After Effects is a VFX software that's not exactly made for linear video editing. However, if you are exporting your footage to Premiere Pro or any other editor just to do some basic cuts and trims, you're losing a lot of precious time. You can still cut and split clips in After Effects easily. Let's take a look how!
Also read: How to crop videos in Premiere Pro?
Is there a cut tool in After Effects?
Yes, there is a cut tool in After Effects. However, it's important to note that it is not to be confused with cropping the footage in your preview area. Rather, it's for splitting your clip, text or audio layer in timeline. To use the cut tool, simply select the element you want to cut and press the "cut" button. Once you selected layer that you want to cut, you could press "X." It'll split the clip based on where your playhead is.
Related: After Effects vs Blender
How to cut clips in After Effects?
If you want to cut video footage in After Effects, you'll need to use the slice tool. To use this tool, simply click and drag your playhead over the portion of the video you want to cut. Alternatively, you can use the shortcuts "S." Once you've made your selection, press the "cut" button or use the shortcut "Ctrl + X." You can change these shortcuts from Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts menu or see your existing shortcuts that Adobe has already created for you.
Is there a shortcut for splitting clips in After Effects?
Yes! The shortcut for splitting clips in After Effects is "S"
Conclusion:
In this article, we've shown you how to cut and trim videos with Adobe After Effects. We hope you found this information helpful.
Also read: After Effects vs Final Cut Pro