After Effects 2026 - My Favorite New Features

# After Effects 2026: My Favorite New Features ![[images/After-Effects-2026-My-Favorite-New-Features.webp]] **Creator:** Boone Loves Video · **Published:** 2026-11-02 · **Length:** 10:59 · [Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU) > Caption source: TubeAlfred `youtube_video_transcript` (English auto-generated) after yt-dlp subtitle downloads returned HTTP 429 (android_vr + spaced web-client retries) and `youtube-transcript-api` was IP-blocked. ASR is generally clean on feature names and shortcuts; outline timings follow the caption stream. Screenshots from the downloaded progressive video. Description: six favorite AE 2026 features + Master Class / Adobe What’s New links. Added from the user's "Summarize" playlist. ## Outline ### Hook — Master Class pre-sale + six daily drivers ([0:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=0s) to 0:17) - [0:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=0s) Promo: tomorrow is the last day of the **Adobe After Effects Master Class** pre-sale; link in description. - [0:09](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=9s) Framing: since the start of **2026**, Adobe has shipped many AE features; today he covers **six** he already uses daily. ![[images/After-Effects-2026-My-Favorite-New-Features-t0005.webp]] *Open: stacked "horse in motion" silhouette frames in the AE composition panel — teaser for the first demo* ### 1. Proportional scrubbing in the timeline ([0:17](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=17s) to 1:55) - [0:17](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=17s) New: **proportional scrubbing** of properties directly in the timeline. - [0:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=26s) Demo asset: **10 Photoshop frames** of the classic **horse-in-motion** animation, to be laid out horizontally on the X axis. - [0:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=39s) Scales all selected layers down (~**15%**), nudges them left, hits **P** for Position. - [0:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=50s) Hold **Ctrl+Alt** (Windows) / **Cmd+Option** (Mac) and drag the **X** hot-text — values move **proportionally to the layer stack**, staggering layers to the right. - [1:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=71s) Use case: staggered animation or quick alignment without the Align panel’s distribute-horizontal/vertical workflow. - [1:29](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=89s) Same trick works on **Scale**; **selection order** matters — selecting layer 10 first vs layer 1 first reverses the proportional direction. ![[images/After-Effects-2026-My-Favorite-New-Features-t0020.webp]] *Single horse-and-rider silhouette on the checkerboard — one of the ten Photoshop stills* ![[images/After-Effects-2026-My-Favorite-New-Features-t0055.webp]] *Layers selected with Position revealed — about to proportional-scrub X* ![[images/After-Effects-2026-My-Favorite-New-Features-t0090.webp]] *Mid-scrub: horse frames beginning to fan across the composition* ![[images/After-Effects-2026-My-Favorite-New-Features-t0120.webp]] *Result: ten horse silhouettes staggered horizontally via proportional Position scrubbing* ### 2. Unmult keying effect ([1:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=116s) to 3:40) - [1:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=116s) Demo asset: **2024 U.S. presidential election map** exported from **Felt Maps** as a flat **PNG** with a **baked solid black** background. - [2:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=136s) Old options he would try: blend modes, **Extract**, other keying effects. - [2:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=142s) **January 2026**: Adobe added **Unmult** under Effects & Presets → **Keying** (bottom of the list). - [2:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=162s) Drop Unmult on the layer — knocks out black by default; controls include **black level** and **softness**. - [2:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=175s) Softness at a high value overshoots; dialing it back while zoomed on edges yields a clean key he prefers over blend modes / Extract. ![[images/After-Effects-2026-My-Favorite-New-Features-t0200.webp]] *Felt Maps election choropleth (NYC-area red/blue polygons) still on its baked black background* ![[images/After-Effects-2026-My-Favorite-New-Features-t0240.webp]] *Effects & Presets open — Unmult about to be applied from the Keying group* ![[images/After-Effects-2026-My-Favorite-New-Features-t0300.webp]] *After Unmult: map floats on the transparency checkerboard* ![[images/After-Effects-2026-My-Favorite-New-Features-t0340.webp]] *Softness / black-level tuning on the Unmult effect for cleaner edges* ### 3. Quick Apply ([3:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=220s) to 