Extending Layer Visibility in Animation
Now that our animation is synchronized, we can extend the visibility of the layer. In this tutorial, we'll explore how to manage layer visibility and utilize visibility keys effectively.
Understanding Layer Visibility
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Visibility Keys: Unlike other software, the boundaries for layer visibility are not defined by in/out points. Instead, they consist of visibility keys that control when the layer disappears and reappears.
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Expanding Layer Parameter: By expanding the layer's parameters, you'll find a Visibility parameter with keys synchronized to the layer's boundaries.
Adjusting Visibility
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Manipulating Visibility:
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You can adjust the visibility of your layer by either moving the block boundaries or manipulating the visibility keys, which are synchronized with the boundaries.
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To move the boundaries, use the left mouse button.
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Selection Behavior:
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By default, creating a selection rectangle around the boundaries does not select the corresponding visibility keys. This feature helps avoid accidental selection of visibility keys when the layer is collapsed.
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However, you can enable rectangular selection via an option at the top right of the timeline. This allows you to select visibility keys across different layers simultaneously.
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Caution:
- Be careful not to accidentally select and delete a visibility key, as this could lead to a layer with infinite visibility.
Visual Representation of Visibility Extension
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When moving visibility keys left and right, the extension of the initial range is represented by diagonal lines.
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The original duration of this animation is just under 2 seconds, so extending the visibility will go beyond these initial frames.
Managing BEFORE and AFTER Parameters
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Selecting the reader reveals the BEFORE and AFTER parameters, which determine how visibility is extended beyond the initial range:
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HOLD Mode: The default AFTER setting will keep the last available frame on screen.
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LOOP Mode: This mode extrapolates new frames based on the same animation played in a loop, which is ideal for loopable animations.
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BOUNCE Mode: This mode plays the animation forward and then backward, creating an infinite cycling effect when moving the last visibility key.
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BLACK Parameter: This option replaces new frames with transparent black, rendering the layer completely invisible.
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Final Adjustments
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Let's switch back to HOLD mode for both the BEFORE and AFTER parameters.
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Move the visibility keys to ensure that the net is visible throughout the entire composition.
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Although the original animation duration is limited, extending the layer's visibility allows it to be displayed indefinitely.
Summary
In this section, we learned how to:
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Extend the visibility of a layer
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Define the BEFORE and AFTER parameters
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Ensure the first and last frames of the animation remain on-screen.