Animating time displacement

The Time Displacement effect automatically replaces pixels across time without keyframes. However, you can also set keyframes for other controls to vary the effect over time.

To apply the Time Displacement effect:

1. In the Composition window, display both the layer you want to distort and the displacement map layer.
2. Hide the displacement map layer by clicking the Video switch in the Timeline window.
3. In the Composition window, select the layer you want to distort.
4. Choose Effect > Time > Time Displacement.
5. Choose a displacement map from the Time Displacement Layer menu, which lists all layers in the composition. Grayscale maps are recommended.

Note: After Effects uses the layer you select in its original form, without any masking, effects, or transformations you may have applied. If you want to use the layer with those alterations included in the displacement map, precompose that layer using the Move All Attributes into the New Composition option.

6. Adjust the Time Displacement controls.