To Create A Null Object - Adobe AFTER EFFECTS 7.0 Manual

Alternately, when you remove a parent from a child layer, you can choose to have the child layer jump to show that
its transform properties are now relative to the composition.
Jumping a layer is useful to depict a change in focus for a particular layer or layers' animation. For example, you could
animate one child layer to encircle a parent layer, then jump the child to another layer that may be positioned away
from the first parent layer. The child layer can then encircle the new parent at a position relative to the new parent.
Creating a parenting relationship between layers causes the transformation values of the child layers to inherit
changes to the corresponding transformation values in the parent layer.
•
To parent a layer, in the Parent column, drag the pick whip of the layer that you want to be the child layer to the
layer that you want to be the parent layer.
•
To parent a layer, in the Parent column, click the menu of the layer that you want to be the child, and choose a
parent layer name from the menu.
•
To remove a parent from a layer, in the Parent column, click the menu of the layer you want to remove the parent
from, and choose None.
•
To select all child layers of a selected parent layer, right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) the layer in
the Composition or Timeline panel, and choose Select Children.
•
To make a child layer jump when a parent is assigned or removed, hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS)
as you assign or remove the parent.

To create a null object

If you want to assign a parent layer, but do not want that layer to be a visible element in your project, use a null object.
A null object is an invisible layer that has all the properties of a visible layer so it can be a parent to any layer in the
composition. Adjust and animate a null object as you would any other layer.
You can apply Expression Controls effects to null objects and then use the null object as a control layer for effects and
animations in other layers.
A composition can contain any number of null objects. A null object is visible only in the Composition and Layer
panels and appears in the Composition panel as a rectangular outline with layer handles. Effects are not visible on
null objects.
❖
Select the Timeline or Composition panel and choose Layer > New > Null Object.
Note: The anchor point of a new null object layer appears in the upper left corner of the layer, and the layer is anchored
in the center of the composition at its anchor point. Change the anchor point as you would for any other layer. For more
information on this, see "About anchor points" on page 206.
See also
"About expressions" on page 555
"To modify properties with Expression Controls effects" on page 561
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User Guide