<p>What you need to do is:</p>

<ol>
<li>clone the layer, </li>
<li>right click and choose <strong>View Layer Source in Project</strong>, </li>
<li>duplicate the source in the project window, and finally </li>
<li><kbd>alt/option</kbd>-drag the new source on to the (selected) cloned layer to change its source.</li>
</ol>

<p>If this is too tedious, I've <a href="http://blob.pureandapplied.com.au/the-cloninator/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">written a script</a> that will clone the layer and create a  unique source for it in one step (it can also recursively clone all the source layers in compositions if need be). There's also a pay-what-you-want script called <a href="http://aescripts.com/true-comp-duplicator/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">true-comp-duplicator</a> on aescripts.com that will do the same job.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-11T07:42:19.403Z
2017-01-12T14:47:15.173Z
2017-01-12T14:47:15.173Z
stib
<p>So, I have this composition with an animated letter. Each letter is a different composition. To save me some work I duplicate the repeating letters. However I want to change the colour of one letter all of the repeated letters get the same colour. How can I disconnect in some way the duplicate compositions from the original? Thank you!</p>

<p>P.S. I'm newb</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-10T19:14:20.373Z
Are you asking how can you connect all the layers with the same letter together so if you change the color in one they all change?
Alex
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-11T07:32:44.280Z
I think he's asking how to do the opposite. Clone a layer, but make it have a new source.
stib
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-11T18:53:59.893Z
I want the layers to be independent of each other but with the same content.
That Guy
<color>
How to give different colors to duplicate composition in after effects?
That Guy
# How to give different colors to duplicate composition in after effects?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-01-09)

So, I have this composition with an animated letter. Each letter is a different composition. To save me some work I duplicate the repeating letters. However I want to change the colour of one letter all of the repeated letters get the same colour. How can I disconnect in some way the duplicate compositions from the original? Thank you!

P.S. I'm newb

**Tags:** color

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Are you asking how can you connect all the layers with the same letter together so if you change the color in one they all change?  
> **username_2**: I think he's asking how to do the opposite. Clone a layer, but make it have a new source.  
> **username_0**: I want the layers to be independent of each other but with the same content.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-01-11. Score: 0 | Accepted answer

What you need to do is:

1. clone the layer,
2. right click and choose **View Layer Source in Project**,
3. duplicate the source in the project window, and finally
4. `alt/option`-drag the new source on to the (selected) cloned layer to change its source.

If this is too tedious, I've [written a script](http://blob.pureandapplied.com.au/the-cloninator/) that will clone the layer and create a unique source for it in one step (it can also recursively clone all the source layers in compositions if need be). There's also a pay-what-you-want script called [true-comp-duplicator](http://aescripts.com/true-comp-duplicator/) on aescripts.com that will do the same job.


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