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# Creating Axis Soft Effects

Use a soft Axis to create a single-layer effect directly on the timeline. For example, scale an element with a soft Axis to reveal an element on another layer.

If you are working with a stereo track, you can adjust the convergence between the left and right eye layers.

Adding a soft Axis to a soft Resize mutes the soft Resize.

NoteA clip may require more time to load if one or more soft effects are applied to it. This only occurs when the clip is loaded for the first time into the Player module or played back on the EditDesk. It loads normally upon subsequent use.

To create a soft Axis:

1. Select an element on the timeline.
2. Move the focus point over the layer you want to use as the top of the vertical edit.
3. Click the Axis soft effect button (or press Alt+1 from the EditDesk record timeline).

   The Axis quick menu appears.

   (a) Rendering options(b) Layer Selection box

4. Set rendering options. You can set these options for both the result and the current clip. See Setting Axis Rendering Options.
5. To define surface attributes, select Surface from the Layer Selection box and then set the softness, position, scaling, and rotation for the surface.
6. To add a matte, select Surface or Matte from the Layer Selection box, click Matte and load a matte.
   NoteTo turn off a matte temporarily as you work, select Matte from the Layer Selection box and then Off from the Matte box.
7. To add a shadow, select Shadow from the Layer Selection box, select On, and then set the position, scaling, and rotation for the shadow.

To fix the convergence between the left and right eye layers:

1. Apply an Axis soft effect to the left and right eye layers of a stereo track.
2. Select Stereo from the Layer Selection box.
   NoteThe Stereo option is available only with stereo tracks.
3. Enter a value in the Convergence field that appears.

   The distance between the left and right images is updated. The layer you selected is moved by the value you specified. The other layer is moved by an equal opposite amount.

   NoteIf the Convergence field is greyed out, the Axis soft effect is applied to an unsynced stereo segment.

#### Topics in this section

- Creating Matte Containers
- Accessing the Axis Editor
- Modifying Axis Soft Effect Layers
- Hiding Nodes
- Accessing the Axis Keyer
- Setting Axis Rendering Options