<p>It's because you have the collapse transformations button selected on those comps - the little sun icon on each layer.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/NA7QJ.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/NA7QJ.png" alt="sun icon" /></a></p>
<p>This changes the order in which after effects renders video.  <a href="https://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/collapse-transformations-continuously-rasterize-after-effects" rel="nofollow noreferrer">There's a good explanation of it here</a>, but it doesn't go into motion blur.</p>
<p>Essentially, you either need to turn collapse transformations off, then apply motion blur to the one layer in your main comp, or go into your inner comp, and switch motion blur on for each layer inside it.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-20T10:49:22.690Z
2021-12-20T10:49:22.690Z
tomh
<p>I'm working on a fairly simple After Effects project where I can enable motion blur for most layers, but I can't turn it on for two pre-comps and I'm not sure why. The pre-comps contain only a few shape layers and the only effects applied are some fills. Why can't I enable motion blur?</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/xTT58.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/xTT58.png" alt="Two of my pre-comps have dashes where the motion blur icon usually goes, and I cannot click them to enable motion blur" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/RkD5G.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/RkD5G.jpg" alt="Both of the pre-comps in question just have 3 simple shape layers in them. This is a view of the pre-comp" /></a></p>

<after-effects><motion-graphics>
Why can't I enable motion blur on certain pre-comps in After Effects?
Pat Boyle
# Why can't I enable motion blur on certain pre-comps in After Effects?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-12-19)

I'm working on a fairly simple After Effects project where I can enable motion blur for most layers, but I can't turn it on for two pre-comps and I'm not sure why. The pre-comps contain only a few shape layers and the only effects applied are some fills. Why can't I enable motion blur?

[![Two of my pre-comps have dashes where the motion blur icon usually goes, and I cannot click them to enable motion blur](https://i.sstatic.net/xTT58.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/xTT58.png)

[![Both of the pre-comps in question just have 3 simple shape layers in them. This is a view of the pre-comp](https://i.sstatic.net/RkD5G.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/RkD5G.jpg)

**Tags:** after-effects, motion-graphics


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-12-20. Score: 0

It's because you have the collapse transformations button selected on those comps - the little sun icon on each layer.

[![sun icon](https://i.sstatic.net/NA7QJ.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/NA7QJ.png)

This changes the order in which after effects renders video. [There's a good explanation of it here](https://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/collapse-transformations-continuously-rasterize-after-effects), but it doesn't go into motion blur.

Essentially, you either need to turn collapse transformations off, then apply motion blur to the one layer in your main comp, or go into your inner comp, and switch motion blur on for each layer inside it.


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