Adobe AFTER EFFECTS 5.5 Help Manual page 88

Adobe After Effects Help
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When the layer source is an Adobe Illustrator file, this switch acts as the Continuously
Rasterize switch. Selecting this switch causes After Effects to rerasterize the Illustrator file
for each frame, which improves image quality but also increases the time required for
previewing and rendering.
You cannot apply masks and some effects to a layer when the Collapse Transformations/
Continuously Rasterize switch is active. If you want to apply an effect to a layer that uses
this switch, either apply an adjustment layer higher up in the stacking order (see "Creating
an adjustment layer" on page 73), or nest or precompose the layer with the switch applied
and then apply the effect or mask. See "Importing an Adobe Illustrator, PDF, or EPS file" on
page 35.
To collapse transformations or change the rasterization method for a layer:
Do one of the following:
In the Timeline window, click the Collapse Transformations/Continuously Rasterize
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switch.
Select a layer, choose Layer > Switches, and make sure that the Collapse command is
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selected (to turn it on), or deselected (to turn it off ).
Changing the layer image quality
You can select three levels of quality for the layer image: Best, Draft, and Wireframe. A
higher quality setting shows more detail at higher resolution, but at the expense of redraw
and rendering speed. The three levels of quality are as follows:
Best quality displays and renders a layer using subpixel positioning, anti-aliasing,
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3D shading, and complete calculation of any applied plug-in effects. Best provides the
slowest display and rendering time.
Draft quality displays a layer so that you can see it, but only at rough quality. It displays
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and renders a layer without anti-aliasing and subpixel positioning, and some effects
are not precisely calculated. Draft quality is often the most useful setting for general
work and for video layers (to avoid blurring when matching compositions to raw video
footage).
Wireframe quality represents a layer as a box with an X across it. Layer wireframes
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display and render faster than other settings. However, layer contents or masks are not
visible—only position and size. Because of this limitation, wireframe quality is available
only from the Layer menu.
To change the layer image quality:
With the layer selected in the Timeline window, choose Layer > Quality, and choose Best,
Draft, or Wireframe.
Showing and hiding applied effects
Using the Effect switch, you can control whether a layer's effects appear in both previews
and rendered versions. When you deselect this switch, the layer is displayed and rendered
without its effects, saving previewing and rendering time. This switch is available only if a
layer has effects applied to it.
To show or hide all effects applied to one layer:
Do one of the following:
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Managing Layers
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