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Layer Functions

A list of functions for adding, editing, removing, exporting, or importing layers and layer stacks can be found in the table below.

Function

How to access it

What it does

Opens this dialog box

Notes

Add new layer

Menubar | Layers > Add New Layer

Right-click | in Layers Palette > Add New Layer

Button | Layers Palette >

Adds a new layer to the layer stack.

 

 

Add adjustment layer

Menubar | Layers > Add Adjustment Layer

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Add Layer Adjustment

Button | Layers Palette >

Keyboard | Tab

Adds the selected filter as an Adjustment layer to the layer stack.

 

If adding adjustments by pressing Tab, type in the name of the adjustment you want to add, for example, Contrast.

Add procedural layer

Menubar | Layers > Add Procedural Layer

Right-click | in Layers Palette > Add Procedural Layer

Button | Layers Palette >

Keyboard | Tab

Adds the selected Basic, Projection, Lighting,Geometry, or Procedural layer to the layer stack.

 

If adding procedurals by pressing Tab, type in the name of the procedural you want to add, for example, Cloud.

Cut layer or layer mask

Menubar | Layers > Cut

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Cut

Menubar | Layers > Layer Mask > Cut

Right-click | layer mask in Layers Palette > Layer Mask > Cut

Keyboard | Ctrl/Cmd+X

Cuts the layer from the layers list to allow you to paste it elsewhere in the project or temporarily remove it.

 

Using the Ctrl/Cmd+X shortcut cuts the whole layer. You cannot cut only the layer mask.

Copy layer or layer mask

Menubar | Layers > Copy

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Copy

Menubar | Layers > Layer Mask > Copy

Right-click | layer mask in Layers Palette > Layer Mask > Copy

Keyboard | Ctrl/Cmd+C or Alt+drag

Copies the layer from the layers list to allow you to paste it elsewhere in the project.

 

Using the Ctrl/Cmd+C shortcut copies the whole layer. You cannot copy only the layer mask.

Paste layer or layer mask

Menubar | Layers > Paste

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Paste

Menubar | Layers > Layer Mask > Paste

Right-click | layer mask in Layers Palette > Layer Mask > Paste

Keyboard | Ctrl/Cmd+V

Pastes a cut or copied layer into the selected location in the project’s Layers Palette. Layers can be paste as a copy in the layer list, or as a new layer in a mask stack or adjustment stack.

 

 

Duplicate layer

Button | Layers Palette >

Creates an exact copy of the selected layer.

 

’Copy’ is added to the layer name to denote which layer is the duplicate.

Remove layers

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Remove Layers

Button | Layers Palette >

Removes the selected layer from the current project.

 

 

Merge layers

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Merge Layers

Merges two or more layers together into a single new layer.

 

Any masks or layer groups contained in the selection are also merged into the layer and are no longer displayed as masks or groups.

Layer transfer

Menubar | Layers > Transfer

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Transfer

Transfers layers from one object or version to another. Layer Transfer Dialog  

Add empty layer group

Right-click | in Layers Palette > Add Layer Group

Button | Layers Palette >

Adds an empty layer group, which allows you to add layers, masks, adjustments or procedurals within a single layer group.

 

These layer groups can be flattened to create a single layer.

Group layers

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Group Layers

Menubar | Layers > Group Layers

Ctrl+G

Gathers multiple selected layers together under a single group.

 

Selected layers are located under a parent layer, which is given a ‘group’ name.

Ungroup layers

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Ungroup Layers

Menubar | Layers > Ungroup Layers

Ctrl+U

Deletes the group of layers and re-arranges the layers while respecting their hierarchy.

 

You can ungroup multiple layer groups at once.

Flatten layer group

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Flatten Layer Group

Reduces multiple layers into a single layer, where all the textures are still present.

 

 

Add mask

Menubar | Layers > Layer Mask > Add Mask

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Layer Mask > Add Layer Mask

Button | Layers Palette >

Adds a layer mask to the selected layer. Select Reveal All, Hide All, or to create From Alpha.

 

 

Bake mask

Menubar | Layers > Layer Mask > Bake Mask

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Layer Mask > Bake Mask

Bakes the mask into the layer, essentially flattening it.

