Layers
Contents
Introduction
Synfig, like most every other competent graphics program, breaks down individual elements of a Canvas into Layers. However, it differs from other programs in two major ways:
- An individual layer in Synfig usually represents a single "Primitive". ie. a single region, an outline of a region, an imported JPEG, etc... This allows you to have a great deal of flexibility and control. It is not uncommon for a composition to have hundreds of layers (organized into a hierarchy for artist sanity of course).
- A layer can not only composite information on top of the image below it, but also distort and/or modify it in some other way. In this sense, Synfig Layers act much like filters do in Adobe Photoshop or The GIMP. For example, we have a Blur Layer, Radial Blur Layer, Spherical Distortion Layer, color-correct layer, bevel layer, etc...
Each layer has a set of parameters which determine how it behaves. When you click on a layer (either in the canvas window, or in the Layers Dialog), you will see its parameters in the Params Dialog.
The following layer types are available in synfig:
Blurs
Blur
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Size | Size of Blur |
| Type | Type of blur to use |
Example: ( youtube corresponding sif file )
Motion Blur
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Aperture | Shutter Time |
Radial Blur
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Origin | Point where you want the origin to be |
| Size | Size of blur |
| Fade Out |
Example: ( youtube corresponding sif file )
Distortions
Inside Out
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Origin | Defines the where the center will be |
Noise Distort
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Displacement | |
| Size | |
| Random Seed | |
| Interpolation | What type of interpolation to use |
| Detail | |
| Animation Speed | |
| Turbulent |
Example: ( youtube corresponding sif file )
Spherize
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Position | |
| Radius | |
| Amount | |
| Clip | |
| Distort Type | The direction of the distortion |
Example: ( youtube corresponding sif file )
Stretch
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Amount | |
| Center |
Example: ( youtube corresponding sif file )
Twirl
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Center | |
| Radius | This is the radius of the circle |
| Rotations | |
| Distort Inside | |
| Distort Outside |
Example: ( youtube corresponding sif file )
Warp
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Source TL | |
| Source BR | |
| Dest TL | |
| Dest TR | |
| Dest BR | |
| Dest BL | |
| Clip | |
| Horizon |
Example: ( youtube corresponding sif file )
Filters
Clamp
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Invert Negative | |
| Clamp Ceiling | |
| Ceiling | |
| Floor |
Color Correct
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Hue Adjust | |
| Brightness | |
| Contrast | |
| Exposure Adjust | |
| Gamma Adjustment |
Halftone 2
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Mask Offset | |
| Mask Angle | |
| Mask Size | |
| Light Color | |
| Dark Color | |
| Type |
Halftone 3
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Mask Size | |
| Type | |
| Subtractive Flag | |
| <Channel Name>Color | |
| <Channel Name>Mask Offset | |
| <Channel Name>Mask Angle |
Luma Key
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Color | Color of checkers |
| Offset | |
| Size | Size of checkers |
Fractals
Julia Set
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Inside Color | Color of the Set |
| Outside Color | Color outside the Set |
| Color Shift | |
| Iterations | |
| Seed Point | |
| Bailout ValueBase | |
| Distort Inside | |
| Shade Inside | |
| Solid Inside | |
| Invert Inside | |
| Color Inside | |
| Distort Outside | |
| Shade Outside | |
| Solid Outside | |
| Invert Outside | |
| Color Outside | |
| Color Cycle | |
| Smooth Outside | Smooth the coloration outside the set |
| Break Set | Modify equation to achieve interesting results |
Mandelbrot Set
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Iterations | |
| Bailout ValueBase | |
| Break Set | Modify equation to achieve interesting results |
| Distort Inside | |
| Shade Inside | |
| Solid Inside | |
| Invert Inside | |
| Gradient Inside | |
| Offset Inside | |
| Loop Inside | |
| Distort Outside | |
| Shade Outside | |
| Solid Outside | |
| Invert Outside | |
| Gradient outside | |
| Smooth Outside | Smooth the coloration outside the set |
| Offset Outside | |
| Scale Outside |
Geometry
Checkerboard
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Color | Color of checkers |
| Offset | |
| Size | Size of checkers |
Circle
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Color | |
| Radius | |
| Feather | |
| Center | |
| Invert | Invert the circle |
| Falloff | Determines the falloff function for the feather |
Outline
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Vertices | A list of BLine Points |
| Point Widths | |
| Outline Width | |
| Expand | |
| Sharp Cusps | Determines cusp type |
| Rounded Begin | Round off the tip |
