Use the context-sensitive Properties tabs to author layer identity, transforms, text and shape sources, gradients, effects, masks, track mattes, timing, audio, and motion tracking.
Where: Native Video Editor → Composite → select a layer → Properties.
Key ideas
- Tabs follow the selected source: Layer is always available; Text, Shape, Fill, or 3D appears only for compatible sources. Animate exposes presets and curves, Effects owns effects/masks/mattes/tracking, and Time owns clip/source timing and audio.
- Most visual values can be animated: Position, scale, rotation, opacity, origin, paint stops, mask properties, text metrics, effect parameters, time controls, and exposed 3D controls use the same constant-or-keyframe model.
- Masks, mattes, and tracking solve different jobs: A mask cuts the current layer with an editable path. A track matte borrows another visual layer’s alpha or luma. Tracking analyzes footage motion and can drive reusable tracked layers or mask-follow data.
Steps
- Select a visual layer in Composite and rename it; set visibility/lock and choose Normal, Multiply, Screen, Add, or Overlay blend.
- In Layer, set Position, Scale, Rotation, Opacity, and the 9-point origin. Use parent/group/precomp, align/distribute, center anchor, fit, or fill when organizing several layers.
- For text, set family or embedded font, weight, italic, width/height/wrap, horizontal and vertical alignment, Auto/LTR/RTL direction, tracking, line height, fill, stroke, counter, or text path.
- For text reveals, choose characters, words, or lines and tune progress, duration/stagger, opacity-from, translation, and scale-from. Joined scripts may fall back to word splitting.
- For shapes or fills, edit the vector path, solid/linear/radial paint, stroke, draw progress, or morph. Gradients support up to 16 stops with offset, color, opacity, angle or center/radius.
- Add an effect and tune its parameters. Reorder or remove it after comparing the Program viewer and scopes.
- Draw a rectangle or Pen mask while the playhead is inside the layer. Choose Add, Subtract, Intersect, or Difference; then set Invert, Corners/Smooth path, Opacity, Feather, Expansion, or Follow track.
- For a track matte, select a visual source, choose Alpha or Luma, optional Invert, and Independent or Match target alignment.
- For footage tracking, select 5 sec, Clip, or Work area; set From/To/Reference, sample rate and confidence, then draw a feature-rich region. Correct/retrack a bounded range when needed.
- Open Time to set start, duration, source-in, playback rate, preserve pitch, gain/balance, and fade in/out.
Native effects
- Liquid glass and Ripple distortion
- Chromatic aberration and 3D LUT (.cube)
- Color grade, Brightness/contrast, Saturation, Tint
- Chroma key
- Gaussian blur and Sharpen
- Vignette, Grayscale, and Invert
Tracking diagnostics
- Mean confidence, sample count, and mean feature count
- Current status/confidence plus rotation and scale when present
- Lost boundary samples
- Position, rotation, and uniform-scale tracking
- Corrected ranges preserve samples outside the chosen range
Tips
- Use several distinct high-contrast features inside a tracking region instead of a flat patch.
- Keep a matte source named and selectable even though it renders only through its target.
- Embed project fonts when the composition must travel to another machine.
Limitations and important notes
- Masks can only be drawn or edited while the playhead is inside the layer.
- Long tracking ranges can take minutes and depend on source quality; they are cancellable.
- A disabled independent matte source yields transparency.
- Some image-space effects prevent a layer from joining a shared 3D World until moved to World output or precomposed.
Troubleshooting
Mask drawing controls are disabled.
Move the playhead inside the selected layer’s active range.
Tracking repeatedly loses the subject.
Use Reference at a clearer frame, draw around multiple distinct details, raise/lower confidence deliberately, and correct only the affected range.
The matte looks offset.
Choose Match target when the matte should use the target’s timing, size, and transform; otherwise keep Independent.