Layer groups
Group layers into folders. Each group has its own visibility, lock, opacity, and blend mode that wrap the composed children — useful for organising big sprites and applying effects to a whole "section" at once (e.g. a "shadow pass" that multiplies onto a "base").
Where to find it
Right panel → Layers tab → folder+ button in the panel header.
Create a group
- Activate any layer.
- Click the folder+ icon in the panel header.
- A new group is created and the active layer becomes its first child.
- The group's row appears just above the child layer with a chevron, eye, lock, folder icon, name, and (on hover) a delete button.
- Rename the group by double-clicking its name.
Members of a group are shown indented with a left border.
Group row
| Element | What it does |
|---|---|
| Chevron | Expand / collapse — collapsing hides children in the panel but still renders them on canvas |
| Eye | Toggle visibility — hidden groups skip rendering all members |
| Lock | Toggle lock — children inherit read-only state |
| Folder icon | Visual marker |
| Name | Single-click selects the group; double-click renames |
| Opacity badge | Shows when opacity < 100% |
| Trash | Delete the group (members stay in the frame, just leave the group) |
Group blending semantics
Groups use Aseprite-style isolated composition:
- Children compose into a temporary canvas with their own per-layer opacity / blend modes, against transparency.
- The resulting buffer is then drawn onto the parent canvas with the group's opacity + blend mode.
This means a "Multiply" blend on a group affects the whole composite of children — not each child individually. It's how you'd build an "all shadows" group that darkens everything underneath.
Multi-select layers
Before grouping or moving, you can pick multiple layers at once:
| Click style | Effect |
|---|---|
| Plain click | Single-select, clears any multi-selection |
| Ctrl-click (Cmd on macOS) | Toggle that layer in/out of the multi-selection |
| Shift-click | Range-select from the current active layer to the clicked one |
Multi-selected layers show a faint purple background. The "active" layer (the one drawing tools target) is the last one you clicked — it has a brighter purple ring.
Drag-into / drag-out of a group
Drag any layer (using the grip on its left) and drop onto a layer that's inside a group to make the dragged layer join that group. Conversely, dropping a group member onto a top-level layer removes it from the group.
The rule: the dragged layer always inherits the group context of the drop target. The panel automatically re-bunches members so a group's children stay contiguous, even when you drag a non-member through the middle of the group.
| Drop onto | Result |
|---|---|
| A layer in the same group | Reorder within the group |
| A layer in a different group | Move into the destination group |
| A top-level layer | Move out of any group |
Right-click context menu
Right-click any layer row to open a context menu with everything group-related (and more):
| Item | What |
|---|---|
| Group selected layers | Wrap every selected layer in a new group. If only one is selected (or right-clicked), wraps just that one. |
| Remove from group | Move the layer(s) back to top-level (group keeps its other members). |
| Move to group → <name> | Move the selection into an existing group. The submenu lists every group in the active frame. |
| Move to group → Top level | Same as Remove from group. |
| Duplicate | Single-layer only. Creates a private copy (link is dropped). |
| Cut / Copy / Paste | Snapshot the layer (clone of pixels + metadata) to the panel clipboard; paste creates a new layer from the most recent copy. Same row-clipboard shortcuts (Ctrl+C/X/V) work when the panel has keyboard focus. |
| Link across frames / Unlink | Single-layer only. See Layer linking. |
| Delete | Removes every selected layer. Disabled when it would empty the frame. |
The menu disappears on click outside or Esc.
Tip: if you right-click a layer that isn't in the current multi-selection, the menu treats just that layer as the target. So you don't need to worry about losing your selection — right-click acts on what you right-click.
Workflow examples
Group a few layers at once
- Click the first layer you want to group.
- Shift-click the last layer of the range.
- Right-click any of them → Group selected layers.
A new group wraps all of them. Members stay contiguous in the layers panel.
Add a new layer inside an existing group
Activate any layer inside the group. Click + in the panel header. The new layer is created as a sibling inside the same group.
If you want a top-level layer instead, click a top-level layer first, then +.
Move a layer between groups
- Right-click the layer.
- Pick Move to group → <destination>.
The layer joins the destination, members stay contiguous.
Members of a group stay contiguous
Whenever you change group membership, the panel reorders so all members of a group are adjacent in frame.layers. This is automatic — you don't have to manage it.
Empty groups
If you drag the last member out of a group, the group keeps existing — it just appears as a dashed-outline placeholder row labelled with the group name and an empty chip. Use the trash button on the placeholder to delete it, or right-click any layer → Move to group → <empty group> to put a layer back in.
Active group indicator
When the active layer (the one tools target) is inside a group, the group's header row highlights in purple (matching the active-layer highlight on the layer itself). Tells you at a glance which group context you're in.
Solo mode (group)
Alt-click the eye icon on a group header → only that group's members render on the canvas. Same logic as layer solo, but applied to a group at once. The eye turns amber while soloed.
Nesting & organization
- Groups can nest. Drop one group inside another from the hover dropdown on the group row, or right-click → Move to group → <parent>. Valid parents exclude the group itself and any of its descendants (cycles are refused). Nested groups inherit visibility from their parent; opacity and blend mode multiply along the chain.
- One frame at a time. Groups are per-frame data — duplicating a frame copies its groups. If you need a group structure to be shared across frames, link the layers inside the group so a single brushstroke updates everywhere.
Use cases
- Character anatomy — group "Body / Clothing / Accessories" together.
- Effect passes — group "Shadow" layers and set the group blend to Multiply.
- Highlights — group "Highlight" layers with Screen blend.
- Background scenery — group all background layers and toggle the group off when working on the foreground.
Tips
- Groups don't change the rendering order of their members — what's on top in the panel is still on top in the composite.
- Collapsing a group is a UI-only state; it doesn't affect rendering. Use it to reduce clutter.
- A hidden group's children don't render at all — useful as a "lights off" toggle for an entire scene.
- For rendering across frames, see Layer linking.