Features
Working with layers
Stack images, text, shapes, backgrounds, and 3D relief: each with their own opacity, blend mode, lock, and reorder. Drag-to-position, undo/redo, project round-trip.
The editor now supports a full layer stack: drop multiple images onto the Layers panel and each becomes its own layer you can reorder, blend, hide, and delete independently. Works identically in the image editor (including its real-estate / furniture mode) and the video editor.
Opening the Layers panel
In the image editor: open the Properties sidebar on the right and expand the 📚 Layers section.
In the video editor: open the right sidebar and expand the Layers section under the colour-grading and filters panels.
In the editor's real-estate / furniture mode: the Layers panel replaces the legacy furniture list in the left sidebar.
Adding layers
- Drop files onto the panel: the simplest path. Each file becomes its own layer. Image files become image layers; in the video editor, video files become video-source layers.
- The + button in the panel header opens a menu with kind-specific entries: Image, Text, Background fill, Shape (rect / ellipse / line), Filter, Adjustments. Picking Image or Video opens a multi-file picker.
Per-layer controls
Every layer row shows, left to right:
- Visibility toggle (👁): show/hide without removing.
- Thumbnail: automatic small preview per layer kind.
- Name: double-click to rename.
- Blend mode dropdown: 12 modes including Normal, Multiply, Screen, Overlay, Soft Light, Hard Light, Darken, Lighten, Colour Burn / Dodge, Difference, Exclusion.
- Opacity slider: 0–100 %.
- Lock / Unlock (🔒): prevents accidental drags and edits.
- Duplicate (⎘): clone the layer with all its settings.
- Delete (✕): remove the layer.
Reordering
Drag any unlocked layer row up or down. The drag handle appears on hover. The canvas re-renders immediately with the new stacking order.
Drag-to-position on the canvas
Image and text overlay layers can be dragged directly on the canvas: click the layer once to select it, then drag to move. Hit-tests prefer the topmost visible unlocked layer, so brush / wand strokes fall through when no layer is under the pointer.
Keyboard shortcuts (image editor)
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Ctrl + J | Duplicate active layer |
Ctrl + Shift + ] | Bring active layer to front |
Ctrl + Shift + [ | Send active layer to back |
Delete / Backspace | Delete active layer (when focus isn't in an input) |
Layer kinds reference
- Image: bitmap with optional baked brush mask, position (
x,yas fraction), and scale. The Brush tool can "bake" a stroke mask onto an active image layer for non-destructive layered editing. - Text: text content, position (
x,yas % of canvas), font size, colour, bold, font family. - Shape: rectangle, ellipse, or line with stroke + fill colour.
- Background fill: full-canvas solid colour, linear gradient, or pattern image. Use opacity to make it a tint rather than a hard overlay.
- Cutout: alpha mask layer; rare to add manually, used by project import.
- 3D relief: depth-displaced mesh; not rendered in the 2D canvas (use the 3D Preview panel).
Saving & sharing
Save the editor state as a .nss-project ZIP from the Project panel. The
file contains the original image, every layer's bitmap or mask, names,
blend modes, opacity, and ordering: re-opening on any device restores the
exact stack with original layer ids preserved.
Related
Was this guide helpful?
Your answer stays in this browser and sends no network request.