Keeping layer viewable in layer panel

[Lakewood Media Services]

Let's say I have a 50 layer project. Layer 2 has audio with markers that I need to keep in view so I can also see with the waveform when working with other layers. In Excel, you can freeze a row so that when you scroll down that layer always stays in view. Is there a way to do that with a layer in the layers panel without continually shying/unshying other layers? I don't want to physically move the layer's order...just keep it viewable so when I have to scroll down to layer 40 I can still see layer 2 at the top.

I suppose I can make the markers on the time ruler instead, but if I have to move the layer 2 somewhere else in time that won't work.

Hope that makes sense.

Thanks in advance.

Jonathan

[Dave_LaRonde]

You can't do it directly as in Excel, but you can make it better.  Not as good, but better.  You make the layers you won't work on shy.  It's the Kilroy-looking icon in the switches, activated by the large, similar-looking icon at the top of the timeline.  Once the big one's activated, the layers disappear... which frees up timeline space.

[Lakewood Media Services]

Thanks for the quick response, Dave. Technically, you're right. But as I mentioned in my post I was looking for a quicker way. I was hoping to do this without the extra steps of enabling shying on all layers I want to hide, then clicking the Kilroy icon, working on a layer, then shying it, then clicking the Kilroy icon again to see which layer I want to unshy next and so forth. You have to scroll the layers to find the one you want to unshy anyway, so why the extra keystrokes/clicks to shy and unshy? I just find that to be too many keystrokes/clicks and, therefore, too much time wasted. And as I think we all know, time is money.

If there isn't a solution like I'm looking for then, of course, I'll do the shying.

[Dave_LaRonde]

You mention the layer markers.  Did you know that the j & k keys jump the timeline cursor forward/backward to layer markers and not just layer in-outs and keyframes? 

That could be helpful -- hide the keyframes on all the layers (easy), use j & k keys to the layer marker, highlight the next layer that needs work, hit the u key to reveal keyframes, and do your voodoo.

It ain't great, but it helps....

[Lakewood Media Services]

Again, thanks for the quick reply and tips, Dave...didn't know J & K were the keyboard shortcuts for moving between markers. Very helpful, I see where you're going there...making the list in the layers panel shorter by not revealing keyframes in every layer. It could help. I'll try it out.

[Szalam]

I was talking with some other folks just the other day about this exact same feature. It would be quite handy. Please file a feature request (we did) so that the AE team knows people would find this useful. The number of votes do matter.