Setting time-display options

After Effects supports several methods of measuring and displaying time. The method you choose applies to time display in the current project and in any subsequent project you create. Changing the method does not alter the frame rate of footage or a composition--it changes only how frames are numbered. You can choose from three time-display options:

• Timecode, which counts frames in frames per second (hours, minutes, seconds, frames).
• Frames, which counts frames of footage without reference to time.
• Feet and Frames, which counts feet of 16mm or 35mm motion-picture film, and counts fractions of feet in frames; 35mm film has 16 frames per foot, and 16mm film has 40 frames per foot.

A. Timecode B. Frames C. Feet and Frames

When working with footage digitized from NTSC video, you usually use the 30-fps, drop-frame timecode base. This counts NTSC-created frames using standard drop-frame timecode for maximum device compatibility. For frames (or feet and frames) timecode, you can also change the starting frame number to match the time-counting method of another editing system you may be using.

To change the time display:

1. Open the project and choose File > Project Settings.
2. Select a time setting:
• To use timecode, click Timecode Base, and then select a frame rate from the Timecode pop-up menu.
• To use drop-frame time code for footage and compositions with a frame rate of 29.97 fps, click Timecode Base, and then select 30 fps from the Timecode Base pop-up menu and Drop Frame from the NTSC menu.
• To use non-drop-frame timecode for footage and compositions with a frame rate of 29.97 fps, click Timecode Base and then select 30 fps from the Timecode Base pop-up menu and Non-Drop Frame from the NTSC menu.
• To use frames for the display style, click Frames.
• To use feet and frames for the display style, click Feet + Frames, and then choose a film type from the Feet + Frames pop-up menu.
3. If desired, type a value in the Start Numbering Frames At option. This value applies only when you have chosen Frames or Feet + Frames.
4. Click OK.

To instantly cycle through Timecode, Frames, and Feet + Frames, Ctrl+click (Windows) or Command+click (Mac OS) the timecode display at the bottom of the Composition window or at the top of the Timeline window.