Circle Masking

Hello!
I'm starting on flash and I already manged to do some simple
effects but i am not getting this one:
Circle
Masking Effect tutorial
I manage to do the masking effect and I even see it action
using live preview... But when I export the movie to swf I only see
the masking circle moving around...
Any ideas on this? Any help would be useful!
I'm using MX 2004 / Flash 7.
Thanks in advance!

I sometimes have problems with masks as well, what I do is
force the movie to do the masking via actionscript:
movieclip_to_be_masked.setMask(movieclip_mask);
Hope that works for you,
Cheers
Gorka

Similar Messages

Can you invert a circle mask

I am trying to make the transition to FCP X for some projects, not so easy. I would like to make the inverse of the circle mask. i.e. I would like to cut a circle out of a top image to reveal what is beneath. Any ideas. Thanks

Yes, easy. A plugin called Slice X from CoreMelt does that super easy. About the esiest way there is to do it besides making your own in Motion 5. Use the "Shape Mask Layer", select the circle from the pre-set shapes, check the invert box.
Or create your own Mask effect in Motion.
1- Open a new Motion 5 "Final Cut Effects" template project.
2- C for the circle tool, hold shift while dragging to make a perfect circle.
3- F1 and set position X & Y to zero.
4- Publish the Position and Scale parameters.
5- F4 and Publish the Feather parameter.
6- Right click the Effect Source layer, "Add Image Mask".
7- Drag the shape layer into the "Mask Source" well.
8- Below that Publish the "Invert Mask" parameter.
9- Save with appropriate name and catagory.
Download the finished project folder here if you want.
http://www.FCProXUniversity.com/downloads/templates/Simple_Circle_Mask.zip
For more complex masks, check this out.
http://www.macprovideo.com/hub/motion/animating-shape-masks-in-motion

How to make a circle mask and other masks?

I have downloaded a trial version of After Effects 2014 and I have been watching tutorials on YouTube. But I can not find all the mask options that is available in C6S. I am a beginner with some basic knowledge in After Effects C6S. Can someone please help me? I just want to make a cool logo for a student paper.

See After Effects Help:
After Effects Help | Creating shapes and masks

How to create a shape/mask with a hole in it?

In graphics illustration applications, it's common to support boolean operations on shapes and paths, like subtracting one object from another resulting in a compound path (like a group of sub-paths). This provides the ability to create shapes with "holes" in them where background content can show through. Is it possible to do this with two (or more) shapes (or masks) in Motion 5? For example, if I draw a rectangle shape and a smaller circle shape inset within the rectangle, to have the circle as a "hole" in the rectangle so that as the rectangle passes in front of other objects they show through the hole? If the answer is yes this can be done, can you please descibe how? Thanks!

It's possible to create a lot of sophisticated masking effects in Motion and there are two different ways that can be used in combination or separately (depending on the type of object being masked -- some objects won't allow shape masks, but almost all objects allow Image Masks.)
To set up what's going on below: the bottom layer is a Clouds generator. On top of it is a Spirals generator.
The region in the center where the '8' figure is starts as a rectangle to which 4 circle shape masks are added. The Shape Mask tool is in the one to the right of the Text ( 'T' icon) tool in the toolbar at the bottom of the Motion window. When an "eligible" layer is selected in the Layers List its options will be selectable, otherwise it will stay dimmed.
The first two circle masks added to the Rectangle are arranged one above the other (visually) and their Mask Blend Mode is set to Intersect and the Invert Mask options are checked for both. Two more circle masks are drawn for the same rectangle shape and placed to form the "holes" for the figure 8. Their Mask Blend Modes are set for Add.
The region of the Spirals that form the outer border is another Rectangle Shape drawn to form the bounds. To that Rectangle I added an Image Mask (right click on the Layer and select Add Image Mask.) To the Image Mask sub-layer I dragged the original rectangle containing the 4 circle masks.
Finally to the Spirals generator layer I added an Image Mask and dragged the second rectangle on the that sublayer.
When objects are added to an Image Mask, Motion will automatically turn off those layers from being visible in the canvas.
When working with masks, especially several levels of masking, sometimes you have to think in opposites. For instance, originally, the inner rectangle is solid and the figure 8 is the cutout. When added to the second rectangle, the "state" is reversed. Where you see the spiral are the solid portions of the final composite mask. If you select the Invert Mask option of the Spirals Image Mask, the entire thing "flips" (and the spirals would replace the clouds and vice versa).
Shape Masks have four available Blend Modes (Add, Subract, Replace and Intersect). Shape Masks are "all or nothing" cutouts (with exception of feathering).
Image Masks use Alpha, Individual Color channels (R,G, or B) or Luma to determine transparency. Image Masks can also use bezier shapes as sources, making almost the same as Shape Masks in this respect, except that Fill Opacity can be used to vary opacity within masked areas.
HTH

