ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 7.0
User Guide
209
Alternately, when you remove a parent from a child layer, you can choose to have the child layer jump to show that
its transform properties are now relative to the composition.
Jumping a layer is useful to depict a change in focus for a particular layer or layers’ animation. For example, you could
animate one child layer to encircle a parent layer, then jump the child to another layer that may be positioned away
from the first parent layer. The child layer can then encircle the new parent at a position relative to the new parent.
Creating a parenting relationship between layers causes the transformation values of the child layers to inherit
changes to the corresponding transformation values in the parent layer.
• To parent a layer, in the Parent column, drag the pick whip of the layer that you want to be the child layer to the
layer that you want to be the parent layer.
• To parent a layer, in the Parent column, click the menu of the layer that you want to be the child, and choose a
parent layer name from the menu.
• To remove a parent from a layer, in the Parent column, click the menu of the layer you want to remove the parent
from, and choose None.
• To select all child layers of a selected parent layer, right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) the layer in
the Composition or Timeline panel, and choose Select Children.
• To make a child layer jump when a parent is assigned or removed, hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS)
as you assign or remove the parent.
To create a null object
Ifyouwanttoassignaparentlayer,butdonotwantthatlayertobeavisibleelementinyourproject,useanull object.
A null object is an invisible layer that has all the properties of a visible layer so it can be a parent to any layer in the
composition. Adjust and animate a null object as you would any other layer.
You can apply Expression Controls effects to null objects and then use the null object as a control layer for effects and
animations in other layers.
A composition can contain any number of null objects. A null object is visible only in the Composition and Layer
panels and appears in the Composition panel as a rectangular outline with layer handles. Effects are not visible on
null objects.
❖ Select the Timeline or Composition panel and choose Layer > New > Null Object.
Note: The anchor point of a new null object layer appears in the upper left corner of the layer, and the layer is anchored
inthecenterofthecompositionatitsanchorpoint.Changetheanchorpointasyouwouldforanyotherlayer.Formore
information on this, see “About anchor points” on page 206.
See also
“About expressions” on page 555
“To modify properties with Expression Controls effects” on page 561
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