In Jitter, every layer has a lasting design state (how it looks when nothing is animating it). Design mode edits that state. Animate mode adds timed motions on top of it.
Layers stay on the artboard for the whole scene, and you hide or reveal them with In/Out animations, not by trimming the layer itself.
Switch between the two modes from the Property panel, or use the M keyboard shortcut.
Mode | What you edit | What the artboard shows |
Design | The layer’s static look and layout (position, size, color, opacity, fill, stroke, text, etc.) | The layer before animations are applied — its resting design |
Animate | Motions over time (presets or custom animations) | The layer at the current playhead time, with animations applied |
Useful terms
Layer = the persistent object on the artboard
Design properties = static baseline of that layer
Animation / operation = timed change of one or more properties, such as intros and outros
Timeline = when animations run
In / Out = how layers appear or leave