3D Compositing with Action > Action: Surfaces >

# Adding Surfaces

The first time you open Action during a session, an image surface is added to the scene using the first media (if Auto Image is enabled in the Action Setup menu). You must add a surface for each additional media before its clips can be used in the scene. You can then add textures and lighting effects, or change the surface's properties such as its shape, transparency, and specular highlight. Once added, the media appears in the Media list.

By default, a Flat surface is added. You can change the surface type in the Shape box of the Surface menu. See Changing the Shape of a Surface.

You control the position of the surface using axis, rotation, scale, shear, and other attributes related to its placement. See Manipulating an Object's Axis.

To add a surface:

1. In the Media list, select the media containing the front and matte that you want to add to the scene.
2. Do one of the following:
   - Drag an image node from the node bin and place it in the schematic. An axis and an image are created and linked together.
   - Drag an image node from the node bin to the Result view, so you can see its effect on the scene before placing it exactly where you want.
   - Double-click an image node. The node appears next to the last added object. You do not need to be in Schematic view to add a node in this manner.

   The surface is added to the scene with its own axis. The selected media in the Media list is automatically applied to the surface.

   Notice that when media is applied to the image surface, the front and matte clip are combined. You can turn off the matte in the Matte Clip box in the Media menu to show the entire front clip.

3. If you later decide to change the media on the surface, select the surface in the schematic, then select the new media in the Media list and click Apply.