5.5

Table Of Contents
150Motion User Guide
Important: The transparency created by most of the available blend modes affects how
a layer combines with overlapping layers underneath. These blend modes do nothing to
affect a layers alpha channel. For information about blend modes that do affect a layers
alpha channel, see Alpha channel blend modes in Motion.
Each blend mode combines layers in different ways. For example, setting the top layers
blend mode to Multiply yields a result opposite to that of the Screen blend mode, as the
darker areas of the image remain solid, and the lighter areas become transparent.
Blend modes only affect the combination of a layer with the layers below it. Any layers
appearing above have no effect on this interaction, even if the layer is transparent.
For overlapping layers with different blend modes, the bottommost pair of layers is
combined first, and that combination then interacts with the next layer up, and so on until
all overlapping layers are combined for the final image. In this case, each layer with a
specified blend mode only interacts with the image below it, whether that image is a single
layer or a pair of layers blended together.
Each of Motion’s blend modes works in conjunction with the Opacity parameter to alter
the interaction between the foreground and background layers. Adjusting a layers opacity
lessens the blending effect assigned to it, even as it reduces that layers visibility, allowing
you to customize any blend mode to better suit your needs.
Blend modes have no interaction with your projects background color (unless the
background is set to Environment).
Change a layers blend mode in Motion
You can change a layers blend mode in several ways.
Modify a layers blend mode
With a layer selected in Motion, do one of the following:
In the HUD, click the Blend Mode pop-up menu, then choose a different mode.
In the Properties Inspector, click the Blend Mode pop-up menu, then choose a
different mode.
Choose Object > Blend Mode, then choose a different mode from the submenu.
Control-click a layer in the canvas, Layers list or Timeline, then choose Blend Mode and
a different mode from the shortcut menu.
In the Layers list, display the Blend Mode column (choose View > Layers Columns >
Blend Mode), then click a layers Blend Mode pop-up menu and choose a different mode.