Parameters and Presets

A composition (or "comp" for short) is the container in which layers can be stacked to produce a composite image. You cannot composite anything without a composition.

It's mainly defined by:

• A format
• A duration
• A frame rate

Its coordinate system defines the origin (0,0) at the center of the composition. Although compositions have a set format, in Autograph they are considered to be infinite in size. If you place a layer outside of the composition format it will not necessarily be cropped when reusing this composition in another one.

Composition duration is also just embedded information used by the Render Manager for example, to determine when Autograph will have to stop rendering a video; but, a composition is considered to have an infinite duration as well. If a layer starts to appear at 40 seconds in a composition that last 30 seconds, this layer will obviously not be visible when you render the composition; but, if you reuse this composition elsewhere and locally extend its duration, this layer can be retrieved.

In Autograph, nothing is destructive. Any blurs added to an image or any transformations applied to a layer can be removed or tweaked later.

If we go back to the hamburger example used in the description of a layer stack, you can imagine a composition as a box in which the hamburger is placed, and the format being the edges of the box, with the exception that food can pass through.

Compositions over time:

A composition isn't just for stacking layers. You can also animate layer parameters over time. That’s why there is always a Timeline associated with a composition. The Stack on the left is for managing layer stacking and the Dope sheet on the right is for managing timing.

Please refer to this section to know more about the Timeline.

Creating a new compositon:

To add a new composition to your project, click on the composition icon at the top of the Project Panel.

Parameters and Presets

To access composition parameters:

• Select the composition in the Project Panel, then refer to the parameters displayed in the Properties Section of the Inspector.
• If the composition is used as a Layer source (sub-composition, you can access its properties by unfolding the Source parameter in the Timeline.

• Format: lists all formats described in Preferences > Formats. The first item on the list is Custom which lets you define another format by:

  • its Width and Height in pixels
  • optionally, its Pixel aspect ratio

• Start Time: defines the Timecode of the composition's first image. Useful for synchronizing a composition’s timecode with some multi-cam footage recorded in "Free run" mode, for example. This value can be negative.

• Duration: sets the number of frames in a composition, or the timecode of its last image + 1 frame, according the frame rate.

• Select Frame Rate: allows you to choose between a list of the most commonly used presets or a custom value, when you set the composition Framerate.

• Framerate: lists the most commonly used frame rates, from 8 to 120 FPS.

• Before and After: this is similar to the reader’s Outside Range Behavior as you can define what happens when you extend the range of a sub-composition further than its original duration, with extra options:

  • Hold: repeats the First/Last frame of the composition infinitely
  • Loop: repeats the whole composition in loop infinitely; this can be useful when creating a loopable animated "bug" (small logo always on screen on TV channels) in a composition without worrying about its duration
  • Bounce (sometimes referred to as "Ping-Pong"): repeats the whole composition back and forth, and is really useful when looping a non-loopable composition
  • Black: fills the extended images in full black and transparent (RGBA:0.0 / 0.0 / 0.0 / 0.0)
  • Continue (Default): extends the duration of a sub-composition; because a composition is considered to be temporally infinite, you can retrieve layers that started to appear after a composition’s original temporal range.

• Enable Caching: please refer to the Caching section to know more about Composition caching.

Export Option:

Right-clicking on a Composition in the Project Panel brings up several options, including a Set as Main Composition checkbox.

This option tags the main composition when you want to export a Package and create an autonomous Template, Generator or Modifier.