Using a mask to create an image that's distortable

Essentially I'm trying to create a mask that captures the image it encircles and allows me to distort the image. For example, if I have a picture of a person and draw a circle mask around the person's head, when I distort the mask it distorts (e.g. stretch/skew/bend) the person's head and not just the shape of the mask. I'm trying to create my own version of this video but using Motion instead of AfterEffects and Mocha.
https://vimeo.com/38940289
If you watch the tutorial it's the AfterEffects "precompose" function that I'm trying to mimic. And I don't think creating a new Group in motion is the ticket because I can only distort the image by adjusting the edge of the canvas vs. the edge of the mask.
video's tutorial vimeo.com/benboutwell/frametutorial
Thanks for any and all help! It's been a couple of frustrating days...

You don't need a mask if you're doing rectangular shapes.
Clone your original source (type- K).
Crop your source to the rectangle you need around your subject (click and drag on the numbers to go past the slider imposed limits). Use the rectangle shape you'll be using in the animation as your guide for dimensions. [If you're using a shape rectangle, turn off the fill, use an outline width that will be easy to match points with and place it over the clone layer.]
Type A to turn on "Animation" (recording). [it's easier to start at the first frame of the animation, but it really doesn't matter: you can go back and forth in time and even overwrite settings for any frame if you need to tweak anything.]
Select the clone layer; right click on the clone and select Distort from the popup (or select it from the Tool menu). You'll be animating Four Corner. With the Animation recording on, you can use whatever else is at your disposal as well (position, rotation, scale and shear.) If there's not a lot of change in the frame orientation, you can click and drag inside the Distort (Four Corner) to reposition all four corners at once.
Go frame by frame to set the corner points. Or, if there is actaully a frame in your video, you might try setting up motion trackers [Behaviors menu > Motion Tracking > Analyze Motion. Then for each of the Four Corner parameters, right click and select a Track parameter behavior. In the Behaviors tab, for the Track parameter behavior, drag the Analyze Motion Behavior for the matching point onto the source well.]
http://documentation.apple.com/en/motion/usermanual/index.html#chapter=19%26sect ion=6%26tasks=true

Mask layer not in Layers tab

I have sent a video clips from my FCP timeline to Motion and added a Circle Mask to it. But somehow my hand slipped and I hit a key.... because now I do not see the mask layer in the Layers tab. And I need to attach a Match Move behavior to it.
I can see that the mask is still there (it is present on the Timeline).
What did I do to seemingly toggle off its presence in the Layers tab?
Thanks

sure enough...
Thanks.

Mask in Flash

when background image rolls thru earth I can see earth in and out of circle mask. It is supposed to look like earth moving with circle mask. You are only supposed to see the earth in the circle.

your intro page you'll need to make yourself. create a movieclip and display whatever you want seen in your intro. (i have no idea what should be displayed in your intro.)
then you'll need to add your intro movieclip to frame 1, add your skip intro button to the stage in frame 1 (along with your intro movieclip) and add a stop() to frame 1. you'll then need to code your button to advance to wherever you want when the intro is skipped and when the intro is finished.
edit: i see your duplicate topic. don't open two threads for the same topic. end this thread and continue the skip intro discussion in your other thread.

