Adobe AFTER EFFECTS 5.5 Help Manual page 34

Adobe After Effects Help
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Using transparent areas and layer masks from Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop supports a transparent area and one optional layer mask (alpha
channel) for each layer in a file. You can use these layer masks to specify how different
areas within a layer are hidden or revealed. When you import one layer of an Adobe
Photoshop file, After Effects combines the layer mask (if present) with the transparent area
and imports it as a straight alpha channel.
If you import a layered Adobe Photoshop file as a merged file, After Effects merges the
transparent areas and layer masks of all the layers into one alpha channel that is premulti-
plied with white. See "Importing layered Photoshop files" on page 33.
If a layered Adobe Photoshop file contains clipping groups, After Effects imports each
clipping group as a composition nested within the main composition. After Effects
automatically applies its Preserve Underlying Transparency option to each layer in the
clipping-group composition, to maintain transparency settings.
When you import a Adobe Photoshop file as a composition, any clipping paths in the
imported layers are converted to After Effects masks. You can then modify and animate
these masks within After Effects.
After Effects also supports any blending modes applied to the file. For more information
on the Preserve Underlying Transparency option, see "Preserving underlying transparency
during compositing" on page 165.
Using adjustment layers from Adobe Photoshop
Adjustment layers in Adobe Photoshop versions 4.0 and later change the color and tonal
qualities of an image without permanently modifying the original image. Adobe
Photoshop adjustment layers affect the appearance of all layers below them. When you
import an Adobe Photoshop file containing one or more adjustment layers, After Effects
directly converts the Adobe Photoshop adjustment layers to After Effects adjustment
layers. Turn off the Adjustment Layer switch in After Effects to remove the effect and
display the layer as a white solid. To remove the effect and the white solid, either delete
the adjustment layer or turn off the Video switch for the layer. See "Creating an adjustment
layer" on page 73 and "About After Effects Audio/Video switches" on page 86.
Using Adobe Photoshop layer effects (styles)
In Adobe Photoshop 5.0 and later, you can use a layer effect (or style) to modify the layer
to which it is applied. When you import an Adobe Photoshop file as a composition, and
one or more of the layers contain layer effects, then After Effects includes the effects and
the layer as two or more separate layers in the Timeline window.
Note: Only some Adobe Photoshop styles (effects) can be imported into After Effects.
These include Drop Shadow, Inner Shadow, Outer Glow, Inner Glow, Bevel and Emboss,
and Color Fill.
You can edit or remove a layer effect by using either the Timeline window or the Effect
Controls window. You can also animate these Adobe Photoshop layer effects over time.
To edit an Adobe Photoshop layer effect in After Effects:
1 Open the composition containing the layer effect.
2 In the Timeline window, select the layer containing the effect and press E to display the
effect properties.
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