Using View Modes

You can look at any channel in a viewport using the different view modes. Several view modes show multiple channels simultaneously (such as alpha overlay). When you are looking at an individual channel, the image is displayed in grayscale.

To switch between view modes:

1. Select the viewport, then choose Window | View Mode.

A menu appears containing all the view modes. The current view mode is checked.

2. Choose the view mode corresponding to the channel you want to see.

The image in the active viewport changes to show the selected channel(s).

Note: You can also right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Macintosh) a viewport and choose View Modes followed by the view mode corresponding to the channel you want to see, or you can use the keyboard shortcuts.

Normal

Displays RGB color (or a normal image). Use this mode to view the normal color image for your composite or Paint branch. In Normal mode, the RGB channels are premultiplied with the alpha channel. The alpha channel is represented by the background color.

This view mode is the default setting.

Transparent

Displays RGB color, with alpha channel information represented as a checkerboard pattern behind the original footage. The checkerboard pattern corresponds to areas of varying transparency.

Alpha Overlay

Displays the RGB color channels, and overlays the alpha information in semi-transparent red.

Color Only

Displays the color channels (RGB), but ignores the alpha channel information. Use this mode to view the color imagery before it is premultiplied with the alpha channel.

Red

Displays only the red channel as an 8-bit grayscale image.

Green

Displays only the green channel as an 8-bit grayscale image.

Blue

Displays only the blue channel as an 8-bit grayscale image.

Alpha

Displays only the alpha channel as an 8-bit grayscale image.

Inverted Alpha

Displays and inverts only the alpha channel.