Layers
Organise your animation with layers — stack, reorder, lock, and toggle visibility.
Layers let you separate elements of your animation so you can work on them independently. A character’s body, eyes, and background might each live on their own layer.
Layer Panel
The Layer Panel sits on the left side of the screen. It lists all layers with their index, name, visibility toggle, and lock toggle.
Layers are displayed in reverse order (top of the list = top layer visually), just like Photoshop.
Creating Layers
- Click + LAYER in the toolbar, or the + button at the top of the Layer Panel.
- New layers are inserted at the top of the stack and automatically become the active layer.
- Each new layer starts with one empty keyframe at frame 0.
Selecting a Layer
Click a layer in the Layer Panel to make it the active layer. The active layer has a black background and a red left border indicator. All drawing and editing happens on the active layer.
Layer Operations
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Rename | Edit the name field in the Properties Panel (right sidebar) |
| Move Up/Down | Click the arrow buttons at the bottom of the Layer Panel or Timeline |
| Duplicate | Click the copy button — creates a copy right above the original |
| Delete | Click the trash button — requires at least one layer to remain |
| Toggle Visibility | Click the eye icon in the layer row |
| Toggle Lock | Click the lock icon — locked layers cannot be drawn on |
Layer Opacity
Each layer has an opacity slider (0–100%) in the Properties Panel. Use it to make layers semi-transparent for tracing or ghosting effects.
Keyframes Per Layer
Each layer has its own independent set of keyframes. A keyframe on Layer 2 doesn’t affect Layer 1. See Timeline & Keyframes for the full story.
Tip
Use separate layers for elements that move independently. A walking character might have legs on one layer, body on another, and arms on a third.