Saving favorite effects for instant reuse

You can save settings of one or more effects as a favorite effect. Saving an effect as a favorite also saves any set keyframes, as well as expressions used in the effect. For example, if you created an explosion using several effects with complex parameter and animation settings within those effects, you can save all those settings as a single favorite. You can then apply that favorite to any other footage, or you can apply any single effect from that favorite to any footage. The 20 most recently saved or applied favorites appear under Recent Favorites in the Effect menu.

Favorites also appear in the Effect Favorites pop-up menu in the Effect Controls window and in the Effects palette. The Effect Favorites pop-up menu lists only those favorites that contain the current effect. For example, if the Mirror effect is selected, the pop-up menu will show only those favorites that include the Mirror effect. If the Effect Favorites pop-up menu or the Favorites category in the Effects palette do not appear, choose the Show Favorites option from the Effect Controls or the Effects palette menu.

Note: When you apply an effect from the Effect Favorites pop-up menu, only the current effect from the favorite is applied.

To save a favorite effect:

1. Select a layer in the Timeline or Composition window, and apply one or more effects to it. If you want, animate the effect using keyframes.
2. In the Effect Controls window for that layer, select one or more effects to include as a favorite.
3. Choose Effect > Save Favorite, or choose Save Selection as Favorite from the Effect Favorites pop-up menu. Specify a filename and location, and click Save.

Note: If the favorite does not appear in the Effects palette, choose Refresh List from the Effects palette menu.

To apply a favorite effect:

1. Select one or more layers.
2. Do one of the following:
• Select the favorite in the Effects palette, and then drag the effect to the Timeline, Composition, or Effect Controls windows.
• To apply a recently used or saved favorite, choose Effect > Recent Favorites, and then choose the favorite.
• To apply selected effects from within a favorite, press Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS), select the desired effects in the Effects palette, and then drag them to the Timeline, Composition, or Effect Controls windows. If the individual effects within a favorite do not appear, choose Show Favorite Contents from the Effects palette menu.
• To apply a favorite that isn't available on the Recent Favorites menu, choose Effect > Apply Favorite, locate the favorite effects (.FFX) file you want, and click Open.