Adobe AFTER EFFECTS 5.5 Help Manual page 339

Adobe After Effects Help
Using Help | Contents
As you work, painting and erasing can block pixels in an original image, such as a footage
file or solid. You can also paint on a virtual layer above or below that image (although this
does not appear as a separate layer in the Timeline window). You can paint and erase to
adjust mattes and alpha channels for the original image. You can restrict Vector Paint
strokes to the areas inside or outside the original alpha channel.
Each Composite Paint option specifies a unique combination of work view, layer type
(image, matte, or alpha channel), and placement of strokes relative to the original image.
You can select strokes later and change the Composite Paint option, but it is a good idea
to understand what results each option produces before you start painting.
The following illustrations use the same basic example of an imported image. A straight
paint stroke has been applied, followed by a curving erasure stroke. The original image is a
textured fill and mask that reveals only a circular area of the fill. For these examples, Check-
erboard Background is selected (in the Composition window menu, click the right arrow
above the vertical stroll bar to open that menu).
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A. In Original (default setting), before painting The imported image is visible.
B. In Original, with paint stroke The paint strokes appear above the original image.
C. In Original, with paint stroke and erasure stroke An erasure stroke removes under-
lying portions of both the paint stroke and the original image.
D. Only The original image on the layer does not appear in the working view; only paint
strokes are shown. Erasures remove only paint, not the original image.
E. Over Original The original image is visible in the working view, similar to the In
Original option. Painting and erasing occur as with the Only option: Erasing removes
pixels from underlying paint strokes but does not alter the original image.
F. Under Original The layer image is visible in the working view. Painting does not alter
the original image; it affects only areas of the layer that are outside the original image.
Erasures remove only paint pixels, not the original image.
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