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826 Part IX Effects and Color Correction
Working with Layered Photoshop Files
You can create multilayer graphics in Adobe Photoshop for use in a composited
Final Cut Express sequence. This allows you to create a complex arrangement of
separate graphic elements and import them as a group, with their position and layer
ordering intact. Once you import layered Photoshop files, they appear as a sequence,
with each individual layer stacked. At this point, it’s easy to manipulate each layer
individually to create sophisticated composites.
Photoshop Features Supported During Import
You can import multilayer Photoshop files created in any version of Photoshop, but
only Photoshop 3.0 features (such as opacity, composite modes, layer order, and layer
name) are preserved during import.
Updating Photoshop Files in Adobe Photoshop
Once a layered Photoshop file is imported, you can automatically open it in Photoshop
to make further changes by:
 Choosing View > Clip in Editor
 Control-clicking the file in the Browser or Timeline and then choosing Open in Editor
from the shortcut menu
You can make changes to any of the layers and save the file. When you return to
Final Cut Express, those changes are updated in the corresponding multilayer sequence
in your project.
∏ Tip: While compositing, you may need to make changes to different types of clips that
you’re using. You can select separate editing applications for three types of files:
still-image, video, and audio. For more information, see Chapter 62, “Choosing Settings
and Preferences,” on page 969.