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Table Of Contents
[Individual layers]: Each layer in the Photoshop file appears as a separate item in the
drop menu. Selecting a layer adds only that layer to the project, where it appears as a
single Motion layer.
Note: When a Photoshop file contains more layers than can be displayed in the drop
menu, the Choose Layer option appears in the drop menu. After you click the Choose
Layer option, the Pick Layer to Import dialog appears.
To add a layered Photoshop file using the Import command
1 Choose File > Import.
2 Select the layered Photoshop file to import, then click Import.
The Pick Layer to Import dialog appears.
3 Choose a command from the Layer Name pop-up menu:
Merged Layers: All layers of the Photoshop file are collapsed into a single Motion layer.
All Layers: A group is created and nested in the selected group. Each layer of the
Photoshop file is preserved as a separate Motion layer in this group.
[Individual layers]: Each layer in the Photoshop file appears as a separate item in the
drop menu. Selecting a layer adds only that layer to the project, where it appears as a
single Motion layer.
If you don’t like the layer you chose, you can pick a different one from the Photoshop
file without deleting or importing again. You do so by selecting the recently imported
Photoshop layer, then choosing a different Photoshop layer from the Layer pop-up
menu in the Properties Inspector.
Managing Layers in a Project
When you add a media file to your project, a corresponding image layer appears in the
Canvas, Layers list, and Timeline. You can duplicate any image layer or effects object in
the Canvas, Layers list, or Timeline to create as many copies as you need. Each copy you
create has individual parameters in the Inspector, which lets you modify and animate
each duplicate layer.
The Relationship Between Source Media and Image Layers
Every media file you add to your project places corresponding source media in the Media
list. This means that if you import the same file into your project five times, five identical
source media items are added in the Media list.
However, if you duplicate a layer in the Layers list, you create an instance of the layer but
not a new source item in the Media list. Rather, both duplicate layers are linked to a single
source item in the Media list.
209Chapter 6 Creating and Managing Projects