NextPreviousHomeHow to copy all layer properties to another layer?

MrGruntHunter | 6 years ago | 8 comments | 1,829 views

I've been trying to play around with the BT demo show titled " HomeVideo.bt " to replace the text layer with a picture layer that has the same movement properties. I thought creating a Container layer and placing the text layer in it would work but I see that's not how it works. Any suggestions?
Maybe, is there a way to convert a text layer to a picture layer and if so would all of the text movements be retained and applied to the new picture layer?




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The Text layer and Picture layer are not interchangeable they each have their own properties. If the animation was done with the container (and not in) or with the camera layer then yes a picture layer could stand still without the use of keys.

But it is a great exercise for you, MrGruntHunter.


This is very doable it's only 4 keys per picture layer and only 2 properties per picture layer that need to be changed. I matched the textures exactly to the text which is more difficult then when you start from scratch.

Set show duration 2.5 seconds per Picture layer and round up to a full second. example 3 pictures is 7,5 seconds set duration to 8 seconds.

1. Add picture layer, go to 1 second in the timeline and rotate picture to your licking like 15,15,0. (This creates a key)
2. Go to 1,5 seconds in the timeline and press record. (The Picture now holds for 0.5 second (from 1 to 1,5 seconds in the timeline))
3. Go to 0 seconds and set position to 0,0,1200 and change rotation to 90,90,0
4. Go to 2,5 seconds and set position to -200 and rotation to 0,0,0

These are the 4 keys, to make it more interesting set Physics to Accelerate and Decelerate.
Add Plasma layer like SummerSky
Add mirror layer and set position to like 0,-120,0

5. Add 2nd Picture layer go to 3,5 seconds in the timeline and rotate to your licking, like -15,15,0
6. Go to 4 seconds in the timeline and press record.
7. Go to 2,5 seconds and set position to 0,0,-200 and change rotation to 0,0,0
8. Go to 5 seconds and set position to 1200 and rotation to 90,90,0

And Set Physics to Accelerate and Decelerate.
To make it more 3d, select from the Style dropdown Inside. (do this to all picture layers)
Because the picture now has depth go to timeline 00:05:001 and set transparency to 1

I hope you can figure it out now by yourself with the other picture layers. If not, ask away.

Good luck and have fun playing.
"Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime."

komies, 6 years ago


Thanks for the reply komies,
I'm confused by your steps 2, and 4 "2. Go to 1,5 seconds in the timeline and press record. (The Picture now holds for 0.5 second)" . What do you mean by ' press record' ?
Are your instructions assuming a starting with a fresh new show or modifying the homevideo.bt show?

MrGruntHunter, 6 years ago


My bad I mean

"The create key button"

which looks like a record button.

And Yes you assume right, it's your own made new show from scratch.

google.nl...

komies, 6 years ago


OK, understand now :-) I just got through adding 3 picture layers to the existing HomeVideo.BT show and copying all of the individual text layer position & rotation properties respectively to the individual picture layers. It was a long tedious process. I just now made the text layers NOT visible and it seems to work. Actually all 3 picture layers are the same image. I do want to go back and try your instructions again though.
Now I want to try and add individual text to each of the picture layers. I'm thinking the process will be to put each of the picture layers in individual containers and add the text to those containers. If I do that will the text automatically follow along with all of the picture movements and do I need to add all the position and rotation parameters to each of the new text layers as well?

MrGruntHunter, 6 years ago


Like I said "starting from scratch is easier".

If you want the text and picture to move together then attach the picture and text to a container and set the 4 keys to animate to this container.

First add container layer then Attach layer picture and Attach layer text layer, now move with position the text and set size and set effects.

After the 4 keys are set you can Clone the container layer change the Picture and Text and change the position and rotation properties of this cloned container as you would the second picture (steps 5 thru 8).

After this go to 4th key in the timeline at 2,5 seconds copy then delete key go to 5 seconds in the timeline and paste the key. Do the same to the rest the third key at 1,5 to 4 seconds, the second at 1 second to 3,5 and the first from 0 to 2.5 seconds. Don't forget to set the transparency to 1 at 00:05:001.

Now you can clone the first container again, and you only have to move the keys in the timeline. (key 4 at 7,5 seconds key 1 at 5 seconds)

Then clone the second container and move the now 5 keys in the timeline.

With menu Layer/Active Layer Properties you can give the container layers a name +number for easy recognition.

Good luck and have fun.

komies, 6 years ago


OK, I created a Container Layer, then a Picture Layer and attached it to the container. I then created a Text layer and attached it to the same container ... all is fine. Now I created a second Text layer and attached it to the same container but the text shows up behind the picture layer in the container. I've tried using the "bring layer forward" but nothing happens. I also created another Picture layer and attached it to the same container but it also falls behind the first picture layer. The images I'm bringing in are in *.png format. Basically what I'm trying to create is an image with multiple text layers on the face of it in different areas plus a small picture image on it also.

MrGruntHunter, 6 years ago


Mike, you must set the Z position (3rd slider of the position parameter) to adjust plan of each object in container. Container is a 3D space and included objects can be moved in x,y, and z axes.
It's different with colourmap which is a 2D space, in colourmap if you move z position of included objects they look greater or smaller but stay in the same plan because they are in a 2D space.
And because is 2D colourmap looks flat (as a pic) and it is used as texture.

vincent, 6 years ago


@MrGruntHunter

The fundamental basics of adding a layer is:

A layer like picture layer and text layer will be placed at 0,0,500 because the camera is on 0,0,0, if the layer would be placed on 0,0,0 it would not be visible so close in front of the camera.

When you add a container layer it also will be placed on 0,0,500 for the same reason.
When you have a existing layer and then attach to the container layer the positions will add up, 0,0,500 for the container and 0,0,500 for a (text) layer is cumulatieve 0,0,1000 (distance because the third is controlling the Z-axis)

Now here is the neat thing:


When you attach a new layer to a existing container the attached layer will be placed at 0,0,0 so cumulatieve with the container at 0,0,500. This is important because when you rotate the container, the picture, text layer will spin on the same axis. Otherwise the layer would spin 0,0,500 off axis from the container's axis.

To attach a Layer: Menu Layer / Attach layer or Add layer while standing on the active Container layer you wil get a popup asking would you like to attach new layer to active container layer.

And like friend Vincent remarked, when you attach an existing layer to a container layer you can manually set this to 0,0,0 to the existing layer so it will have the same cumulatieve distance as the new attached layers 0,0,500.

I hope that makes it clear.

komies, 6 years ago


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