5:45) - [3:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=220s) Faster than drag-from-Effects-panel: new **Quick Apply** control (and **Ctrl+Enter** / presumed **Cmd+Enter** on Mac). - [4:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=248s) Select layer → shortcut → type **unmult** — results span the effect, an animation preset, and related menu commands. - [4:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=273s) Filters: toggle **Effects / Menu Commands / Animation Presets**; prefix search with **`e:`** (effects) and optionally a category like **keying**. - [5:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=315s) Double-click or Enter applies; can also save a tuned Unmult as an **animation preset** and re-apply via Quick Apply. - [5:31](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=331s) Modifier shortcuts: apply to a **new solid** or **new adjustment layer** instead of the selected layer. ![[images/After-Effects-2026-My-Favorite-New-Features-t0400.webp]] *Quick Apply dialog — search palette over the map composition* ![[images/After-Effects-2026-My-Favorite-New-Features-t0420.webp]] *Quick Apply results for "unmul…" including Alpha From Lightness (Unmult)* ### 4. Paste SVG / Illustrator as editable shape layers ([5:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=345s) to 8:19) - [5:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=345s) New: **copy/paste SVG content** into AE as **editable shape layers**. - [5:54](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=354s) Demo: **Adobe Illustrator** file with all **50 U.S. states** as separate layers — normally he’d save variants and import, or use the premium **Overlord** extension. - [6:34](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=394s) Required Illustrator pref: **Edit → Preferences → Clipboard Handling → on copy, include SVG code**. - [6:48](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=408s) Copy **Florida** in Illustrator → paste in AE → native shape with many vertices; can simplify in Illustrator (**Object → Path → Simplify**) and re-paste for lighter paths. - [7:27](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=447s) Same path from the web: **Google Icons / Material Symbols** (“Google icon fonts”) — search **danger**, style a **skull**, **Copy icon to clipboard**, paste into AE as a vector shape layer (no SVG/PNG download needed). ![[images/After-Effects-2026-My-Favorite-New-Features-t0465.webp]] *Illustrator preference note beat / US states workflow — SVG clipboard path into AE* ![[images/After-Effects-2026-My-Favorite-New-Features-t0505.webp]] *Florida pasted as an editable After Effects shape layer* ![[images/After-Effects-2026-My-Favorite-New-Features-t0535.webp]] *Google Fonts / Material Symbols — "danger" search with white skull icon selected for clipboard copy* ### 5. Crop Comp to Selected Layer(s) Bounds ([8:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=500s) to 9:11) - [8:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=500s) New menu: **Composition → Crop Comp to Selected Layer(s) Bounds** — works with one or multiple layers. - [8:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=525s) Replaces the old **Region of Interest** crop workflow he “absolutely hated.” - [8:54](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=534s) Especially useful before **pre-comping** vectors to apply raster effects tightly to the content bounds. ![[images/After-Effects-2026-My-Favorite-New-Features-t0555.webp]] *Composition menu highlighting Crop Comp to Selected Layer(s) Bounds on the skull layer* ![[images/After-Effects-2026-My-Favorite-New-Features-t0575.webp]] *Comp cropped tightly to the pasted skull icon bounds* ### 6. Copy Frame to Clipboard — his favorite ([9:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=551s) to 10:42) - [9:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=551s) “Best for last,” least flashy, used **multiple times a day**: **Copy Frame to Clipboard** button. - [9:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=568s) Pain point: exporting style frames and YouTube thumbnails as PNG/JPEG files. - [9:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=582s) One click → paste into **Finder / Windows Explorer** as a **PNG with transparency**; paste into **Google Chat** for clients; paste straight into a **Photoshop** thumbnail doc. - [10:24](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=624s) Resolution follows the **current composition preview resolution** (e.g. Quarter res pastes a smaller image) — useful when you want alternate sizes. ![[images/After-Effects-2026-My-Favorite-New-Features-t0600.webp]] *Copy-frame workflow — pasting a captured style frame out of AE into another app/folder* ### Outro ([10:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=642s) to 