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RobertLeachman
Participant
December 15, 2019
Question

Include background layer when generating frames?

  • December 15, 2019
  • 1 reply
  • 2111 views

How can I include the background in each frame generated by Make Frames From Layers in the timeline?

I'm working on animation art for a game, this workflow is close but I'm missing something. The goal is to produce png's for each frame of the animation

  1. Start with a layer for background and a layer for the subject
  2. Duplicate subject layer, hand-craft the awesome next frame of animation
  3. Repeat #2 for all the frames needed to be awesome
  4. Make Frames From Layers
  5. Select each frame, make visible the background
  6. Play the animation, observe opportunities to be even more awesome
  7. Trash all the frames
  8. Edit layers, repeat 4-7 as required until greatness emerges
  9. Export layers as .png

 

It's all just fine except #5, tedious with only a few frames and now I've stopped to type this because my current sprite requires 16 frames. How can I include the background in each frame?

 

Thanks!

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1 reply

Ares Hovhannesyan
Community Expert
Ares HovhannesyanCommunity Expert
Community Expert
December 15, 2019

You can try this: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/creating-frame-animations.html#add_frames_to_an_animation

 

Unify layer properties in animation frames

The unify buttons (Unify Layer Position, Unify Layer Visibility, and Unify Layer Style) in the Layers panel determine how the changes you make to attributes in the active animation frame apply to the other frames in the same layer. When a unify button is selected, that attribute is changed in all the frames in the active layer; when that button is deselected, changes apply to only the active frame.

The Propagate Frame 1 option in the Layers panel also determines how the changes you make to attributes in the first frame will apply to the other frames in the same layer. When it is selected, you can change an attribute in the first frame, and all subsequent frames in the active layer will change in relation to the first frame (and preserve the animation you have already created).

Unify layer properties

  • In the Timeline panel, change the attribute to one frame.

  • In the Layers panel, click Unify Layer Position 
     
    , Unify Layer Visibility 
     
    , or Unify Layer Style 
     
     to have the changed attribute apply to all other frames in the active layer.

Propagate Frame 1

  • In the Layers panel, select the Propagate Frame 1 option.

  • In the Timeline panel, change the attribute for the first frame.

    The changed attribute is applied (in relation) to all subsequent frames in a layer.

Note:

You can also propagate frames by Shift-selecting any consecutive group of frames in the layer and changing an attribute in any of the selected frames.

 

Show or hide unify layers buttons

  • Choose Animation Options from the Layers panel menu, and then choose one of the following:

    Automatic

     

    Displays the unify layers buttons when the Timeline panel is open.

     

    Always Show

     

    Displays the unify layers buttons whether the Timeline panel is open or closed.

     

    Always Hide

     

    Hides the unify layers buttons whether the Timeline panel is open or closed.

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