Layers are not all that hard to understand once you have a few tips under your belt, so lets see if we can't help with that. Okay here goes....................
Tip #1
- It does NOT make any difference what layer is closed, the only thing closing layers does is help YOU see. What makes the biggest difference in where an action or effect will take place is what Layer is HIGHLIGHTED. Highlighting a layer is telling PSP that's the layer you want the action to occur on.
Tip #2
- Order of layers, now this is a big one when you are making an animation in PSP. Layer one will always be Frame 1 in AS. How you stack em is how they are going to lay out in AS. Now you can see what's on that layer by just leaving your mouse on the layer name for a second and it will show you a thumbnail of what's on that layer. Or you can close them off and turn them back on and check them
Tip #3
Okay this is why..................................................
You wanted to merge layer 1 and layer 2 but remember that highlight tip, look what layer is highlighted, that's tell PSP you want the action to occur with that layer and it's closed. So when you get the Merge Visible greyed out just go check your Layer Palette and you'll find you don't have the right layer highlighted.