Newbie M5 question - How does the Censor effect blur only the inside of the circle?

I'm brand new to Motion 5. I'm trying to understand how an effect like "Censor" applies the blur to only the inside of the circle. I opened the Censor effect in M5 and studied it, but the answer is just out of my grasp. Can someone explain it to me, or point me to an article that will help? Thanks.
Dan

In Motion, in the Censor effect project, if you turn off the Effect Source (lowest layer) you'll see the "circle" used to "limit" the effect.
Actually, this is just an illusion:
The original Effect Source (in FCPX, that's whatever clip this effect is applied to) is Cloned (the layer is called "Mask"): a clone is basically a "rasterized copy" of the original -- what I mean by that is that Clones not only copy original objects, but also all their filters and other layers/effects if you clone a group of objects -- reducing them all down to a single layer copy. This copy can be treated just like any other object in Motion (with an interesting exception*): you can add masks and other filter effects and/or behaviors to create new actions while the original source of the clone is left intact.
In this effect, there is a Circle Mask applied to the Clone, as well as three different Filters: Pixellate, Gaussian Blur, and Brightness. These three different filters are turned on and off separately by use of a "pop-up" rig so that only one of the filters is applied to the clone at a time. The gear shaped objects are Behaviors, in this case Link behaviors that "link" to the Circle Blur filter properties that is attached to the Effect Source which control the location in the canvas and the scale of the mask (Radius to Scale-X and another to Scale-Y). The Circle Blur filter has Onscreen Controls of a center point and a "radius" and those property values can be shared to other objects in a project via these link behaviors. The Circle Blur filter effect is turned off in this project because it *only* needed as a *source* for the onscreen control properties (and those can be turned on for use in FCPX [Publish OSC] whether the filter type is used or not.) All of the visible action in this project is created by applying other filter effects to the Clone copy and masking the area so that the rest of the source is uneffected while this effect (Censor) is active in FCPX.
The *interesting exception: Clones can be "retimed" -- even timed to go in reverse. No other object (other than actual video) can be made to do the same. What does this mean? It means that you can create, basically, an "in-project" video of other objects in animation (without exporting the animation first) and retime them to loop over and over, go in reverse, speed up, slow down, etc... Clones are a very useful tool in Motion (not to mention "light-weight"). Their only drawback: they *flatten* 3D animations, so you can't apply "more 3D" effects to them because they'll just look flattened on a plane if you do. So any time you feel you need to duplicate something, ask yourself if you would be better served by a clone instead.
HTH

Where is the 8 points Mask in FCPX Ver 10.1 ?

Hi there,
I am on FCPX 10.1.
Can I know where is the 8 points Mask in FCPX Ver 10.1 ?
I tried locating in the Effects Panel but all it has under in the Keyer sub category is circle mask, image mask ... etc.
But I cannot find the 8 points mask.
Any ideas ?
Thanks

furrytoes wrote:
There's also this one from Alex4D - has 4,8 and 16 point masks
http://blog.alex4d.com/2012/03/06/mask-plus-fcpx-effects/
Definitely works on 10.1 - I have a 16-point mask, using it, right in front of me
How do I install it ? I do not have MTT and do not want to use MTT.
It says "If you don’t want to use MTT, install these effects in Home / Movies / Motion Templates / Effects / Keying:"
How do I do this ?
Thanks

IMovie converting QT Pro Mask to white.

Hi.
I have searched for an answer to this but have not found an answer.
I have put a simple simple circle mask into a Quicktime Pro video and exported it as a Quicktime H264 movie. The mask will stay black in QT Pro upon playback. However, when it is imported into iMoive 09, the mask will change to white. Does anyone know how to correct this? Thanks.

Thanks QTK,
No, this did not help. Dimensions of both the Quicktime Movie and the Mask are 1920x1080 px. The channel is set for Composition. When I choose a mask of the exact dimensions, Quicktime will change the dimension of the Player and offset the video to the lower right hand corner of the mask (I am using a circular mask in the center.) Curiously, when the mask is inverted in the channel, the Player corrects to the proper porportions. I created the mask in Keynote - black circle on white background - and exported it as a jpeg. I haven't tried importing it into iMovie yet. No point at this stage.

