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Setting layer rotation


    A layer can rotate any number of degrees in relation to its original orientation. You can rotate a layer as many times as you want, which is useful when you want to spin an object continuously over time. You can animate a layer's rotation in the Composition window using the rotation tool, or in the Timeline window by typing a revolution or degree value. You can rotate a layer partially or completely outside the frame. Rotation in 3D adds other options for rotation. See Understanding 3D rotation.

    When you rotate a layer, it rotates around its anchor point. For more information, see Setting and animating an anchor point.

To change the angle of a layer by dragging in the Composition window:

  1. Select the rotation tool (the rotation tool) from the toolbox.
  2. In the Composition window, click anywhere on the layer and drag in an arc around the layer. For finer control over rotation, drag in a wide arc away from the layer's anchor point. To add multiple rotations, drag the rotation tool around the layer continuously for the desired number of rotations. To constrain rotation to 45-degree increments, hold down Shift as you drag.

To rotate a selected layer by nudging it 1 degree:

    Press + or - on the numeric keypad.

To rotate a selected layer by nudging it 10 degrees:

    Hold down Shift as you press + or - on the numeric keypad.