10:59) - [10:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=642s) Full Adobe feature list linked in the description (**What’s New in After Effects**). - [10:48](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU&t=648s) Final Master Class pre-sale CTA; thanks / see you next time. ![[images/After-Effects-2026-My-Favorite-New-Features-t0645.webp]] *Outro: Boone on-camera lower-third with the horse silhouette still in the composition* ## Things Mentioned ### Software / features - **Adobe After Effects 2026** — host app for all six features - **Proportional scrubbing** (timeline property hot-text; Ctrl+Alt / Cmd+Option) - **Unmult** — Keying effect (black/white knockouts; black level + softness); said to have landed **January 2026** - **Quick Apply** — search/apply palette (Ctrl/Cmd+Enter); effects, animation presets, menu commands; apply to solid / adjustment layer modifiers - **Copy/paste SVG & Illustrator content as editable shape layers** - **Crop Comp to Selected Layer(s) Bounds** (Composition menu) - **Copy Frame to Clipboard** — still from Comp/Footage/Layer at current preview resolution - **Adobe Illustrator** — source for state shapes; Preferences → Clipboard Handling → include SVG on copy; Object → Path → Simplify - **Overlord** (premium AE↔Illustrator extension) — prior workflow contrasted with native SVG paste - **Photoshop** — source stills (horse sequence) and paste target for thumbnails - **Region of Interest** — older AE crop workflow Boone prefers to replace ### Sites / products / assets - **Felt Maps** — source of the 2024 presidential election map PNG - **Google Icons / Material Symbols** (“Google icon fonts”) — web SVG/icon clipboard source (skull “danger” icon) - **Google Chat** — example client delivery paste target - **Adobe After Effects Master Class** (Boone / Teachable) — pre-sale CTA in open/close - **Adobe What’s New in After Effects** — helpx.adobe.com link in description ### People - **Boone** (Boone Loves Video) — host / instructor; no on-screen guests ### Books - None titled or recommended on-screen or in the description. ## Biographies ### Boone Loves Video YouTube motion-design educator behind **Boone Loves Video** (@boonelovesvideo; channel ID `UCXyGw2OkrAzLhq1r7hyDZkA`). Meta at capture: ~**124k** subscribers; this upload had ~**50k** views / ~**800** likes. Channel focus is Adobe After Effects / Premiere-style motion graphics teaching; he sells an **Adobe After Effects Master Class** on Teachable (pre-sale plugged in this video). On-camera presentation is talking-head + screen capture; no guest bios in this episode. ## Claims check Notable claims vs light external framing (Adobe What’s New / Jan 2026 Adobe Blog / community release notes — not a full fact-check): | Claim in video | Notes | | --- | --- | | Six features already in his daily AE 2026 workflow | Subjective; all six appear on Adobe’s public What’s New / 26.x release notes by late 2026 | | **Unmult** added **January 2026** under Keying | Matches Adobe’s Jan 20, 2026 motion-design blog (Unmult for solid black/white backgrounds) and What’s New “Unmult effect for Keying transparency” | | **Proportional scrubbing** of timeline hot-text with Ctrl+Alt / Cmd+Option | Documented as “Proportional Scrubbing in timeline” (AE **26.2** / April 2026 release notes) | | **Quick Apply** via Ctrl/Cmd+Enter; filters; apply to solid / adjustment layer | Matches Adobe Quick Apply docs / 26.2 notes and the public-beta community post describing those modifiers | | Paste Illustrator/SVG as **editable shape layers** after enabling SVG clipboard in Illustrator | Matches June 2026 (**26.3**) “Copy and paste Illustrator and SVG content” What’s New entry; Illustrator clipboard preference is the expected gate | | **Crop Comp to Selected Layer(s) Bounds** replaces Region of Interest for this use | Present on Adobe What’s New (“Crop composition to selected layer(s) bounds”); ROI still exists historically — Boone’s preference claim is opinion | | **Copy Frame to Clipboard** pastes PNG-with-transparency into Finder/Explorer, G Chat, Photoshop; respects current preview resolution | Matches 26.3 “Copy a frame to the clipboard” docs; resolution-follows-preview detail is consistent with “currently rendered frame” wording — treat exact PNG/transparency behavior as demo-observed | | Overlord still the power-user Illustrator bridge; native paste is the fast free path | Overlord is a real Battle Axe / third-party extension; comparison is Boone’s workflow opinion | ## Sources - YouTube: [After Effects 2026: My Favorite New Features](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PB5oBg5NU) - Channel: [Boone Loves Video](https://www.youtube.com/@boonelovesvideo) - Adobe: [What’s new in After Effects](https://helpx.adobe.com/after-effects/desktop/what-s-new/whats-new.html) (linked in video description)