User Guide

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ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 5.0
User Guide
For more information about gathering project files in a special location for rendering
or archiving, see the Watch folders section under “Collecting files in one location” on
page 376 and “Rendering using a watch folder (PB only)” on page 378.
Creating animations by nesting compositions
Nesting is useful when you want to apply a single transform property to a layer in more
than one way. It adds another opportunity to apply masks, effects, or transform changes.
To nest a composition:
Drag a composition icon from the Project window into another composition in the
Timeline window.
Note: If the target composition is currently active in the Composition window, you can also
drag the composition icon you want to nest directly into the Composition window.
For example, you could use nesting to make a head both rotate and revolve (moving like
the Earth, which spins on its own axis and also travels around the sun). By nesting, you
can apply rotation to the head in one composition and then move that composition into
another composition containing the background. The head composition becomes a new
layer in the composition containing the background. You can then apply rotation to this
new layer to make it revolve around the circle.
Another way to configure this example would be to use parenting. For more information,
see “Understanding parent layers” on page 184.
Synchronizing time displays of nested compositions
When you open windows associated with a composition, such as the Timeline, the Layer,
and the Effect Controls windows, changing the current time in one window updates the
other windows associated with that composition. However, changing the current time in
one composition does not change the current time in windows belonging to other compo-
sitions, unless you are working with nested compositions.
You can synchronize the current-time markers in open windows belonging to a nested
composition. After Effects provides a preference that updates all windows of nested
compositions when you move the current-time marker in any nested composition.
UG.book Page 345 Wednesday, February 21, 2001 12:05 PM