The frame inspector is the most structurally powerful layer inspector because it combines ordinary visual controls with a child-layout engine.
Alignment, position, dimensions, rotation, and scale place the frame itself. Descendants inherit the result through the parent transform chain.
Auto layout
The Frame layout selector offers:
- Manual for absolute child placement.
- Auto layout frame for row or column flow.
- Grid frame for two-dimensional tracks.
Changing this control changes how direct children are placed and can reset manual positions that conflict with the selected layout.
At the bottom of the layout controls, Clip content determines whether descendants are clipped to the frame bounds. It applies in manual, auto-layout, and grid frames. The frame’s own fill and stroke are unaffected.
Frame appearance
Opacity and blend mode affect the frame’s visual surface. The fill can be a solid color or two-stop linear gradient; border radius, stroke width, and solid-only stroke color complete the container. Children are composed within the frame; the fill appears behind them.
Crop and bounds
Crop changes the visible frame surface where exposed. Clip content is the explicit descendant-overflow control; layout padding still determines the managed content box. Use fullscreen review to verify rounded corners and descendant edges at output scale.
Layout motion
Managed frames can animate live reflow with spring stiffness, damping, and mass. This is a layout transition triggered by a target change, not a composition-frame-addressed animation. It should not be relied on as deterministic playback or H.264 motion; keyframe layer properties when timing must render.
Switching from manual to managed layout can reset manual child positions, including related position keyframes. Duplicate the structure first if you need an easy visual comparison.
