User Guide

CHAPTER 11
346
Managing Projects Effectively
To synchronize time displays in windows of nested compositions:
Choose Edit > Preferences > General, click the Synchronize Time of All Related Items
option to add a checkmark, and click OK.
Maintaining image quality of nested compositions
There are two methods of calculating changes to transform properties (such as rotation or
scaling) during rendering of a nested composition. The default method applies transform
properties and rasterizes at every level of nested compositions. The alternative method,
collapsing transformations, postpones the calculation of transform properties and rasteriza-
tion of nested compositions until the rendering process reaches a layer you select. (You
cannot collapse a layer’s transform properties if a mask or effect is applied to it.) You can
increase image quality and significantly reduce rendering time by collapsing transformations.
To collapse transformations of a nested composition:
In the Layer Feature panel of the Timeline window, click the Collapse Transformations
switch icon next to the layer containing the nested composition.
Collapsing transformations can preserve resolution when a nested composition is scaled
down and then scaled back up in successive compositions. Without collapsed transforma-
tions, a nested composition that is scaled down loses the resolution of its original larger
size. When you collapse transformations, the original resolution of a nested composition is
preserved; its final resolution is determined by its size within the composition that uses
collapsed transformations.
Default method When a nested composition is scaled down and then up again
in successive compositions, it retains the lower resolution of the scaled-down version.
Collapsed transformation When a nested composition is scaled down and then
up again in successive compositions, it retains the resolution of the original layer.
UG.book Page 346 Wednesday, February 21, 2001 12:05 PM