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constraining blending mode
I want to “overlay” a layer (using the Overlay blending mode) on top of two layers at the top of my layer stack, but I want this overlay effect to be limited to just these top two layers and not affect the layers underneath. Is there a way to restrict which layers my top-most layer affects when I turn the blending mode to Overlay (or anything besides “normal”)? If I try precomposing the three layers (the overlay layer and the two underlying layers that I want affected), then I run into alpha problems because the layer that I am switching to “overlay” has it’s own alpha that is different from the alpha for the two layers that need to be affected. Am I being clear enough?
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3 Replies
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Sounds like a good case for a pre-render – just render out the 3 layers in question. Import and you’ll be good to go.
Lots of users under-estimate the effective use of pre-renders. Not only do they help to ease workflow congestion but they also help to solve most issues related to nesting and/or grouping.
Cheers
Roland Kahlenberg
https://www.broadcastGEMs.com – Adobe After Effects project files
https://www.myspace.com/rorkrgbspace -
you should be able to pre-comp the 3 layers, but then check the ‘t’ box in the modes panel for the overlay layer (it’s between the layer mode pulldown and the trakc matte pulldown).
that should matte the overlay layer to just the visible areas of the underlaying layers, and allow for correct compositng in the main comp.
Kevin Camp
Designer – KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW -
Fantastic!!!
Thank you very much! Amazing that a button could be right there (in an oft-used part of the interface no less) that I really wasn’t familiar with. I may have known about that toggle a loooooong time ago (it seemed vaguely familiar), but I must admit that when you pointed me to it today it was almost as if a new feature had been added to AE that had never been there before.
Thank you very much. Exactly what I needed. God bless the COW!!!
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