# Composite

> Layer up to four videos into one composition with per-layer position, blend mode, opacity and timing. It costs no credits; Render Video turns it into an MP4.

Source: https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/video/composite

The **Composite** node layers up to four videos into one composition. Each layer has its own position, size, blend mode, opacity, stacking order and start frame. Composite uses no AI: it builds the plan in the editor from your layer settings, so the result is predictable and the node costs no credits. Its output is a plan, and a [Render Video](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/video/render-video) node turns that plan into a video file.

- Found in: Video › Cut & Assemble
- Output: video
- API type: `composite`

## When to use it
- Put a webcam recording over a screen recording, picture-in-picture.
- Show two videos side by side or one above the other in a split screen.
- Lay a transparent motion graphic over footage.
- Make layers appear one after another at set frames.
- Add a semi-transparent watermark or branding layer.

## Quick start
### Add the node

Press Tab on the canvas and choose **Video › Cut & Assemble › Composite**.

### Connect the videos

Wire up to four videos into the inputs **Video 1** to **Video 4**.

### Add and set the layers

Open the settings panel and click **+ Add Layer** for each connected video. For each layer, set its **Position**, **Blend Mode**, **Opacity**, **Z-Index** and **Start Frame**.

### Set the canvas

Set the **FPS**, the **Duration (s)**, the **Aspect Ratio** and the **Background Color** of the composition.

### Render it

Wire the **Composition** output into a [Render Video](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/video/render-video) node and run that node. The finished video appears on the Render Video node.

Workflow: A webcam layer sits in a corner over a fullscreen screen recording, and Render Video turns the composition into an MP4.

- Upload Video → Composite (video 1)
- Upload Video → Composite (video 2)
- Composite → Render Video (composition)

## Inputs
| Input | Accepts | What it does |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Video 1** to **Video 4** | Video nodes, such as Upload Video, Generate Video and Render Video | The videos to layer, one per input. |

The output, **Composition**, is a composition plan. Connect it to a [Render Video](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/video/render-video) node to produce the video file.

## Settings
The settings panel has one section for the layers and one for the canvas.

### Layers

Click **+ Add Layer** to add a layer for a connected video. Each layer has these settings:

| Setting | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| **Position** | **Fullscreen**, the default, fills the frame. **Positioned** places the layer with the four fields below. |
| **Blend Mode** | How the layer mixes with the layers under it: **Normal** (the default), **Multiply**, **Screen** or **Overlay**. |
| **Opacity** | From 0% to 100%. The default is 100%. |
| **Z-Index** | The stacking order, from 0 to 10. A higher value is drawn on top. The default is 0. |
| **Start Frame** | The frame at which the layer appears. The default is 0. |
| **X (%)** and **Y (%)** | **Positioned** only. The layer's position, as a percentage of the frame. The default is 0. |
| **Width (%)** and **Height (%)** | **Positioned** only. The layer's size, as a percentage of the frame, from 1 to 100. The default is 100. |

Every position and size is a percentage, so a composition works at any resolution.

### Canvas

| Setting | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| **FPS** | `24`, `30` (the default) or `60` frames per second. |
| **Duration (s)** | The length of the composition, from 1 to 120 seconds. The default is 10 seconds. |
| **Aspect Ratio** | `16:9` (the default), `9:16`, `1:1` or `4:5`. |
| **Background Color** | The color behind all the layers. The default is black, `#000000`. |

## Credits
Composite is free: it runs no AI and builds its plan in the editor. The [Render Video](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/video/render-video) node that renders the plan is priced separately.

## Tips
- **Control the stacking.** A layer with a higher **Z-Index** is drawn in front of the others.
- **Stagger the entrances.** Give layers different **Start Frame** values so that they appear one after another.
- **Choose the blend for the effect.** Use **Screen** for light overlays, such as flares, and **Multiply** for shadows and darkening.
- **Make a watermark.** Lower the **Opacity** of a small **Positioned** logo layer.
- **Go beyond four layers.** Render one composition with Render Video and use the result as a layer of another Composite node, or describe the whole composition in [Compose Video](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/video/compose-video).
- **Mind the length.** A composition lasts at most 120 seconds, which is shorter than the 300 seconds of the other composition nodes.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does the Composite node cost credits?

No. Composite uses no AI and builds its plan in the editor, so it is free. The Render Video node that turns the plan into a video is priced separately.

### How many layers can one Composite node hold?

Up to four video layers. For more, render one composition with Render Video and use the result as a layer of another Composite node, or use Compose Video.

### Why does Composite not output a video file?

Composite outputs a composition plan. Connect its Composition output to a Render Video node and run that node to get the MP4.

### How do I make a picture-in-picture layout?

Keep the main video on a Fullscreen layer. Set the second layer's Position to Positioned, give it a small Width and Height in percent, and a higher Z-Index so it sits on top.

### How long can a composition be?

From 1 to 120 seconds.