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Adjusting Layer Opacity and Scale in Animation

In this tutorial, we will learn how to make a layer visible, adjust its opacity, and animate its scale to create a dynamic perspective effect.

Making the Layer Visible

  • Visibility Control:

    • Click on the eye icon next to the Lights.png layer to make it visible above the background.

    • Note that this element currently covers the entire court.

Adjusting Layer Opacity

  • Opacity Controller:

    • On the baseline of the layer, there is a controller that allows you to adjust the opacity.

    • Select the layer and check the properties window; the slider serves as a shortcut to the Opacity parameter found in the layer.

  • Timeline Visibility:

    • You will also see the opacity parameter displayed in the timeline.

    • This controller allows for quick adjustments without the need to select or unfold the layer.

  • Keyframe Differences:

    • The controller on the baseline does not support keyframes, while the Opacity parameter does, enabling more advanced animation.
  • Blending Modes:

    • The opacity slider is split in two, with the left side determining the blending mode.

    • Blending modes control how the pixels in a layer merge with the content below in the stack.

    • Hovering over the blending mode list provides an interactive preview.

  • Add Mode:

    • Selecting the Add mode will combine the RGB values of this layer with the layers below.

    • Black values (intensity of 0) will leave the background intact, while brighter pixels will add their values to the pixels underneath.

Animating Layer Scale

  • Scale Parameter:

    • Select the layer containing the lights and press the ###S### key to display the scale parameter.
  • Creating Keyframes:

    • Go to the beginning of the animation to create the first keyframe for the scale parameter.

    • Move to 5 seconds on the timeline (frame number 150 in a 30 fps composition).

  • Simulating Perspective:

    • Adjusting the scale parameter will simulate a perspective effect, where the lights appear to move at a different speed than the camera.
  • Keyframe Adjustment:

    • While adjusting the scale, hold down the Shift key to increase the speed of the adjustment, or press Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) to slow it down.

    • Set the scale parameter to create a second keyframe with a value of 1.15.

  • Enhancing the Effect:

    • Although the view capturing the entire scene is not animated yet, you will notice the lights moving towards the camera.

    • You can increase the scale value to 1.2 for a more pronounced effect, and the keyframe value will update accordingly.


Summary

In this section, we learned how to:

  • Adjust the opacity of a layer

  • Switch between different blending modes

  • Control the speed of a parameter for effective animation