Tutorial: Adjusting Layers and Animation in Your Composition
In this tutorial, we will learn how to scale objects, add layers, and manage visibility within a composition. Follow these steps to enhance your project effectively.
Scaling the Ball
Adding Elements to the Layer Stack
-
Insert New Layers
-
Add the image Lights.png and position it between the background and the ball.
-
A yellow line will indicate where the layer will be dropped, making it easier to visualize its placement.
-
-
Complete Layer Stacking
- Finally, add the Net.mov animation at the top of the stack, using the yellow bar as a guide.
Understanding Layer Visibility
-
When you stack layers, blocks will appear on the right side, indicating their visibility.
-
Static Images:
- PNG images automatically have their visibility set to the duration of the composition (30 seconds in this case).
-
Animated Layers:
- The net animation has a shorter visibility duration. Check the duration column in the project panel (tree mode) to find that this animation lasts just under 2 seconds.
Navigating the Timeline and Dopesheet
-
Timeline Navigation
- Click the upper part of the timeline with the numbers to navigate through time.
-
Understanding the Dopesheet
-
The Dopesheet displays timing and visibility of layers:
-
The right side is for timing adjustments.
-
The left side focuses on stacking layers.
-
-
-
Visibility Over Time
- As you move past the block representing the net, notice it disappears from both the viewer and the visual stack. This demonstrates the concept of temporary visibility which is important for your project.
-
Managing Layer Visibility
-
To manage visibility, click the eye icon next to the Lights.png layer to hide it. Its block will gray out in the Dopesheet.
-
The Visual Stack will only show visible layers, meaning the hidden layer will not be displayed.
-
Summary
We've covered the following key points:
-
Inspect the duration of an animation.
-
Navigate through the timeline.
-
Understand the impact of visibility on the visual stack.