Setting Properties for Many Layers

When working with several nodes/layers, you may need to change certain properties for a lot of layers at once. For example, you may want to:

  • Make all your Drawing layers to use 3D Path type position functions.
  • Make all your Peg layers to use Separate type position functions.
  • Make all your Drawing layers to apply their embedded pivot on their parent pegs.
  • Disable animation on all your Drawing layers.
  • Set the mode of all your Composite layers to Pass Through.
  • Disable specific art layers on several Drawing layers.

This is common for cut-out productions that need a lot of layers in their character rigs to have a specific configuration.

The Set Properties for Many Layers dialog allows you to select several layers and to change the following properties for all the layers in your selection:

  • 3D Path or Separate mode
  • Use Embedded Pivot
  • Overlay On/Off
  • Line Art On/Off
  • Colour Art On/Off
  • Underlay On/Off
  • Animate Using Animation Tools
  • Composite Mode
  1. Do the following to add the Set Properties on Many Layers script to your Timeline toolbar:

    1. Right-click on the Timeline toolbar and select Customize.

      The Toolbar Manager dialog will appear.

    2. In the Available Tools list, Scroll down to the TB_Set_properties_on_many_Layers in TB_Set_properties_on_many_Layers.js function.
    3. Click on the Add the selected tool to the toolbar button.
    4. Click on the OK button.

  2. In the Timeline view, select all the layers for which you want to change properties.

  3. In the Timeline toolbar, click on Set Properties on Many Layers button.

    The Set Properties on Many Layers dialog appears.

  4. Select the value of each property you want to change for all the selected layers:
    • 3D path or Separate Mode: Whether you want the Position parameter of the selected Peg and Drawing layers to use a 3D Path type function or a Separate function for their position on the x, y and z axes.
    • Use Embedded Pivot: Whether you want the selected Drawing layers to apply their embedded pivot on themselves (Drawing), on their parent peg (Parent Peg) or not at all (Do Not Use)
    • Overlay: Whether to enable the Overlay layer for the selected Drawing layers.
    • Line Art: Whether to enable the Line Art layer for the selected Drawing layers.
    • Color Art: Whether to enable the Color Art layer for the selected Drawing layers.
    • Underlay: Whether to enable the Underlay layer for the selected Drawing layers.

    • Animate Using Animation Tools: Whether to allow users to manipulate and animate the selected Drawing layers with the animation tools. Setting this to off will make animation tools work on the Drawing node's parent peg instead.

      NOTE This option only affects Drawing layers, and not Peg layers.

    • Composite Mode: Whether the selected Composite nodes should have their mode set to As Bitmap or to Pass Through.

      NOTE Composite nodes are only available in Harmony Premium.

    For each property that you do not want to change for the selected layers, leave As Is selected.

  5. Click on the OK button.