# parenting layers Parenting is the process of linking layers together so that multiple elements can be treated as a group. A single Parent layer can have its Scale, Position, and Rotation adjusted and all the linked Children layers will adjust as well. It is like the Parent controls the Children. Just like real children, the Children layers can have their own adjustments and do their own thing, they will still follow the Parent though. Here’s a quick example… ![[parentChild.mp4]] Here is a Parent that is walking along with the two Children in tow. The kids are full of energy: one is jumping up and down and the other is bouncing back and forth. Each kid has their own separate position and rotation animations. They are also linked to the Parent’s position so they move along with the Parent. Pretty cool! --- ## two ways to parent layers ![[Pasted image 20221103115222.png]] In the Layers side of your Timeline, find the **Parent** column. If you don’t see it, click the little white hamburger menu next to the Comp name and scroll down to **Columns…** and turn on the **Parent & Link** column. This is where you tell the Children which Parent to follow. There are two ways of choosing a Parent… 1. **Menus**: there are drop-down menus that default to **None**. Choose a Child layer and use the menu to pick the Parent layer 2. **Pick Whips**: the little spiral icons next to the menus allow you to quickly click and drag a Child layer to the Parent layer ## a few notes You can **Shift-Pick** Child layers and choose a Parent for all of them at once. You can have multiple levels of Parenting, so you can have multiple Children attached to a Parent and that Parent attached to their own Parent. In this way, you can easily build a complex network of connections that are fairly easy to animate as a group with smaller subgroups. --- Learn more… - [How to Parent in After Effects CC YouTube video from AdobeMasters](https://youtu.be/JEabKvG0WpY) - two minute intro - [Adobe After Effects Basics Tutorial – Parenting from Surfaced Studio](https://www.surfacedstudio.com/tutorials/after-effects/adobe-effects-basics-tutorial-parenting/) - embedded video and tutorial covers the basic idea --- tags: #aftereffects #resources home: [[! after effects]]