---
title: "Repeats"
description: "Arrange linked copies of a layer and delay or vary their motion together."
canonical: "https://terminal.lottiefiles.com/docs/repeats/"
last_updated: 2026-10-29
---

# Repeats

Arrange linked copies of a layer and delay or vary their motion together.

A repeat keeps copies connected to their original. Change the original's drawing, keys or
eases and the copies follow. Change the arrangement later without starting again.

Select a layer and press `⌃⇧D`, or choose **Repeat** in the palette. The original stays where
it is, and the repeat's null is selected, with its values in the rail. Count is the number of
copies besides the original.

Several layers selected make one repeat each; a parent and its child can't be repeated
together. Repeats are kept in files: in a Creator document, save a file copy first.

Click **more** at the foot of the rail (the Properties panel in After Effects or Figma)
until **Repeat** appears. The score (the timeline) folds the copies under their repeat.

![Five circles in a row, with Count 4, Spacing 250 px and Stagger 0.2 s in the repeat's rail](https://terminal.lottiefiles.com/docs/assets/shots/animate-repeat.png)

Watch: [Repeats that follow](https://terminal.lottiefiles.com/repeats/).
For a task, see [Make a row of delayed copies](https://terminal.lottiefiles.com/docs/how-to/stagger-linked-copies.md).

## Arrangement

**Source** names the original; **pick** chooses another through the pick-whip.
**Count** is 0–1,000 extra copies, initially 5. **Arrangement** chooses the rows below.

| Arrangement | Rows shown |
|---|---|
| **linear** | **Spacing**, **Direction**, **Orient** |
| **grid** | **Spacing**, **Columns**, **Row step**, **Odd rows** |
| **circle** | **Radius**, **Start angle**, **Turn**, **Orient** |
| **spiral** | **Radius from**, **Radius**, **Start angle**, **Turn**, **Growth**, **Orient** |
| **confetti** | **Spread**, **Seed** |
| **random** | **Within**, **Width**, **Height**, **Radius**, **Apart**, **Seed** |
| **along a path** | **pick path**, **Orient** |

**Stagger** and **Order** follow every arrangement. **Seed** also appears when Order is random.

| Value | Range or choices | Initial value |
|---|---|---|
| **Spacing**, **Row step** | −10,000–10,000 px | 50 px |
| **Direction**, **Start angle** | −36,000–36,000° | 0° |
| **Columns** | 1–1,000, whole numbers | 5 |
| **Radius** | 0–10,000 px | 100 px |
| **Radius from** | 0–10,000 px | 50 px |
| **Turn** | −36,000–36,000° | 360° |
| **Orient**, **Odd rows** | **off**, **on** | **off** |
| **Growth** | **linear**, **exponential** | **linear** |
| **Spread** | 0–10,000 px | 200 px |
| **Within** | **rectangle**, **circle** | **rectangle** |
| **Width**, **Height** | 0–10,000 px | 300 px |
| **Apart** | 0–10,000 px | 20 px |
| **Seed** | 0–4,294,967,295, whole numbers | 0 |
| **Stagger** | 0–600 s | 0 s |
| **Order** | **index**, **reverse**, **from centre**, **random** | **index** |

**Odd rows** offsets alternate grid rows. **Radius from** and **Radius** set a spiral's
inner and outer radius; **Growth** chooses how it expands. **Within** chooses the random
arrangement's bounds; **Apart** sets the separation between copies.

Choose linear, grid, circle, spiral, confetti, random or along a path. The rail shows the
values that arrangement needs: spacing and direction for a line, columns and row step for a
grid, radius and turn for a circle or spiral. Confetti and random use Seed, so the same seed
puts the copies in the same places. Random also keeps them Apart within its bounds.

For *along a path*, click **pick path**, then a path's score row, rail value or layer on the
stage. Copies are spaced by distance along it. An open path includes both ends; a closed path
goes round once. **Orient** turns copies along the line, circle, spiral or path.

Drag or type a value as elsewhere in the rail. `◆` keys it. A keyed Count holds whole numbers:
copies beyond the count are hidden until they are needed. The score folds copies under the
repeat. Select a copy to edit it; **select repeat** in its rail takes you back to the root.

## Stagger

Stagger is seconds per copy. Choose **index**, **reverse**, **from centre** or **random** for
the order. Centre pairs start together. Random uses the repeat's Seed.

Each copy plays the original's motion through an ordinary Follow on each animated transform
property and Opacity, a delay after the one before. Keying Stagger changes the delay over time.
The repeat sets those links' source and delay; turning one off stays as you set it.

## Fields

A repeat accepts up to 16 fields. Their rows are:

| Field | Rows |
|---|---|
| **near** | **Source** and **pick**; **Inner**, **Outer**, **Falloff** (**smooth**, **linear**), **Amount** (a colour, on a colour), **Mode** (**add**, **multiply**; not on a colour) |
| **ramp** | **From**, **To** (−100,000–100,000 per dimension), **Ease** (**linear**, **ease in**, **ease out**, **ease in out**) |
| **random** | **Frequency** (0–60 per second), **Amount** (0–100,000) |

Near uses [the behaviour's ranges and distance rules](https://terminal.lottiefiles.com/docs/behaviours.md#aim-and-near).
Ramp amounts use pixels, degrees or percentages for their property.

A field applies across the copies, including copies added later. Choose its property in the
repeat's **Property** chips: the original's transforms and Opacity, and its fills' and strokes'
colours. Then add a field:

- **near** picks a layer and adds Near to every copy. It defaults to Scale. Move the picked
  layer through the arrangement to make a wave; edit radii, falloff, amount and mode below. On
  a colour, Near tints the copies it passes: its **Amount** is a colour, and it has no **Mode**.
- **ramp** (a transform or Opacity) adds From to To across the chosen order. It defaults to Rotation, from 0° to 90°.
  Position, Anchor and Scale have separate amounts for each axis. Choose the ramp's Ease to
  shape its progress across the copies. The offset stays in each copy's base and composes with
  Follow.
- **random** (a transform or Opacity) adds Wiggle, with a different seed for each copy identity. It defaults to Position.
  Edit Frequency and Amount on the repeat, or a copy's Wiggle for an individual variation.

Remove a field with its `×` and it leaves every copy; behaviours added to a copy by hand stay.
A copy keeps its colour, visibility, parent and time span when the count or arrangement changes,
and its own field values until the field itself is edited.

## Drawing and files

Shape copies keep their own shapes. When the original changes, matching values update while
values edited on a copy stay. Precomp copies share the original's asset. Keep a complex drawing
in a precomp when many copies use it.

**detach** keeps the repeat null as an ordinary parent and its copies as plain layers, their
motion baked into keys, following the original no more.

Players play the copies' motion as keys. Saved and opened again, the repeat is still editable.