UNIT-4

Introduction to Layers

Steps covered in this chapter

1. Understandingh Layers
2. Use of Blend methods :
1. composit (By layer default)
2. Straight Onto
3. Animation Example of straight onto
4. Encapsulation (Inline Canvas)
5. Using Loop Bline option
6. Rotate Layer
7. Link to Bline Option

UNDERSTANDING LAYER

• You might have seen some animations like sun rising.
• There can be many objects like mountains, sun, birds, trees etc.
• Each of these objects when drawn, will be either above or below another object.
• For eg. Sun rises behind the mountain.
• So these objects sush as mountain, sun, trees etc. can be in different layers and we can put any layer in front of another layer in synfig.

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WHAT IS A LAYER

• A layer in synfig refers to levels on which we can place our drawing objects or pictures.
• We can think of layers as sheets of papers which are cut into different shapes.
• For e.g. the tools like circle, square, polygon or gradients are considered as individual layers in synfig.
• We can see all the layers from layers panel.

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• Here in this canvas a circle and a rectangle are two different layers.

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LAYERS

• In synfig, each individual element of the canvas is broken down into layers.

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• For e.g. when we draw a circle it appears on a different layer.

• Layer Panel

• Circle Layer

• In fact it creates layers for each and every features of an object.

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• For e.g. if we create a circle with its outline and fill color, synfig creates individual layers for both.

• circle’s outline
• layer

• Circle Layer

LAYERS IN SYNFIG ARE DIFFERENT FROM OTHER ANIMATION SOFTWARE:

(1) Every object, element and effect have their own layer. � We do not have a layer with multiple effects.� In other words a layer represents a single primitive such as object, outlite or image

(2) The upper layer can change the behavior of the layers below it.�It can distort or modify the layers beneath.

This is done by using effect or filter layers

There are different types of layers such as gradient, blur or filter layers.

Each layer has its own set of parameters.

We can see the parameters of a layer by selecting the layer from the layers panel and then looking into the params panel.

Encapsulate Option

Encapsulation means grouping things together.

To group two layers just select both the layers using Ctrl key , right click on it and select encapsulate option

For e.g. to group a gradient with circle layer select both the layers through Ctrl key and press right mouse button and select Encapsulate.

Inserting Rotate Layer

A rotate layer is used to rotate or change the angle of an object created on canvas.

Right click on the object’s layer in layers panel to add a rotate layer for an already existing object.

Select New Layer 🡪 Transform 🡪 Rotate Option to insert a rotate layer.

When rotate layer is created on canvas, it shows a blue colored duck that can be used to rotate all the objects(Layers) beneath it.

If you want to rotate a specific object for eg. Rectangle, then you should encapsulate(group) it with rotate layer.

ROTATION ON A SPECIFIED PATH

• Let us see an example of a ball rotating around a particular path.

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• We have already seen an example of moving a circle from left to right.

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• We defined the starting point and ending point and the circle moves on the linear path.

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• Now we want to move the object as per our defined path.

• Create a new file.
• Click on Bline tool from toolbox.
• See that on only “create outline bline” is selected in tool options panel.
• Create our path for rotation (oval shape) using the Bline tool.
• Right click on the ending position of bline and select loop bline option.

• Draw a circle using circle tool.
• Using the palette editor you can change the color of circle.
• In the layers panel select the circle layer 🡪 Right click 🡪 New layer 🡪 Transform 🡪 Rotate.
• This will add a new layer named rotate above the circle.
• As we need to rotate the cirlce, we have added a rotate layer above the circle.

• Press shift key and select both circle layer and rotate layer one by one.
• Right click on any layer and select encapsulate(group) option from the short cut menu.
• Thus the rotate and the circle layer are encapsulated in a layer named inline canvas.
• You can also change the name of the encapsulated layer.
• Now select the rotate and circle layer and bring their positioning duck(green duck) near to one another. As shown in figure.

• Select the inline canvas layer and select its positioning dkcu.
• Hold the CTRL key and choose the rotate layer.
• Continue to hold the CTRL key and select the blue duck on the rotation layer.
• Continue to hold the CTRL key and select the Bline layer.
• Now right click on the Bline in the canvas where you want the circle to start from.
• Select the opting “Link to Bline” from short cut menu.
• You can see that the circle will move only on the bline path that we have specified.
• After that you can create animation on this.