3D Animation, Layers: Layered Organization [Blogs experimental] [Blender]

When complex scenes are handled with a large number of elements is necessary to organize the objects so that their display can be deleted and, or, to simplify calculation and rendering handling.

There are different techniques for structuring the content and display it partially and / or simplified.

In this article we look at one of these management techniques.

The technique is often used in animation to work with many elements is the distribution or allocation of what are usually called “layers” (Layers); an object will always be associated with one or more of these organizational structures.

Concept “layer” 3D animation differs substantially from that associated with programs dimensional image retouching, where the layers overlap in order (high to low depth) influencing the resulting final image.

In these cases, a layer can be imagined as a sheet of transparent plastic that melts or overlaid with the sheets having less.

Clearly, the order of layers determines which items are below, and above which.

In 3D animation layer is simply a unit that groups objects. If the layer is “active” the elements will be present in the scene, but its visibility not depend on the layer number, but the position of the object relative to other objects and the camera.

Suppose we have a set of three layers with five elements each. To simplify interpretation of visual, each layer contains elements of a single type (Cube, cylinder the sphere) and a single color (Red, O Verde Azul).

This choice clearly only makes sense in principle didactic aspects, to easily differentiate the elements associated with each layer.

Another aspect to note is that the colors of the elements vary to interact with each other through the effect of light reflection: providing coloring reflected those around them.

Three combinations activated two by two layers below.

If you activate all layers visibility of the objects depends solely on their position, the camera and the other objects that make up the scene. The interaction due to the reflections of light objects is evident to amend their respective colors and reflections.

As a result we obtain finally the following image:

Layers in Blender

Blender animation software offers a management system simple and intuitive graphical layers are represented by buttons on a graphical controls associated with 3D window

The layers that are active, namely, that are displayed at that instant, are shown graphically as buttons pressed, with a dot in its center;

The following image is active only one layer:

You can move an object from one layer to another. In total available 20 layers scene, numbered from zero to nineteen.

To move an object to a layer, I select it and press the key “M” (Mover a capa). A new window will graphically select the new layer to the object. Once identified validate the operation with the button “OK” (Version 2.49)

An object can be assigned to multiple (several) layers. To do this select as many buttons as layers that belongs, combining action with keystroke “shift” used for multiple selections.

Besides the use of the key “M” to select the layer, we can use the controls on the version 2.49 have the tab labeled “Draw” that can activate activating the menu “Object Buttons”

The pattern of activation of the containing object layer is similar to the previous tab “Draw” that unfolds with the previous selection

In newer versions (2.7 the image below) This menu is layer assignment as auxiliary window on the left side of the window 3D, that is displayed by pressing “T“

To render the scene (V.. 2.49), by the flange “Render Layers”, indicate which layers are visible in the final image.

It should be remarked that the lights and cameras in the scene that are not in active layers will not be used.

Again, interface with revisions, these elements change its location to accelerate the use thereof, streamline and simplify the complexity of the interface.

Tutorial made for version 2.49b 2,6 and 2.7

• Image Synthesis

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