This page provides information on layers in Chaos Player.
Overview
One of Chaos Player’s unique features is its ability to process multiple layers at the same time. Furthermore it can handle different types of layers and layers with different type of content without the need of complex procedures. All you need to do to add any kind of media content to a layer is drag and drop. Chaos Player provides several types of layers divided into normal and special layers according to their functions.
You can create layers with the Add Layer option on the File Menu, then control them with the options in the Layer Menu and Timeline Area.
Normal Layers
All these layers can be loaded in Chaos Player simply by dragging and dropping. Chaos Player will automatically add the correct type of layer according to the type of the file you have dropped.
Still Image Layer – A normal layer with a single image loaded in it. This image will appear on each frame no matter how many frames there are. To add an image that is a part of a sequence as a Still Image Layer, hold the Ctrl key while dragging and dropping it into Chaos Player.
Sequence Layer – A layer containing a sequence of images
Movie Layer – A layer with a movie file loaded in it.
Audio Layer – A layer containing an audio file.
Special Layers
Brush Layer – A still layer that you can draw on. Whatever is drawn on this layer will be shown on all frames. Used for putting notes in the composition.
Brush Sequence Layer – A brush layer that keeps information for each frame. This means that you can have different drawings on different frames. Used for putting notes in the composition.
Adjustment Layer – Allows you to apply color corrections to multiple layers globally. The color corrections that you make to an adjustment layer will be applied to all layers under it in the Layer Stack. If you make this layer invisible the effect of the color corrections will also be not visible.
Embedded Image Layer –Created when there is an image of any kind in the clipboard and you paste it in the composition or when you paste a frame as an Embedded Image. It behaves as a still image layer with the only difference that it can be saved within the .pdpcomp file.
Embedded Audio Layer – Created when an Audio Layer that contains a .WAV file is embedded into the composition with the Embed Layer command from the Layer menu.
Text Layer – A special kind of layer that allows you to put notes on your composition. You can control the settings for the text layer from the Text tab of the Property Panel.
Video Layer – A Chaos Player specific type of layer which allows you to insert live video footage inside Chaos Player. To do this just go to Edit > New Video Layer > and select from list of video devices that are currently attached to your computer.
Frame Buffer Layer – Very similar to the clip board layer. The only difference is that the input comes from an external source. For the moment Chaos Player supports input only from V-Ray and LightWave
Working with Layers
Once you have added layers to your composition, you may want to arrange them. You can change how different layers stack over each other by dragging them in the layer stack. It is important to know that only the part of a layer which is inside the work are will be displayed. You can further limit which parts of a layer will be shown by adding In and Out Points to it. This is done by dragging the edges of a layer. If you drag the right edge of a layer outside of it Chaos Player will automatically add a loop for this layer. Double clicking on an In Point will reset it to 0 and double clicking on an Out Point will move it to the next complete loop. Right-clicking on a layer will bring up the layer context menu which holds some additional commands.
Go to Begin – Moves the time slider to the beginning of the selected layer.
Go to End – Moves the time slider to the end of the selected layer.
Go to In Point – Moves the time slider to the In point of the selected layer.
Go to Out Point – Moves the time slider to the Out point of the selected layer.
Align Begin at Current – Moves the selected layer in the timeline so that the beginning of the layer matches the current time.
Align End at Current – Moves the selected layer in the timeline so that the end of the layer matches the current time.
Align In Point at Current – Moves the selected layer in the timeline so that the In point of the layer matches the current time.
Align Out Point at Current – Moves the selected layer in the timeline so that the Out point of the layer matches the current time.
Position after Next Layer – Positions the first frame of the selected layer after the last frame of the layer below it in the Layer Stack.
Set In Point at Current – Sets the In point of the selected layer at the current time.
Set Out Point at Current – Sets the Out point of the selected layer at the current time.
Move Up – Moves the selected layer one position up in the layer stack.
Move Down – Moves selected layer one position down in the layer stack.
Shift One Frame to the Left – Moves the selected layer one frame to the left in the timeline.
Shift One Frame to the Right – Moves the selected layer one frame to the right in the timeline.
Duplicate – Duplicates the selected layer. The new layer will become selected and will appear over the original layer.
Duplicate and Split – Duplicates the selected layer and sets the Out point one frame before current time. The new layer will become selected and the In point will be set at current time.
Expand into Layers – This option is available only for .vrimg and .exr sequences which have additional layers inside. When executed, this command creates additional layers in the composition each of which is displaying one of the layers in the .vrimg or .exr sequence.
Add Other Stereo View – Adds the other stereo view of a stereo sequence. Chaos Player recognizes certain key words in the path and file name of the loaded sequences in order to find and load the other par part of the stereo sequence. The following words are recognized:
"left", "Left", "LEFT", "L", "lf", "LF" identify the left view
"right", "Right", "RIGHT", "R", "rt", "RT" identify the right view
Resize to Timeline – Resizes the current Still image Layer or Embedded Image Layer to the length of the Timeline.
Resize to Work Area – Resizes the current Still image Layer or Embedded Image Layer to the length of the Work Area.
Update Frame – Forces Chaos Player to reload the current frame. Does not work on movie files.
Update Modified Frames – Checks which frames have been updated on the disk since the last caching and removes them from the cache, so they can be reloaded on the next playback.
Automatic Update – When enabled, Chaos Player will continuously scan for updated frames and reload them in the cache when needed.
Rescan for New Frames – Checks the sequence for additional frames.
Watch for New Frames – Continuously watches the sequence for additional or removed frames.
Preload into Cache – Loads the sequence into the cache without playing it.
Remove from Cache – Removes the layer from the cache so in the next play back it will be reloaded from the hard drive.
Disable Caching – Disables caching of the layer and forces direct playback from disk.
Embed Layer – Embeds a Still Image Layer or an Audio Layer (containing a .WAV file) in the composition so that it can be saved in the in the .chpcomp file.
Replace with… – Opens the standard Open File dialog so a new file which will replace the current can be selected All settings of the layer will be preserved. In case you have multiple layers selected you will have to specify the root folder in which the sequences are placed.
Replace with Previous Image – Replaces the current still image layer with the previous image in the directory.
Replace with Next Image – Replaces the current still image layer with the next image in the directory.
Open Containing Folder – Opens the original location of the layer.
Reset Position – Resets the selected layer’s position to 0, 0 in the preview area.
Half Width Left – Moves the layer half of its resolution width to the left in the work space.
Half Width Right – Moves the layer half of its resolution width to the right in the work space.
Half Height Up – Moves the selected layer half of its resolution height upwards in the work space.
Half Height Down – Moves the selected layer half of its resolution height downwards in the work space.
Nudge Left – Moves the selected layer one pixel to the left in the preview area.
Nudge Right – Moves the selected layer one pixel to the right in the preview area.
Nudge Up – Moves the selected layer one pixel upwards in the preview area.
Nudge Down – Moves the selected layer one pixel downwards in the preview area.
Delete Selected – Deletes the layer from the composition.
Layer context menu