorative banner

Understanding 3D views


    You can view your 3D layers from several angles, using orthogonal views or custom views that employ perspective. The orthogonal views (Front, Back, Left, Top, Right, and Bottom) show a layer's position in the composition but do not show perspective.

    3D Views
    3D Views

    The three custom views place you at a certain height and angle within the composition, depending on the view you choose. You can save up to three views for quick access using keyboard shortcuts. Adjust your angle and height within custom views with the camera tools. For information on adjusting the custom view, see Using the camera tools.

To set a 3D view:

    Do one of the following:

    • Click the 3D view menu at the bottom right of the Composition window and choose a view.
    • Choose View > Switch 3D View and select a view from the menu.
    • Choose View > Switch to Last 3D View to switch to the previous view.

To set or replace 3D view shortcuts:

  1. Set the 3D View as described in the "To set a 3D View" procedure above.
  2. Choose View > Set 3D View Shortcut > Replace n, where n is a view you want to replace. After Effects replaces the view shown in the menu with the current-composition 3D view.

To toggle among 3D views:

    Do one of the following:

    • To toggle among the three 3D view shortcuts in the View > Set 3D View Shortcut menu, press F10, F11, or F12 to display the first, second and third view, respectively.
    • To switch to the previous 3D view, press Esc.