Miscellaneous Group Functions
Last updated
Last updated
In addition to functions mentioned under this category, there are Group Functions that are either not available as an executable function itself, or that are a sub-function of a Layer Function:
(Added in version 1.1)
As of version 1.1, you have the ability to adjust the opacity of all group layers at once.
On the Group || Settings effect, enable Group Opacity and execute Refresh Layout. Workflower will then add an expression to the opacity of the layers and it will add a special opacity slider effect to all group layers as it does with Prime Clone layers. Execute Reveal Layer Opacity (Win: Alt+F1, Mac: Ctrl+3) to reveal the special opacity slider on each layer in the timeline. To reveal the Group Opacity slider on the Group || Settings effect in the timeline, you can execute Reveal Layer Opacity too.
When you move layers into/out of the group, you need to execute Refresh Layout so that these attributes get added/removed to/from the layers.
If you disable the Group || Settings effect while using Group Opacity, the visibility of the whole group will be disabled.
Please be aware that Group Opacity will not look the same as changing the opacity on a precomp. Since Workflower will adjust the opacity of every layer individually, the opacities of layers that intersect will add up. For example, if the Group Opacity is 50% and two layers intersect, the resulting opacity on the intersected area will amount to 75%.
True 3D objects in AE's Advanced 3D renderer cannot contain effects. That's why Workflower cannot add a special opacity slider effect to those layers. So in case true 3D objects are within a group with group opacity, you can control the individual opacity of those layers by clicking on the value itself and modifying the property before the expression.
Additionally, you can also enable Layers respect Group In/Out. Using this option, all layers outside of the group header's in and out point won't be visible.
Please note that Layers respect Group In/Out will disable Automatic Trimming of the group header to its contained layers.
If your group layers have time-stretch enabled, the result might be off by a frame. (Maybe this is fixable in a future release.)
(Added in version 1.1)
Centers a group header at the average position of the group layers' anchor points (Win: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+9, Mac: no default shortcut).
Select either a group header or a layer contained in a group and execute Center Group Header to move the group's header to the center of all layers. Note that this will only take the position at the current time into account.
When keyframes are on the Position property of the group header, they will be moved relative to the new position.
To relabel an entire group, select either the group header or a layer contained in the group and execute Relabel Layer/s.
To create a Group Matte, execute Create Matte while a group header is selected.
To create a Group Clone, execute Clone and Precomp while a group header is selected.
To create a Group Linked Adjustment Layer, execute Create Linked Adjustment Layer while a group header is selected.
To create a Group Matted Adjustment Layer, execute Create Matted Adjustment Layer while a group header is selected.
(Added in version 1.1)
To convert a group to a precomp, select the group header and execute Precompose.
(Added in version 1.1)
To convert a precomp to a group, select the precomp layer in your comp and execute Precompose.
The order of Group Clones, Group Mattes, and Group Linked Adjustment Layers is not customizable. Going from the top-most layer, it is always:
Group Linked Adjustment Layer
Group Matte
Group Clone
This is because a Group Matte and/or Group Linked Adjustment Layer will have the same effect on top of the Group Clone as them being contained in there, so most of the time there is no reason for the order to be different, and the performance and layer/effect clarity is improved that way since matte layers and adjustment layer effects don't have to be copied to all group layers. (If you still want to change the order of these group elements, there is a way.)
If you move the group elements around and execute Refresh Connections on one of them, they will be reordered in the order described above.
There are a few situations when you want the Group Matte and/or Group Linked Adjustment Layer to be contained the Group Clone. (If you want to reference a Group Clone by an effect, for example, and you want the matte to be baked into the clone already.) The solution to this is as follows:
Since sub-groups can contain their own Group Clones, Group Mattes, and/or Group Linked Adjustment Layers, you can create a sub-group that holds a Group Linked Adjustment Layer and/or Group Matte while the higher group holds a Group Clone.
