Adobe After Effects - Manual (Page 422)

To the top
To the top
To apply an effect to only a specific portion of a layer, use an adjustment layer.
An effect applied to an adjustment layer affects all layers below it in the layer stacking order in the Timeline panel. (See Create an adjustment
layer .)
Andrew Kramer provides a video tutorial on his Video Copilot website in which he shows how to use an adjustment layer to apply an effect to only
a short duration and to only specific portions of a movie.
Expression Controls effects
Expression Controls effects do not modify existing layer properties; rather, these effects add layer properties that expressions can refer to. (See
Expression Controls effects.)
Preventing edge clipping with the Grow Bounds effect
Because an effect is applied to a layer, the results of some effects are constrained to within the bounds of the layer, which can make the effect
appear to end abruptly. You can apply the Grow Bounds effect to a layer to temporarily extend the layer for the purpose of calculating the results
of other effects. This process is not necessary for newer effects, which tend to be 32-bpc effects.
Managing effects and effect properties with scripts
Paul Tuersley provides a script on the AE Enhancers forum with which you can search compositions for effects and turn them on or off.
Paul Tuersley provides a script on the AE Enhancers forum that makes synchronizing changes to effect properties on multiple layers easier.
Effects applied with tools
Some effects—including the Puppet effect, the Paint effect, and the Roto Brush effect—are applied to a layer with a tool, rather than being applied
directly in the same manner as other effects. (See Animating with Puppet tools, Paint tools and paint strokes, and Transparency, opacity, and
compositing.)
Resources for Cycore FX (CC) effects
CycoreFX HD (1.7.1) is included in the installation of After Effects CC and CS6. There is 16-bpc support in all effects, and 32-bpc (float) support in
35 effects. Included are 12 additional plug-ins. CycoreFX HD plug-ins have support for motion blur, lights, more controls, and options.
This video by Todd Kopriva and video2brain introduces the new Cycore effects and improved color bit depth. You will learn how to apply a couple
of these effects and see what it means to use different bit depths.
Documentation—including tutorials and example projects—for the Cycore FX (CC) plug-ins is available on the Cycore website .
Alan Shisko provides a video tutorial on the ProVideo Coalition website that demonstrates the use of the CC RepeTile effect.
Bob Donlon provides the following tutorial about the CC Particle Systems II effect on the Adobe website:
simulating fire
Eran Stern provides a video tutorial on his website that demonstrates the CC Particle System II and CC Mr. Mercury effects.
Compound effects and control layers
Several effects rely on a control layer (or layer map) as input. These compound effects use the pixel values of the control layer to determine how
to affect the pixels of the layer that the effect is applied to (the destination layer). In some cases, the effect uses the brightness values of the pixels
in the control layer; in some cases, the effect uses the individual channel values of the pixels in the control layer.
418