5.5

183Motion User Guide
To summarize:
• Groups and layers nested in 2D groups are composited in layer order.
• Groups and layers nested in 3D groups are composited in depth order.
A Motion project can contain both 2D and 3D groups, and both groups can be parents or
nested children of one another. And you can convert a group from 2D to 3D, and vice versa,
at any time.
Convert a group from 2D to 3D to enable intersection
• In the Layers list in Motion, select a 2D group, then do one of the following:
• Click the 2D icon to the right of the group in the Layers list.
• Choose Object > 3D Group (or press Control-D).
• In the Group Inspector, click the Type pop-up menu, then choose 3D.
The 2D group icon is replaced by a 3D group icon, and layers and groups nested in the
parent group are converted to depth order, allowing intersection with other depth-ordered
layers and groups. To change a group from 3D to 2D, use the same method described
above.
Important: Some operations, as well as the application of some filters or a mask, cause
a group to be rasterized. When a group is rasterized, it’s converted into a bitmap image.
Rasterization affects 2D and 3D groups in different ways, sometimes preventing 3D
intersection. See Intro to rasterization in Motion.