-
Layer blend modes – multiply specifically
I created a illustration in Illustrator in which I have one layer that has a blend mode of multiply. I brought this into AE and looks fine, however when I start group layers of the composition into new sub-comps the multiply layer does not hold, specifically when I use an alpha track matte on the sub comp.
Why is this? I tried saving the frame as a photoshop layered document to try and deduce the problem.I took this new subcomp created document and tried merging the layers to try an preserve transparency but that kills the multiply blended layer. What I did notice that I don’t think AE has is when you group layers with various blend modes in PS, the group folder has a blend mode of “pass through” Is this not available in some form in AE?
I’m puzzled.
-
6 Replies
-
A composition in AE is not like a group of layers in PS or Illustrator. It’s treated by AE as footage. Just as if it were a video file. However, when you are using multiple layers in comp you can use the collapse transformations button (it’s near the layer blending modes and looks like a squashed bug).
It may solve your problem.
– The Great Szalam
(The ‘Great’ stands for ‘Not So Great, in fact, Extremely Humble’)No trees were harmed in the creation of this message, but several thousand electrons were mildly inconvenienced.
-
I did try the collapse transformation switch. That works apparently only in one composition. If I put that sub composition in another composition, it does not hold. Switching on the collapse transformation on the sub composition layer does not do anything that I can tell.
-
Understood, but is there a way to break that rule?
-
Sorry, I guess I misunderstood your question. What Dave said is right.
– The Great Szalam
(The ‘Great’ stands for ‘Not So Great, in fact, Extremely Humble’)No trees were harmed in the creation of this message, but several thousand electrons were mildly inconvenienced.
-
[Ken Latman] “What I did notice that I don’t think AE has is when you group layers with various blend modes in PS, the group folder has a blend mode of “pass through” Is this not available in some form in AE?”
This is what the ‘Collapse Transformations/Continuously Rasterize’ layer switch does when applied to compositions.
Darby Edelen
-
[Dave LaRonde] “If you put some layers in a comp, then use Multiply on one of the layers, it affects ONLY the layers in that comp: when you nest that comp in another comp, the Multiply doesn’t carry through to layers below the nested comp.”
Blend modes will carry through if you collapse transformations. However, as soon as the ‘multiply’ layer is in a comp that doesn’t have it’s transformations collapsed it will no long be carried through.
So if you have Layer XYZ set to Multiply in Comp A, then Comp A nested in Comp B, and Comp B nested in Comp C, you’d have to collapse transformations on both Comp A and Comp B:
Comp C (Layer XYZ maintains its blend mode) <- Comp B (Collapse Transformations) <- Comp A (Collapse Transformations) <- Layer XYZ (Multiply) NOTE: This does not work if you have any effects or layer styles at all applied to the collapsed compositions (Comp A and Comp B can have no effects or layer styles applied). Darby Edelen
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up