 

 

Resize Mask

Menubar | Layers > Layer Mask > Resize Mask

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Layer Mask > Resize Mask

Resizes the mask to a size listed in the Resize Mask dropdown menu.    

Remove mask

Menubar | Layers > Layer Mask > Remove Mask

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Layer Mask > Remove Mask

Remove the mask from the layer.

 

 

Make mask stack

Menubar | Layers > Layer Mask > Make Mask Stack

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Layer Mask > Make Mask Stack

Button | Layers Palette >

Creates a mask layer stack from a single mask on a layer. Requires the selected layer to have a mask, unless you are adding the mask stack using the Add Mask Stack button in the Layers palette.

 

Clicking the mask stack icon opens an undocked mask stack palette.

Flatten mask stack

Menubar | Layers > Layer Mask > Make Mask Stack

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Flatten Mask Stack

Reduces the masks in a mask stack back into a single mask on the layer.

 

 

Enable mask

Menubar | Layers > Layer Mask > Enable Mask

Right-click | in Layers Palette > Layer Mask > Enable Mask

Enables the mask to be viewed on the model.

 

 

Disable mask

Menubar | Layers > Layer Mask > Disable Mask

Right-click | in Layers Palette > Layers Mask > Disable Mask

Disables the mask from being viewed on the model. Disabling the mask only temporarily removes it from view.

 

To remove the mask entirely, simply Remove Mask in the same menu.

Convert Mask

Menubar | Layers > Layer Mask > Convert Mask

Right-click | in Layers Palette > Layers Mask > Convert Mask

Converts the mask's texel format to either 8bit (Byte), 16bit (Half), or 32bit (Float). This works much the same way as converting a channel's texel format.    

Add secondary adjustment

Menubar | Layers > Secondary Adjustment > Add Secondary Adjustment

Right-click | adjustment layer in Layers Palette > Secondary Adjustment

Allows you to add another type of adjustment to the selected adjustment layer.

 

This only applies to adjustment layers. The option appears grayed out if the selected layer isn’t an adjustment.

Remove secondary adjustment

Menubar | Layers > Secondary Adjustment > Remove Secondary Adjustment

Right-click | adjustment layer in Layers Palette > Remove Secondary Adjustment

Removes any secondary adjustment that has been applied to the selected adjustment layer.

 

This only applies to adjustment layers. The option appears grayed out if the selected layer isn’t an adjustment.

Add adjustment stack

Menubar | Layers > Adjustment Stack > Add Adjustment Stack

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Adjustment Stack > Add Adjustment Stack

Button | Layers Palette >

Adds an adjustment stack to the selected layer. Add an adjustment layer from the menu of Filter adjustment layers.

 

This only applies to layers other than adjustment layers.

Bake adjustment stack

Menubar | Layers > Adjustment Stack > Bake Adjustment Stack

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Adjustment Stack > Bake Adjustment Stack

Bakes an adjustment stack down, essentially flattening the stack into a single adjustment layer.

 

 

Remove adjustment stack

Menubar | Layers > Adjustment Stack > Remove Adjustment Stack

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Adjustment Stack > Remove Adjustment Stack

Removes any adjustment stack that has been applied to the selected layer.

 

This only applies to layers other than adjustment layers.

Enable adjustment stack

Menubar | Layers > Adjustment Stack > Enable Adjustment Stack

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Adjustment Stack > Enable Adjustment Stack

If an adjustment stack has been disabled, this option re-enables the adjustment stack.

 

This only applies to adjustment stacks that have been disabled. If a layer does not have an adjustment stack, or if the stack is already enabled, the option appears grayed out.

Disable adjustment stack

Menubar | Layers > Adjustment Stack > Disable Adjustment Stack

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Adjustment Stack > Disable Adjustment Stack

Disables an adjustment stack to show the paint layer result as it is without the stack. Useful for comparing the model with and without the adjustment stack.

 

This only applies to adjustment stacks that have been added to a layer. If a layer does not have an adjustment stack, the option appears grayed out.

Convert to paintable

Menubar | Layers > Convert to Paintable

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Convert to Paintable

 

 

 

Share Layer

Menubar | Layers > Sharing > Share Layer

Right-click | layers in Layers Palette > Sharing > Share Layer

Shift+drag layer

Creates a shared layer in the layer stack.

