User Guide

CHAPTER 4
126
Managing Layers
• A duplicate of another existing layer
• A split layer
• A null object
Creating new layers
Of the numerous ways to create layers in an After Effects composition, the most obvious
is to begin with a footage file you want to use. You can create a new layer from any footage
item in your Project window, including audio. After you add a footage item to a compo-
sition, you can modify and animate the resulting layer.
To create a layer from a footage item:
1 In the Project window, double-click the composition you want to work on to open its
Composition and Timeline windows.
2 In the Timeline window, move the current-time marker to the time where you want the
layer to begin playing.
3 Drag the footage item from the Project window to the Composition window.
Note: To position the new layer in a particular order among existing layers or at a specific
starting time in the composition, drag the item to the Timeline window and release it in that
layer position and starting time instead of dragging it to the Composition window.
To create multiple layers simultaneously, follow this procedure but hold down Ctrl
(Windows) or Command (Mac OS) and click to select footage files in Step 3. When you
drag them to the Timeline window, the footage files form layers in the order in which you
clicked them.
Creating layers by nesting compositions
When you add a composition to another composition, it creates a new layer in a process
called nesting. The composition you add becomes a layer in the other (target) compo-
sition. Nested compositions can change composition structure, memory usage, and
rendering order.
For more information, see “Organizing a project using nesting” on page 342.
UG.book Page 126 Wednesday, February 21, 2001 12:05 PM