---
title: "Layers"
canonical: "https://documentation.chaos.com/space/VMAYA/111739116/Layers"
format: markdown
---
## **Overview**
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## **Layers Menu**
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| | |
| --- | --- |
|  | Creates a layer. Multiple layers of the same type can be added.
**Folder** - Allows grouping multiple layers in folders. This is only available when the **Source** layer is set to **Composite**;
**Vignette **– Adds a vignetting effect to the image.
**ICC Profile **– The ICC correction allows you to apply an ICC profile to the image, so that (for example) it matches the appearance of the image in Adobe Photoshop.
**Filmic Tonemap** – Contains different types of mapping curves and gamma corrections. Also allows selection of a color space.
**Lookup** **Table** - Allows loading a LUT file for color transformations;
**Curves** – Adds a Curves color correction layer;
**Color** **Balance** - Adds a Color Balance color correction layer;
**Hue/Saturation** - Adds a Hue/Saturation color correction layer;
**White** **Balance** - Adds a White Balance color correction layer;
**Exposure** - Adds an Exposure color correction layer;
**Constant** - Adds a solid color that can be used to achieve an effect on another layer (for example, to multiply by the constant);
**Render element** - Selects a render element from your image that you can use in compositing. This is only available when the **Source** layer is set to **Composite**.
**Background** – Adds a background color correction layer;
**Integer mask **– [Mask ](https://docs-chaos.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/VMAYA/pages/111739112)is used with integer render elements like VRayRenderID, VRayObjectID, and VRayMtlID Render Elements.
**MultiMatte mask **– [Mask ](https://docs-chaos.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/VMAYA/pages/111739112)is based on the MultiMatte Render Element.
**Image alpha mask** – The Image Alpha Mask is based on the rendered Alpha channel.
**Cryptomatte mask **– [Mask ](https://docs-chaos.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/VMAYA/pages/111739112)is based on the VRayCryptyomatte Render Element.
**Proportion Guide** – Adds a grid proportion guide layer. |
|  | Deletes the selected layer(s). |
|  | Saves a layer tree preset. |
|  | Loads a layer tree preset. |
|  | Quick access to custom layer presets. You must set the path to it in the [VFB Settings](https://docs-chaos.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/VMAYA/pages/111739118). |
|  | Undo various actions related to layers, such as creating, deleting, reordering, or modifying a layer. |
|  | Redo various actions related to layers, such as create, delete, reorder, or modify a layer. |
### **Context Menu**
| **Command** | **Description** |
| --- | --- |
| **Reset** | Resets all changes made to the selected layer. |
| **Save** | Saves the layer as a preset. |
| **Load** | Loads a preset for the selected layer. |
| **Delete** | Deletes the selected layer. |
| **Save all CCs as LUT** | Bakes all the color corrections to a LUT file (.cube). It can be used with RMB on a Display Correction layer and saves only the corrections in its section, but ignores their masks. |
| **New Layer** | Creates a new layer. |
| **Duplicate** | Duplicates the selected layer. |
| **Blend Modes** | Specifies how the selected layer blends with the result from all layers below it. |
- Color correction layers, such as Exposure and White Balance, can be applied to a single layer instead of the entire composite.
- You can do that by selecting a layer and then adding a new correction or by dragging the correction layer to another layer until an arrow icon appears.
- Color corrections and the Denoiser channel are saved in the output image just like they are applied in the VFB.
- Adjustments made to the Display Correction layer are only applied for preview purposes in the VFB. Display corrections are usually saved for 8-bit image formats, such as JPEG and PNG, and not for EXR files, which are expected to be linear.
- If you want to keep the layers that come with the Maya scene, turn the **Auto Load Layers** option off from VFB > Settings > History tab. If you want to load layers from an external image, enable the **Auto Load Layers** option and check how you save those images.
## **Blend modes**
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> ℹ️ When adding a new layer, it is placed on top of the stack, and it is considered the foreground (**FG**).
> ℹ️
> ℹ️ The result of all layers below it is considered the background (**BG**). Layers are applied from the bottom to the top.
