Procedural Compositing with Batch > Batch FX > Creating One Clip Per Timeline Layer >

# Creating One Clip Per Video Track Layer

If you want to work with the clips in an Action setup, and they are not affected by vertical compositing from the original timeline, you can have each split layer automatically converted to an indirect layer of an Action node.

If the clips are affected by vertical compositing from the original timeline, you can have the applicable soft effects automatically extracted and converted to the corresponding Batch nodes. This extraction process attempts to preserve the same visual result as the original timeline. The same rules of conversion apply to soft effects whether they are extracted automatically or manually. See Converting Soft Effects to Batch Nodes.

You can split both layers and tracks into individual clips.

To create one clip per video track layer:

1. Load a multi-layer clip into a BFX level and display its timeline.

   In the following example, a three-layer clip is loaded with all soft effects preserved. The Axis soft effects on the top two layers create the vertical compositing.

   Image courtesy of Topix / MadDog

2. Select the clip in the schematic, and then select an option from the Split dropdown list.

   Select: | To:
   --- | ---
   Split Tracks and Layers | Create one clip for each timeline layer and track.
   Split and Convert to Action Layers | Create one clip for each timeline layer and track and have each clip connected to an indirect layer of an Action node. Visual results from soft effects may be lost in this operation.
   Split and Convert to Batch Tree | Create one clip for each segment and have soft effects that affect the vertical editing of the original timeline converted to corresponding Batch nodes.

   Clips are created for each layer and are connected in the BFX flow graph as illustrated in the following examples.

   In example a, separate clips are created for each layer of the original timeline. In example b, an indirect Action layer is created for each clip. In example c, separate clips are created for each segment of the original timeline. The Action indirect layers are converted from the Axis soft effects so as to maintain the same visual result as the original timeline. The Text soft effect is not extracted since it is not affected by vertical compositing.

   (a) Result from Split Tracks and Layers option(b) Result from Split and Convert to Action Layers option(c) Result from Split and Convert to Batch Tree option

   Note The timeline of the original clip loaded into the BFX level is replaced by a separate timeline for each clip. To see the timelines of all clips at once, use Timing view.
3. Add or modify nodes to create your process tree.