Chapter 8: Layers And Properties; Creating Layers - Adobe AFTER EFFECTS CS3 PROFESSIONAL User Manual

Chapter 8: Layers and properties

Layers are the basic building blocks of compositions. You modify layer properties and apply effects and layer styles
to achieve visual results. You then blend these results together in a composite built from layers stacked on top of one
another.

Creating layers

About layers
Layers are the elements that make up a composition. Without layers, a composition is only an empty frame. Use as
many layers as necessary to create your composition. Some compositions contain thousands of layers, whereas some
compositions contain only one layer.
Layers in After Effects are similar to tracks in Adobe Premiere Pro. The primary difference is that each After Effects
layer can have no more than one footage item as its source, whereas a Premiere Pro track typically contains multiple
clips. Layers in After Effects are also very similar to layers in Photoshop, though the interface for working with layers
differs.
Four layers as viewed in the Composition panel (top) and in the Timeline panel (bottom)
You can create several kinds of layers:
• Video and audio layers that are based on footage items that you import, such as still images, movies, and audio
tracks
• Layers that you create within After Effects to perform special functions, such as cameras, lights, adjustment layers,
and null objects
• Solid-color layers that are based on solid-color footage items that you create within After Effects
• Synthetic layers that hold visual elements that you create within After Effects, such as shape layers and text layers
• Precomposition layers, which use compositions as their source footage items
To see a video tutorial on creating and managing layers, visit the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/go/vid0222.
137