> ℹ️
> ℹ️ Where darker and lighter pixels are mentioned below, it is in relation to the mid-grey value.
| **Blend Mode****[*](#bits)** | **Description** |
| --- | --- |
| **Overwrite** | Displays the current layer (**FG**) on top of all layers (**BG**) without blending. This is the default. |
| **Average** | The average of the current layer (**FG**) and the result from the layers below it (**BG**). |
| **Add** | Adds the **FG** to the **BG**. |
| **Subtract** | Subtracts the **FG** from the **BG**. |
| **Darken** | Compares the **FG** to the **BG** and takes the darker pixel values of the two. |
| **Multiply** | Multiplies the **FG** by the **BG**. |
| **Color Burn** | The color of the **FG** is applied to darker pixels in the **BG**. |
| **Linear Burn** | Same as **Color Burn** but with less contrast. |
| **Lighten** | Compares the **FG** to the **BG** and takes the lighter of the two. |
| **Screen** | Makes both light and dark areas lighter. |
| **Pin Light** | Replaces the **BG** colors depending on the brightness of the **FG** color.
If the **FG** color is lighter than mid-gray, **BG** colors darker than the **FG** color are replaced, and vice versa. |
| **Difference** | Compares the pixels in the **BG** and **FG** and subtracts the darker pixels from the brighter ones. |
| **Exclusion** | Same as **Difference** but with less contrast. |
| **Hue** | Uses the hue from the **FG** , while the value and saturation are taken from the **BG**. |
| **Saturation** | Uses the saturation from the **FG**, while the value and hue are taken from the **BG**. |
| **Color** | Uses the hue and saturation from the **FG**, while the value is taken from the **BG**. |
| **Value** | Uses the value from the **FG**, while the hue and saturation are taken from the **BG**. |
| **Hard Mix (8-bit)** | Adds the **FG** to the **BG** and for each color component returns a value of 255 if the result is 255 or greater, or returns zero if the result is less than 255. |
| **Color Dodge (8-bit)** | The color of the **FG** is applied to lighter pixels in the **BG**. |
| **Linear Dodge (8-bit)** | Same as **Color Dodge,** but with less contrast. |
| **Spotlight (8-bit)** | Same as **Multiply**, but with twice the brightness. |
| **Spotlight Blend (8-bit)** | Same as **Spotlight**, but additionally brightens the **BG**. |
| **Overlay (8-bit)** | Darker pixels become darker where the **BG** is dark, and brighter pixels become brighter where the **BG** is bright. |
| **Soft Light (8-bit)** | Darker pixels become darker where the **FG** is dark, and brighter pixels become brighter where the **FG** is bright. |
| **Hard Light (8-bit)** | **Spotlight** is applied to pixels where the **FG** is dark, and **Screen** is applied to pixels where the **FG** is bright. |
## **Stamp**
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## **Masks**
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## **Display Correction**
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Normally, you would specify the ICC file for your calibrated monitor here. Programs like Photoshop display images using your (primary) monitor's ICC profile automatically. However (at least for the moment), Maya is not a color-managed application, and you must manually load the monitor ICC profile into the V-Ray frame buffer in order to match the appearance of your images in Photoshop.
The Display Correction layer cannot be removed or reordered. It is always applied on top of all other layers, as it specifies the display color space of the resulting image or composite in the frame buffer.
The Exposure slider in the Display Correction layer is only for display purposes and is not saved when writing to files.
### **OpenColorIO (OCIO)**
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### **ICC**
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## **Source**
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### **LightMix Mode**
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## **Vignette**
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## **Lens Effects**
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## **Background**
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## **Constant**
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## **Exposure**
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## **White Balance**
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## **Hue/Saturation**
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## **Color Balance**
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## **Curves**
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> ℹ️ When working with .acv files, some approximations are performed because the curves in the .acv files are described by different mathematical formulas.
## **Lookup Table**
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## **Filmic Tonemap**
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### **Example: Filmic Tonemap Layer**
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### **Example: Filmic Tonemap Types**
## **ICC Profile**
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## **Sharpen/Blur**
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## **Denoiser**
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## **Proportion Guide**
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## **Notes**
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- Color corrections in RGB mode are applied to all Beauty render elements and some Utility render elements, too. They are not applied to render elements that present masks or hold geometry or computational data for the rendered frame.
- Starting with V-Ray 7, Update 1.1, support for OCIO v2.4 has been added.