Underlay Node

Underlay appears as a colored rectangle placed behind the nodes (z-order = background). Its title shows at the top of the area, describing the role of the cluster. You can resize it to enclose more or fewer nodes as needed.

Unlike the Sticky Note, which is a one-off, the Underlay visually structures large parts of a comp. It is the visual equivalent of "sections" in a document.

• Effects Library: Tools > Organization > Underlay
• Quick add: right-click in the Node Editor → Add Tool > Organization > Underlay

Sticky Note

A small one-off annotation. To comment on a node or a specific area. Rich text.

Underlay

A visual grouping frame. To enclose several nodes in a named section. Simple title, colored background.

The usual combination: an Underlay for the main area ("Keying composite") + Sticky Notes for specific annotations inside ("Roto to revise").

Comp structured in sections:
┌─────────── [Underlay "1. INPUT & PREP"] ───────────┐
│ [MediaIn] → [Color Corrector] → [Remove Noise]     │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                                     │
┌─────────── [Underlay "2. KEYING"] ───────────┐
│ [Pre-mat] → [Ultra Keyer] → [Matte Control]  │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                                     │
┌─────────── [Underlay "3. INTEGRATION"] ──────────┐
│ [Light Wrap] → [Color Match] → [Merge with BG]   │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                                     │
┌─────────── [Underlay "4. FINISHING"] ────────────┐
│ [Final grade] → [Film Grain] → [MediaOut]        │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Color code by category:
- Blue: preprocessing
- Green: keying / matte
- Orange: 3D integration
- Red: finalizing / grade

Title (default: "Underlay")

Title shown at the top of the area. Short and descriptive (e.g. "Keying", "3D integration", "Roto").

Color (default: gray)

Background color. Lets you color-code the sections by function.

Width / Height

Size of the area. Resize it to enclose exactly the relevant nodes. Drag the corners of the underlay in the node editor.

• Splitting a complex comp into sections - visually divide a comp into logical parts (input → keying → integration → finishing).
• Identifying reusable areas - visually mark the sections you copy from one comp to another ("Standard grade match module").
• Pipeline documentation - the Underlay makes the structure of the comp explicit for someone opening it for the first time.
• Color code per owner - in a team, each artist has their own color. One glance is enough to know who handles what.
• Telling versions apart - "V1" and "V2" Underlays side by side to compare or keep historical versions.
• Organized templates - create a comp template with empty named Underlays as a reminder of the project's standard structure.

• Z-order: behind the nodes - the Underlay stays in the background, the nodes stay visible and clickable on top. No functional interference.
• Distinct colors per section - avoid too many variations. 4-5 colors max in a comp for readability.
• Number the sections - "1. PREP", "2. KEY", "3. COMP", etc. = an obvious reading order.
• Not too many nested Underlays - groups within groups quickly become unreadable. 2 levels max.
• Combine with Sticky Notes - Underlays structure, Sticky Notes annotate. Together they make a perfectly readable comp.
• Shared team templates - define a Fusion template with standardized Underlays (colors + titles) to use on every project for consistency.
• Zero performance cost - the Underlay is purely visual, it costs nothing at render time. Add as many as you need.