| Rounded End | Round off the tip |
| Loopyness | |
| Homogeneous |
Polygon
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Vector List |
Rectangle
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Color | |
| Point 1 | |
| Point 2 | |
| Expand amount | |
| Invert the rectangle |
Region
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Vertices |
Solid Color
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Color |
Star
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Outer Radius | The radius of the outer points in the star |
| Inner Radius | The radius of the inner points in the star |
| Angle | The orientation of the star |
| Points | The number of points in the star |
Gradients
Conical Gradient
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Gradient | |
| Center | |
| Angle | |
| Symmetric |
Curve Gradient
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Offset | |
| Width | |
| Vertices | A list of BLine Points |
| Gradient | |
| Loop | |
| ZigZag | |
| Perpendicular | |
| Fast |
Linear Gradient
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Point 1 | |
| Point 2 | |
| Gradient | |
| Loop | |
| ZigZag |
Noise Gradient
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Gradient | |
| Random Seed | |
| Size | |
| Interpolation | What type of interpolation to use |
| Detail | |
| Animation Speed | |
| Turbulent | |
| Do Alpha | |
| Super Sampling |
Radial Gradient
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Gradient | |
| Center | |
| Radius | This is the radius of the circle |
| Loop | |
| Zig-Zag |
Spiral Gradient
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Gradient | |
| Center | |
| Radius | This is the radius of the circle |
| Angle | |
| Clockwise |
Other
Import Image
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Filename | File to import |
| Time Offset |
Paste Canvas
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Origin | Point where you want the origin to be |
| Canvas | Canvas to paste |
| Zoom | Size of canvas |
| Time Offset | |
| Children Lock |
Plant
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Vertices | A list of BLine Points |
| Gradient | |
| Split Angle | |
| Gravity | |
| Velocity | |
| Stem Size | |
| SizeAsAlpha | |
| Step | |
| Seed | |
| Splits | |
| Sprouts | |
| Random Factor | |
| Drag |
Super Sample
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Width | Width of sample area (In pixels) |
| Height | Height of sample area (In pixels) |
| Use Parametric | Use the Parametric Renderer |
| Be Alpha Safe |
Text
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Text | Text to Render |
| Color | Color of the text |
| Font Family | |
| Style | |
| Weight | |
| Horizontal Spacing | Describes how close glyphs are horizontally |
| Vertical Spacing | Describes how close lines of text are vertically |
| Size | Size of the text |
| Orientation | Text Orientation |
| Position | Text Position |
| Font | Filename of the font to use |
| Kerning | Enables/Disables font kerning (If the font supports it) |
| Sharpen Edges | Turn this off if you are going to be animating the text |
| Invert |
Fonts that appear to work under Linux - Courier, Times, Serif, Verdana, Sans Serif.
Fonts that appear to work under Windows - Arial, Times New Roman/Serif, Verdana/Sans Serif. Courier produces an interesting, but non-legible effect.
Sans Serif appears to be the default if Synfig doesn't recognize the font.
Time Loop
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Start Time | |
| End Time |
XOR Pattern
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Offset | |
| Size |
Stylize
Bevel
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Type | Type of blur to use |
| Hi-Color | |
| Lo-Color | |
| Light Angle | |
| Depth of Bevel | |
| Softness | |
| Use Luma | |
| Solid |
Shade
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Color | |
| Offset | |
| Size | Size of Shade |
| Type | Type of blur to use |
| Invert |
Transform
Rotate
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Origin | Point where you want the origin to be |
| Amount | Amount of rotation |
Translate
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Origin | Point where you want the origin to be |
Zoom
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Amount | Amount to zoom in |
| Center | Point to zoom in to |
Not Available
These layers are examples to aid developers in creating more layer types, but aren't included in binary releases of Synfig.
Shape
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Color | Layer_Shape Color |
| Position | |
| Invert | |
| Antialiasing | |
| Feather | |
| Type of Feather | Type of feathering to use |
| Winding Style | Winding style to use |
Metaballs
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Color | |
| Points | |
| Radii | |
| Weights | |
| Threshold |
Simple Circle
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Color | |
| Center | |
| Radius | This is the radius of the circle |
Filled Rectangle
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Color | |
| Point 1 | |
| Point 2 | |
| Feather X | |
| Feather Y | |
| Bevel | |
| Keep Bevel Circular |
