• Adobe After Effects

  Can’t figure out adjustment layer..the answer must be simple

  Posted by Jeffrey on November 23, 2005 at 4:38 am

  What I want to do:
  I want to apply a mask that affects several layers.

  What I did:
  I added an adjustment layer, put it above the layers I wanted to affect, added the mask to the adjustment layer, then turned on the adjustment layer switch for the layers i wanted to affect.

  every time I do this the visibility of the layers I want to affect just disappear (not disappear in the timeline but in the viewer)…is there some simple setting I am overlooking here?

  I also tried just adding a blur and fisheye effect the adjustment layer just in case it was the mask, but still had the same problem.

  John Dickinson replied 20 years, 5 months ago 2 Members · 3 Replies
• 3 Replies

• 

  John Dickinson

  November 23, 2005 at 6:04 am

  You don’t turn on the Adjustment layer switch for the layers you want to affect, you turn it on for the Adjustment layer that sits above those layers (which is on by default when you create an Adjustment layer from the menu). Turn it off for all other layers because that’s what’s making them dissapear – they themselves are not doing any adjusting – they are being adjusted. Also, masks on Adustment layers have no effect on the layers below. I would suggest you precompose the layers you want to affect by the mask (select them and choose LAYER > PRECOMPOSE) then apply your mask to the new precomp.

  JD

  John Dickinson
  Motionworks
  https://www.motionworks.com.au
• 

  Jeffrey

  November 23, 2005 at 12:16 pm

  Yeah I knew it had to be simple. I actually found one other way to do it without precomposing just in case anyone wants to know. I turned off the adjustment layer switch for the layer I wanted to affect (like you said) and made the adjustment layer a Track Matte and made the layers I wanted to affect respond to it.

  Thanks for the info.
• 

  John Dickinson

  November 23, 2005 at 7:27 pm

  Yes that also works because Adjustment Layers are rendered last in the rendering order. If you wanted to put any layers below the Adjustment Layer that weren’t affected by it you would have to precompose the Adjustment Layer with only the layers you wanted to affect. Glad it worked out for you 🙂

  JD

  John Dickinson
  Motionworks
  https://www.motionworks.com.au

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