 

 

Unshare layer

Menubar | Layers > Sharing > Unshare Layer

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Sharing > Unshare Layer

Undoes the shared state of the shared (created) layer and the original layer.

 

If sharing a layer as a channel, unsharing the layer to remove the shared state doesn’t remove the channel from the Channels Palette. This needs to be done manually.

Share Layers As Channel

Menubar | Layers > Sharing > Share Layers As Channel

Right-click | layers in Layers Palette > Sharing > Share Layers As Channel

Copies the selected layers into the Channels Palette as a new Channel. Clicking on the channel icon opens a new palette with the shared layer already listed.

 

 

Make shared channel current

Menubar | Layers > Sharing > Make Shared Channel Current

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Sharing > Make Shared Channel Current

Makes the shared channel the current channel in the Current Channel option of the Default Shaders tool of the Project Controls toolbar.

 

 

Cache layer(s)

Menubar | Layers > Cache Layers

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Cache Layers

Bakes the layer to speed up layer performance. Caching a layer caches it to the hard-disk.

 

Warning:  Changing colorspace settings of a channel removes any cache from all layers of that channel.

 

 

Cache up to here

Menubar | Layers > Cache Up To Here

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Cache Up To Here

Caches up to the current selected layer in the layer stack.

 

Uncache layer(s)

Menubar | Layers > Uncache Layers

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Uncache Layers

Release the cached files and unlocks the layer stack, allowing it to be edited again.

 

Uncache layer up to here

Menubar | Layers > Uncache Up To Here

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Uncache Up To Here

Releases the cached files and unlocks the layer stack up to the selected layer, allowing those layers to be edited again.

 

Export selected layers

Menubar | Layers > Export > Export Selected Layers

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Export > Export Selected Layers

Exports the selected layer to an external source.

Export Dialog

 

Export all layers

Menubar | Layers > Export > Export All Layers

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Export > Export All Layers

Exports all the layers in the layer stack to an external source.

Export Dialog

 

Export selected masks

Menubar | Layers > Export > Export Selected Masks

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette or shader in Shader Layers tab > Export > Export Selected Masks

Exports the mask of the selected layer(s) or layered shader(s). Export Dialog The masks for layers and layered shaders behave in the same way as they are in effect the same entity.
Export all masks

Menubar | Layers > Export > Export All Masks

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette or shader in Shader Layers tab > Export > Export All Masks

Exports all the masks in a layer stack, in either the Layers Palette or the Shader Layers tab of the Shaders Palette. Export Dialog  

Export selected layers flattened

Menubar | Layers > Export Flattened > Export Selected layers Flattened

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Export > Export Selected Layers Flattened

Exports the selected layer or layers flattened into a single file to an external source.

Export Dialog

 

Export all layers flattened

Menubar | Layers > Export Flattened > Export All Layers Flattened

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Export > Export All Layers Flattened

Exports all the layers in the layer stack flattened into a single file to an external source.

Export Dialog

 

Export selected masks flattened

Menubar | Layers > Export Flattened > Export Selected asks Flattened

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette or shader in Shader Layers tab > Export > Export Selected Masks Flattened

Exports the mask of the selected layer(s) or layered shader(s) flattened into a single file to an external source. Export Dialog The masks for layers and layered shaders behave in the same way as they are in effect the same entity.
Export all masks flattened

Menubar | Layers > Export Flattened > Export All Masks Flattened

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette or shader in Shader Layers tab > Export > Export All Masks Flattened

Exports all the masks in a layer stack, in either the Layers Palette or the Shader Layers tab of the Shaders Palette, flattened into a single file to an external source. Export Dialog  

Import into layer

Menubar | Layers > Import > Import into Current Layer

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Import > Import into Current Layer

Selects a file with paint or mask data to be imported into the selected layer.

Import Dialog

 

Import into layer stack

Menubar | Layers > Import into New Layer

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Import > Import into New Layer

Selects a file with paint or mask data to be imported into the current layer stack.

Import Dialog

 

Inspect layer properties

Right-click | layer in Layers Palette > Layer Properties

Opens a separate window to display the properties of the selected layer.

 

 

Refresh layer view

Right-click | in Layers Palette > Refresh Layer View

Refreshes the entire layer stack.