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been using photoshop for ages but i usually find the most compicated way to do anything! and tend not to use a lot of the features. also cause i picked it up here and there there's whole bits of basic stuff i don't know
i'm stumped with this one though. I think the answer might be a clipping group but not sure how and can't get it to work
bassically i have multiple semi transparent layers all of which i want to take on the colour of a lower layer. i.e. make the lower layer only be seen where there's pixels on any of the upper layers.
they have to be multiple layers cause i wanna put them through an animation thing later and that's easier if they're seperate objects.
if it was one layer i'd copy the object layer and use the copy as mask but there msut be an easier way than doiing that for a many layers. also that doesn't colour the objcets themselves leaving me stumped for the animation bit.
also there's other layers above and below this section so can't just put and adjustment layer over the top.
if it helps any the lower layer is just a graduated fill so the things on the upper layers can change colour accross the screeen
any ideas. and assume I'm a complete beginner 'cause the cahnces are i know nothing about whatever feature id the simple solution to this!
edited to say to simplify my question...
how do i say....
"on this layer put pixels where there are pixel but take their colour from layer x" or "this is layer x. only show it's pixels where any of these layers have pixels"
ermm hope that makes some sense to someone
thank you so much in advance
If I followed your question properly... why don't you hold down the Command + Shift keys (Control + Shift on a PC) and then click all the layers in the layers palette which you wish to include in the 'clipping group'. What you will be doing creating a cumulative selection of all the layers above your lowermost. Once you have the selection, you could save it as an alpha channel and/or use it for a layer mask on the bottom layer.
(Use Control+ instead of Command+ if you are on a PC)
OK, you could take a merged snapshot of your multi-layers and use that to create a mask for the coloured layer.
Select > All, Copy Merged, Edit > Paste.
(Or command+E, but that would also merge the layers)
This would give you the transparency of the stack in on layer.
All you would need to do was Command+Click on the layer thumbnail to create a selection.
Make sure the colour layer is active, then click on the mask icon.
The snaps below are much what I?ve said, but I?ve put the layers into a set and moved the colour layer to the top of the stack.
Command+Click on the first layer thumbnail, then Command+Shift +Click on each thumbnail in turn.
This will add each layers visible area to generate a selection.
Keep this selection active.
Make the colour layer active and click the Make Mask icon.
A mask will be generated for the selection and applied to the cololur layer.
Hope this gives you a pointer in the right direction.
Actually i came up with a wacky alternative solution for next time. Use the clone tool set to all layers with the rainbow fill at the bottom, and draw my objects with that, that way the colour is actaully stuck with them and doesn't change when i move the layers around.
clipping groups? 
Linear Mode
