User Guide

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ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 5.0
User Guide
• Select the layer you want to designate as 3D in the Timeline or Composition window,
and choose Layer > 3D Layer.
Moving a 3D layer in the Composition window
To move a 3D layer in the Composition window, drag either the axes or the layer itself.
Once you have designated a layer as 3D and have selected the layer, three arrows, called the
axes, appear on the layer in the Composition window. Each arrow on the axes controls a
corresponding axis and is color-coded. The red arrow represents the X axis, the green
arrow represents the Y axis, and the blue arrow represents the Z axis. When you position
the selection or rotation tool over an arrow on the axes, an X, Y, or Z appears next to the
pointer, identifying the axis.
When you drag one of the arrows with a selection or rotation tool, you adjust the layer’s
location in space. If you are adjusting the position of a layer, the layer travels along the
corresponding axis. If you are adjusting the rotation of a layer, the layer pivots around the
corresponding axis at the layer anchor point. You can adjust the layer’s anchor point by
dragging it with the pan behind tool (see “Setting and animating an anchor point” on
page 182 for information on using the pan behind tool to adjust an anchor point). The
Info palette updates to show the coordinate of the layer you are adjusting.
A. Y axis B. X axis C. Z axis
The axes also appear on camera and light layers and perform the same functions for those
layers. For more information on the camera and its axes, see “Using cameras” on page 292.
For more information on lights, see“Using lights” on page 298.
A
B
C
UG.book Page 285 Wednesday, February 21, 2001 12:05 PM