AE should remember effects layer inputs (like set matte) when copy/pasting layers. Currently need to manually reconnect after pasting,
This is how parenting works when you copy/paste a new set of layers. It creates parents relative to the new layers you've pasted. That is smart, now if only effects worked the same way! For some reason the default behavior on plugins is to revert the layer inputs on effects like “set matte” or “create nulls from paths” to the source layer that the effect is applied to after pasting.
I frequently use both of the aforementioned effects to make templates, and I'm constantly copy/pasting sets of template layers into new comps, but every time I do I have to manually reconnect the layer inputs which becomes and enormous pain when doing it 20+ times.
I attached a reference of what I'm talking about in case it wasn't clear.
The original comp is showing a set matte effect that is on layers 4-6. It's taking the matte from layer 7, "box1 matte4". When I copy/paste these layers into a new comp in the second image, you'll see that the set matte effect has been reset to layer 4, "feet" which is the same layer the effect is on. Why can't it remember the relative layer references?? It remembered all of the parenting, but it can't remember these for some reason.
PLEASE figure out a way to implement this. It's a huge time suck and I'm not sure why anyone would want it to function as it does currently.
Vanessa Appleby
shared this idea
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Paul Roper
commented
I can fully understand that when pasting a layer or an effect from comp A to comp B would cause the pasted effect to reset the layer map, because Comp B might not have that layer in it. But it'd be wonderful if AE could at least try to reference that layer. For example:
I have Comp A, with a Camera Lens Blur effect on a layer. The blur is controlled by a layer map, called "Blur Map".
I then copy & paste the layer "Blur Map" from Comp A to Comp B.
I then copy & paste the Camera Lens Blur effect from a layer in Comp A to Comp B.
The effect "forgets" that it should be referencing the "Blur Map" layer.It'd be wonderful, when pasting an effect with a layer map reference, if AE could:
1. Try to reconnect the layer
2. Pop up an alert saying that it has/hasn't managed to reconnect the layer. (Or maybe something along the lines of the orange Expression Error bar that appears in the comp viewer). -
Dan Sollis
commented
100% this - this would save me hours when applying comp effects to similar shots. It seems like something that should be technically simple to implement - I could probably even write a script to do it. But it really should be built-in behaviour in AE!
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SomeGreek commented
And expressions
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Joe Clay
commented
I thought some effects did. It looks like all layer controls are broken when pasted.
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Joe Clay
commented
This needs to be addressed. Some effects do and some don't—like Set Matte.