Basics
The workspace, the keys that matter on day one, and a first comp end to end.
The workspace
| Area | What it is for |
|---|
| Viewer | What the comp looks like now. Its Viewer node is a real node in the graph, so a second viewer is a second node |
| Node graph | The comp itself. Tab searches, D bypasses, backdrops organise |
| Properties | The selected node's knobs, grouped by stage. The ⓘ icons carry the same text as this manual |
| Timeline | Frame range, playback, cache state |
| Curve editor / dope sheet | Animation, with draggable tangents and box select in both |
Keys worth knowing on day one
| Key | Does |
|---|
| <kbd>Tab</kbd> | Node search at the cursor, wired from the selection |
| <kbd>1</kbd> | View the selected node |
| <kbd>D</kbd> | Bypass |
| <kbd>F</kbd> | Fit the delivered content in the viewer |
| <kbd>←</kbd> <kbd>→</kbd> | Step one frame |
| <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>K</kbd> | Clone the selection (shared parameters) |
| <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>G</kbd> | Collapse into a Group |
Your first comp, end to end
- Drop a Read and point it at a plate or a
#### sequence. Check colorspace — it is what linearizes the file into the working space. - Press <kbd>1</kbd> to view it.
- Add a Grade downstream. Sample the plate's white into
whitepoint, then balance with gain. - Add your foreground branch and a Merge. Wire the background into B and the foreground into A — B decides the format.
- Add a Write, set the path and format, and render the range.