Ways to Break the Pipeline
Precomping solves problems, but it can also create more problems—or at least inconveniences. Here are a few ways that render order can go wrong: . Some but not all properties are to be precomped, but others must stay in the master comp? With precomping it’s all-or- nothing, leaving you to rearrange properties manually. Changed your mind? Restoring precomped layers to the master composition is a manual (and thus error-prone) process, due to the difficulty of maintaining proper dependencies between the two (for example, if the
nested comp has also been scaled, rotated, and retimed). Do the layers being precomped include blending modes or 3D layers, cameras, or lights? Their behavior changes depending on the Collapse Transformations setting (detailed in the next section). Is there motion blur, frame blending, or vector artwork in the subcomp? Switches in the master composition affect their behavior, as do settings on each individual nested layer, and this relationship changes depending on whether Collapse Transformations is toggled on. Layer timing (duration, In and Out points, frame rate) and dimensions can differ from the master comp. When this is unintentional, mishaps happen: Layers end too soon or are cropped inside the overall frame, or keyframes in the precomp fall between those of the master, wreaking havoc on tracking data, for example. Are you duplicating a comp that contains subcomps? The comp itself is new and completely independent, but the nested comps are not (see Script on this page). No wonder people avoid precomping. But there is hope if you recognize any difficulty and know what to do, so that inconveniences don’t turn into deal-killers.
nested comp has also been scaled, rotated, and retimed). Do the layers being precomped include blending modes or 3D layers, cameras, or lights? Their behavior changes depending on the Collapse Transformations setting (detailed in the next section). Is there motion blur, frame blending, or vector artwork in the subcomp? Switches in the master composition affect their behavior, as do settings on each individual nested layer, and this relationship changes depending on whether Collapse Transformations is toggled on. Layer timing (duration, In and Out points, frame rate) and dimensions can differ from the master comp. When this is unintentional, mishaps happen: Layers end too soon or are cropped inside the overall frame, or keyframes in the precomp fall between those of the master, wreaking havoc on tracking data, for example. Are you duplicating a comp that contains subcomps? The comp itself is new and completely independent, but the nested comps are not (see Script on this page). No wonder people avoid precomping. But there is hope if you recognize any difficulty and know what to do, so that inconveniences don’t turn into deal-killers.
Adjustment Layers
From a nodal point of view, adjustment layers are a way
of saying “at this point in the compositing process, I want
these effects applied to everything that has already rendered.”
Because render order is not readily apparent in
After Effects until you learn how it works, adjustment layers
can seem trickier than they are.
The adjustment layer is itself invisible, but its effects are
applied to all layers below it. It is a fundamentally simple
feature with many uses. To create one, context-click in
an empty area of the Timeline panel, and choose New >
Adjustment Layer (Ctrl+Alt+Y/Cmd+Opt+Y)
From a nodal point of view, adjustment layers are a way
of saying “at this point in the compositing process, I want
these effects applied to everything that has already rendered.”
Because render order is not readily apparent in
After Effects until you learn how it works, adjustment layers
can seem trickier than they are.
The adjustment layer is itself invisible, but its effects are
applied to all layers below it. It is a fundamentally simple
feature with many uses. To create one, context-click in
an empty area of the Timeline panel, and choose New >
Adjustment Layer (Ctrl+Alt+Y/Cmd+Opt+Y)
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