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Table Of Contents
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. In the
following example, the text layers on the top level have no effect on the blended images
below.
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 Motions 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 layer’s visibility. This
allows you to customize any blend mode to better suit your needs.
Blend modes only affect overlapping layers, and have no interaction with your project’s
background color (unless the background is set to Environment). If you specify a blend
mode for a layer that doesn’t overlap anything, that layer remains as it was before.
To change a selected layers blend mode
Do one of the following:
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Choose an option from the Blend Mode pop-up menu in the HUD.
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Choose an option from the Blend Mode pop-up menu in the Properties Inspector.
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Choose Object > Blend Mode, then choose an option from the submenu.
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Display the Blend Mode column in the Layers list (choose View > Layers Columns > Blend
Mode), then choose an option from a layer’s Blend Mode pop-up menu.
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Control-click a layer in the Canvas, then choose an option from the Blend Mode submenu
in the shortcut menu.
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Control-click a layer in the Layers list or Timeline, then choose an option from the Blend
Mode submenu in the shortcut menu.
290 Chapter 7 Basic Compositing