Datasheet

16 chapter 1 ■ Setting Up a Composite
Lock, when toggle on, prevents alteration of the layer’s properties or transformations.
Shy hides the layer if the Hide Shy Layers composition switch is toggled on. If a layer
is hidden, it is no longer visible in the layer outline, but it continues to influence the
composite.
Collapse Transformations, if toggled on, preserves image integrity for nested compo-
sitions. For example, the following may occur:
1. Layer A, which is carried by Comp A, is transformed.
2. Comp A is nested within Comp B.
3. Comp B is transformed.
4. As a result, layer A is essentially transformed two times. This double transforma-
tion can destroy pixels unless the transforms are collapsed and a net transfor-
mation is calculated at the start. This process is known as concatenation, which
is discussed further in Chapter 5. (For more information on nesting, see the next
section.)
Quality toggles between a draft and best-quality render. A backward slash indicates
draft, while a forward slash indicates best quality.
Effect, if toggled off, disables any effects applied to the layer.
Adjustment Layer, when toggled on, converts the layer into an adjustment layer, which
automatically applies any effects it carries to all layers below it. The RGB information
of the layer itself is hidden.
By default, the layer outline is set to display switches. However, you can toggle to the
menu view by clicking the Toggle Switches/Modes button at the bottom left of the Timeline
panel. The menu view includes Mode menu buttons, which set each layer’s blending mode,
and Track Matte menu buttons, which convert the layer to a matte. The Track Matte func-
tionality is discussed in Chapter 3, “Interpreting Alpha and Creating Mattes.”
Nesting, Parenting, and Precomping Compositions
You can place one composition inside a second composition. This is called nesting. To do so,
LMB+drag a composition from the Project panel and drop it on top of the layer outline of
a different composition tab in the Timeline panel. When a composition is nested, the entire
contents of the composition are represented by a single layer.
You can parent one layer to another by changing a layer’s Parent menu (to the
right of the layer switches). For example, you can parent an upper layer to a lower layer.
When the lower layer is transformed, the upper layer inherits the same transformation.
(Transformations are discussed at length in Chapter 5.)
As discussed earlier in this chapter, one disadvantage of the layer-based system is the
difficulty with which the output of an adjusted layer or layers is sent to another composi-
tion. One workaround is to create a precomposite (also known as a precomp) through pre-
composing. To precompose one or more layers, follow these steps:
1. Select a layer or layers in a layer outline. Choose Layer
→ Pre-compose. In the Pre-
compose dialog box, enter a name into the New Composition Name cell (see Figure 1.13).
If a single layer is selected, you can select a radio button for Leave All Attributes In Comp
or Move All Attributes Into The New Composition. If more than one layer is selected,
only the Move All Attributes Into The New Composition radio button is available. Click
the OK button.
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