relation between active layer and enable layer

[동수한29957532]

I am using AE CC 12.2.1. I think this is not specific to AE version but general thing.

When I read my layer property through extendscript, it shows layer.enabled =true and layer.active = false. And if I change layer.enabled from false to true, active property seems to follow enabled property also.  I don't know exact meaning of "active" because even layer.active = false, there is no problem to handle layer in AE.

I'd like to know something.

1. How to know layer.active status in AE UI even I can check it in script source ?

2. What's the difference between layer.active = false and true ?

3. What's the relation between active layer and enabled layer ?

Thanks in advance.

[Moved to the After Effects scripting forum - moderator]

[Roei Tzoref]

you might what to check here: After Effects Scripting  instead of the general forum

[UQg]

To have informations on this kind of things, you should read the After Effects Scripting Guide (pdf).

Enabled corresponds to the Eyeball icon being on/off.

Active is read only, it is informational (you could retrieve the active state of a layer from its other attributes and all other layers attributes. It just saves time).

Xavier

From the guide:

Layer enabled attribute
app.project.item(index).layer(index).enabled
Description
When true, the layer is enabled; otherwise false. This corresponds to the video switch state of the layer in the
Timeline panel.
Type

Boolean; read/write.

Layer active attribute
app.project.item(index).layer(index).active
Description
When true, the layer's video is active at the current time.
For this to be true, the layer must be enabled, no other layer may be soloing unless this layer is soloed too, and
the time must be between the inPoint and outPoint values of this layer.
This value is never true in an audio layer; there is a separate audioActive attribute in the AVLayer object.
Type
Boolean; read-only.

[동수한29957532]

I also read that comment. But, what I want to know is the exact meaning of active attribute.

What's the different between active and deactive attribute in Layer ? Even some layer is deactived as active attribute is false, it seems that there is no problem to handle that layer in AE.

My 2nd Question is How is active attribute in layer changed ?  When I check my layers in my project, I found that some layer is de-actived as active attribute is flase even enable attribute is true. As far as I know to change active attribute is only to change as "disable" of enable attribute.

Thanks.

[Dan Ebberts · Accepted solution]

In general, a layer is enabled if its eyeball is on in the timeline. It is active if the layer is enabled and the current comp time is between the layer's in and out points. You can control the enabled state. The active state is determined by the enabled state, in and out points, and current time.

There are some exceptions (audio layers, other soloed layers, etc), but that's pretty much it.

Dan

[UQg]

Active = "has a chance of being seen at current time in the final video"

"layer.active=false" means that the layer won't be seen for sure (for one of the reason given in the guide).

It is completely different from layer.locked (the layer is disabled in the GUI and cannot be selected)

Xavier