How To Animate Masks In After Effects
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Acquire How to Create and Modify After Furnishings Mask
At some point in any motion graphic project, you will need to use one or multiple After Effects mask in your limerick and I take to say even afterwards 10 years of motion graphic experience I am still learning new tips and tricks to piece of work with masks. I'll show on this tutorial the basic and advanced techniques to use After Effects mask, so past the end of this article you will know how to utilise and more be comfy with the AE mask shape and mask layers.
Below a listing of mask subjects, then you tin jump straight to the section yous prefer.
- What is an After Effects mask?
- Blazon of masks in After Effects?
- How to create a mask in Afterward Effects?
- How to modify a mask in Subsequently Furnishings ?
- How to use the Mask Modes in After Effects?
- How to create a Shape Layer Mask in After Effects?
- Draw with the Shape Tool in Afterward Effects
- Trace Mask with the Pen Tool in After Effects
- How to edit and modify a shape layer mask?
- How to create a custom mask in Later on Effects?
i. What is an Afterward Effects mask?
Substantially a mask in Afterward Effect is a shape that hide or show a specific area of a layer (or multiple layers) on your limerick. Specifically a mask is a path / outline made of vertices that you can adjust or/and breathing.
two. Blazon of masks in Later Effects?
There are 2 type of masks you can utilize in After Effects
– regular mask
– shape layer mask.
TIPS: Something y'all must know when you create a mask
If your select your layer on your timeline: You lot will create standard mask
If your don't select your layer on your timeline: You will create a shape layer mask
Regular mask are frequently used for rotoscoping and morphing considering you can quickly mask multiple frame.
3. How to create a mask in After Effects?
– Select your epitome/video on your timeline
– Peak tools bar, click on the shape tool icon
(Shortcut: Press Q)
– In yous composition describe your rectangle mask on your image/video
Later on Effects regular Mask demo example below
TIPS:
If y'all desire to turn ON and OFF the visibility of your mask outline and shape path, you can use the Toggle Mask and Shape Path visibility icon
located on the bottom of your limerick.
4. How to change a mask in after effects ?
There are many ways to modify afterwards furnishings masks I will go over the essential below
Movement one mask point at a time
Select the layer on your timeline
Press 5 (Choice tool)
Start moving each bespeak
Move Multiple mask points at once
– Select the layer on your timeline
– Printing M (Shortcut to admission the mask backdrop)
– Select Mask Path
– Press V (Pick Tool)
– Click on one indicate/vertex
– you lot should be able to move all the bespeak together
Resize or Rotate a mask
– Select the layer on your timeline
– Press M (Shortcut to admission the mask backdrop)
– Select Mask Path
– Double click on any point/vertex
– Move your cursor on the corner of the layer yous should see the resize cursor which should allow yous to calibration.
– Press Shift if you desire to scale proportionally.
If you move you lot cursor further more on the corner y'all should also come across the rotate cursor which volition allow you to rotate your mask.
5. How to utilize the Mask Modes in Later Effects?
After Furnishings have 7 mask modes options click on the drop downwards you will see: None, Add, Subtract, Intersect, Lighten, Darken, Divergence
See below what Afterwards Effects mask manner options are doing visually
vi. How to create a Shape Layer Mask in After Effects?
– Brand sure no layer is selected on your timeline
– Top tools bar, click on the shape tool icon (Shortcut: Press Q)
– Draw a rectangle
– Make certain your rectangle shape layer is to a higher place the image/video layer.
– Select your image/video and change track matte to Alpha
Meet example below or Download the After Effects Shape Layer mask project.
Tips: Once you lot accept created you lot shape layer mask you can rapidly change the make full color and stroke color
– Merely concur ALT then Click on the fill color or the stroke color, demo below
7. Draw with the Shape Tool in Later on Effects
The Shape tools (Shortcut:Press Q) allows you to create a mask or shape layer with different path such as
– Rectangle (default shape)
– Rounded Rectangle Tools
– Ellipse Tool
– Polygon Tool
– Star Tools
8. Trace Mask with the Pen Tool in After Furnishings
If you need to create a custom mask shape the Pen Tool
(shortcut: Press G) will allow you to trace a path with vertex points.
When you cull to trace with the pen tool you also have admission to several tools to edit your path such equally:
– Pen Tool
– Add vertex Tool
– Delete Vertex Tool
– Convert Vertext Tool
– Mask Plumage Tool
Quick demo of the pen tool below
TIPS:
Bank check mark RotoBezier it volition make automated smoothen curved path for you.
Uncheck Rotobezier to have more control on your points vertices with Bezier handles
ix. How to edit and modify a shape layer mask ?
When you create default shape layer mask such every bit rectangle, eclipse, polygon y'all volition quickly meet that yous tin can't move the point/vertex.
In order to modify and control the bespeak/vertex you lot will need to right click on the path and select Catechumen to Bezier path
To modify or animate your shape layer mask there are handy edit tools (Merge Paths,Showtime Paths,Pucker & Bloat,Repeater…), you lot tin can find them under theAdd card(screenshot below), I suggest yous test each tool to familiarize yourself, if you need specific detail on each add menu tools you tin likewise visit this page on the adobe website.
10. How to create a custom mask in Afterwards Effects?
Create a custom shape in subsequently effects is not very constructive and will ho-hum down your workflow for that reason we volition employ beginning Illustrator follow the steps below
Please post your questions down below if you demand more info on Subsequently Effects mask, you tin can likewise find more than on After Effects masks on the Adobe website here.
3 Comments
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Source: https://blog.motionisland.com/after-effects-mask/
Posted by: thralltivent.blogspot.com
Mmmmm….good but if I would like to order the shape layers (or mask layers) how do that?
Suppose you wish the confront of the true cat every bit is and the exterior in flames, then I may want to utilise burn particles effect in the exterior layer only
Thank you for your feedback Pablo, Not sure what you lot mean, would yous exist able to ship me an case on info@motionisland.com
I am a beginner with AE, i would like to know how i tin can add together a edge on a flick! a border on a square pic, with 2 rounded corners and 2 square corners! And i would similar to know, if is possible, to know how i can add a particle border that follows that special shape with 2 rounded and two square corners! In Photoshop is like shooting fish in a barrel to create that special shape, only in AE, no! Or, i don't know how to do that!
Many thanks in advance!