[AI CS4 Mac] How to Create a Layer Clipping Mask?

Hi Folks,
How does one go about creating a layer clipping mask using the SDK?
What I want to do is to simulate clicking on the "Make/Release Clipping Mask" button (the left-most picture button) that is at the bottom of the Layers Panel.
Thanks!
-- Jim

Clipping masks work, but they can be a little clunky (as you might tell from their weird way of being set up). You might find opacity masks more flexible. An opacity mask is basically a group attached to a layer, in which you store paths that represent holes in the mask. These holes have an opacity value for how much shows through. So anything in the mask group is a hole (there can be many) and anything in the layer (as normal) shows through those holes. Setting it up is simpler but it depends on the kind of clipping you're trying to do which is easier. We find it easier when doing knockouts for labels on lines, but clipping paths are also possible, just a little more annoying.

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Hi Folks,
I'm trying to create a compound path in AI CS4 for Mac, but I have not been successful. One would think this would be easy, so maybe I'm missing the obvious solution...
What is best way to create a compound path using the SDK? I just need to make a compound path out of two non-overlapping rectangles so that I can create a clipping mask. Nothing tricky.
The SDK is not clear about the best way to go about creating a compound path, but I figured that programmitically selecting the two rectanlges and then using the built in "adobe_makeCompound" action would work, but it doesn't.
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When the above code is called while I'm debugging, I get a dialog box that reads: The object "Make Compound Path" is not currently available.
If I click the "Stop" button while debugging, the value of err is 1346458189 which is 'PARM'. So, maybe I need to set a parameter? The crazy thing is that there appears to be no parameters needed for the "adobe_makeCompound" action event. When I created the action manually, the resulting .aia file (see its contents below) has a parameterCount == 0. I've tried passing a parameter block without adding any parameters to it (instead of NULL), but still no joy.
/version 2
/name [ 5
          5365742031
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Thanks in advance!
-- Jim

Actually, here's a more useful variation
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sArt->sReorderArt(rectangle2, kPlaceInsideOnTop, compound);
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I avoid sublayers, because they really were never thoroughly developed, and when you open files, you get all your layers flipped open.
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In CS6, the clipping mask is just an icon in the lower right of the layer icon in the palette. How do I easily drag it to another layer to create the same clipping mask? In previous Photoshops, you could option drag it to other layers/folder to quickly add the masks.

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Hi Oompal
Simple, let´s see if I´ve understood your problem
Create any shape and position where you like. Now go to layers pallete and click create clipping layer button (bottom of the layer, the first left buttom). That´s it
Now that shape will be used as clipping layer, and everithing you create inside this layers will be clipped.
Am I right?
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Hello,
I am trying to group layers which are in clipping masks.
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Hi Pfaffenbichler, thank you for your suggestion! With your help, I was able to make a collage of pictures from last year's road trip. I thought I would share, since I couldn't have done it without your help. Thanks again!

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I made a clipping path and accidently clipped the outside of the bottle instead of the bottle. How do I reverse the clipping path? I know there is some icon that is supposed to show up on the top control bar but I am not finding anything.
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How to undo permanent applying clipping mask,

Hello,
I hope somebody can help me.
I'm having some trouble with the adjustment layers.
I've made a selection that I want to brighten a bit, and then I make a selection in the wanted area, and choose "curves" in the adjustmenlayers to brighten the selected area.
Then I also want to remove a little red, from only that selected area, and then i choose "colorbalance" and I "alt-click" between to two layers to adjust only the wanted area and not the whole picture, and it shows by a little "broken arrow" that it uses the previous layer to create the clipping mask.
And that just works so great!
But not any more!
Because now it suddently applies this clippingmask permannetly - without me "alt-clicking". So, now when i choose "curves" the little broken arrow is there! And that annoys me big time, because I can't figure out how to make it stop. I know that I can "right-click" and click "release clippingmask" but my point is, I don't wanna do that, I want to make it stop doing that, unless I tell it to, by "alt-clicking" betwwen the layers.
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From the adjustments panel flyout menu uncheck Clip to Layer:
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How do I make a clipping mask static?

I have a group of objects that move around within a 700x500 px artboard. The size of one object within this group is a map that spills over outside the artboard. I want this group to only be 400 px high, but not change anything withing the group. Just shorten the height of the clip. When I tried to just clip the height to 400 the clipping obviously followed the zooming of the animation of the group. I want the hight to be static at 400 when the animation plays.
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Could you give an example of what you are trying to do ?
The concept of clipping mask is not intuitive at all. Besides 'normal' layer masks associated with their layer, the clipping mask is a 'normal' layer having transparency. It has a what was called a 'linked layer' in older version. The 'clipping mask' layer determines transparency of the linked layer (which is shown offset to the right in the layers panel) to show that the effect of the clipping mask is limited to the above linked layer(s). Instead of having one layer with a mask, you have a mask targetting the 'above' layer.
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How do I make a clipping mask in InDesign?

I know Photoshop can make use of a clipping mask to allow text or other shapes to be filled with images/pictures. How does Indesign do this?
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Have a look in the ID help text:
Help > Index > C > Clipping paths.
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Best regards --Gernot Hoffmann

How do you inverse a clipping mask

I'm working on a tshirt and can only use 3 colors (Green, Black and Yellow). If you look at the attached image, I need to make the brown color that is inside of the squirrel mask out the items behind it (corn stalks, rectangle and part of the "R" in "Corn Maze". The tshirt will be grey so once the Clipping Mask is applied, it will allow the grey tshirt to become the color for the squirrel.
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Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[scott w] wrote:
Monika Gause wrote:
Then it would be about how I would pronounce it, anyway ;-)
Wouldn't that W sound like a V?
In German: yes. But non when I#m trying the skquawirrrrrel in English ;-)
@Students:
Everything needs to be grouped:
For just the squirrel (not its nose or other details) you set the fill to opacity 0
Sorry for the German panels:
Aussehen = Appearance
Ebenen = Layers

[AI CS4 Mac] How to Create a Layer Clipping Mask?

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