How to mask circular or cylindrical 3D text with geometry & material options?

Hello, guys, I am back to trying to rotate that text around that planet in After Effects CS6.
I am making one basic assumption — please correct me if I am wrong. (I'm sure you will !) I understand that I cannot have two 3D objects (or in this case, two 2D objects with 3d effects applied) in the same "scene" (as it is called in Photoshop.) In other words, I cannot have the planet and the orbiting text in the same layer, so that the planet naturally masks out the back side of the orbiting text. I am limited to having the planet on one layer and the text on another, correct?
My goal: to make some shiny, reflective, extruded text, make it goaround in a circle with the text on the back side of the circle masked out so that the orbiting text appears to be disappearing behind the planet.
OK, given that the above assumption is correct, I can see two ways to do this, but (so far as I can tell) each method seems to have its advantages and disadvantages:
1. I can apply the CC Cylinder effect to my text.
PROS:
- This effect has a very handy option to render the full cyclinder or just the outside or inside. I chose outside as I want the text to appear to rotate across the front of the planet.
- I can add a mask to hide some of the remaining visible text when needed.
- Some built-in lighting controls.
CON:
- No material options so I cannot add an environment layer to get those cool reflections that are really going to impress the client. (Yes, I am using the Ray-Traced 3D Renderer.)
2. I can apply the 3D Rotate Around Circle Animation Preset to my text.
PRO: - I have material and geometry options to make the cool reflections.
CON:
- No "Render Outside" option and I understand you cannot add a mask to a Ray-Traced Layer. (Correct?) I suppose I could render those 6 seconds to video and then mask that footage layer, but when the front text is right in front of the back text, it would be a really complex mask to have to make.
Here is what I am talking about:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9FcD-bx-sg&feature=plcp
That boring flat white text that looks like it was cut out of paper is what I am trying to replace with something snazzier.
Any ideas, suggestions? Is there some other way to achieve this goal that i just don't know about yet?
I am using the latest version of After Effects CS6 on a 27" iMac, running OSX7.4.
Thanks!
--Carol
Carol Gunn
Gunn Graphics
Austin, TX 78741
512-385-8818
www.gunngraphics.biz
www.linkedin.com/in/carolgunn

hey carol.
i think the solution that would give you both the results you want and would still be relatively simple to pull off would be to use AE's text tool with the preset you mentioned, and add an animator to the text, controlling the opacity of of the layers.
just synchronize the range selector of that animator to the rotation of the sentence, so that it would make letters fade in quickly coming around the curve, and fade out going back.
if you absolutely must have that splitting of "inside" and "outside", you can try to intersect a white copy of the 3D letters with a black solid along the same plane as the globe is, resulting in a white image of only the front letters, which you can use as a luma matte.
(you would probably also want to condense the alpha of the white letters before the intersection or you'll damage the edges of your letters after you apply the luma matte)

Converting Drop Zone to a Circle

How do you create a drop zone as a circle instead of a square in Motion 3? I want to create 5 or 6 circle drop zones, but can't figure out how to do this. Any help would be appreciated. Cheers.

You don't have to email me personally if you're having problems. You should just continue to reply to the thread so that others with the same issue will know how to solve the problem.
In response to your email to me:
Hi Andy, thanks for the suggestion on who to "Converting Drop Zone to a Circle", but I still don't know how to do that. Can you please help me. Please.
You should really read up in the manual about masks. It's a very elementary part of Motion (and every other motion gfx program). There is a shape mask tool on the toolbar. You use that tool to mask a layer such as your drop zone. The result is that only the portion masked off is visible. If you use the circle mask tool, then you'll be left with a circle drop zone.
Andy

Flashlight mask with radial blur question

I have a circle mask over a photo. I'm trying to get it so the edges fade out to black. Currently, it just is a solid white circle. It's a movie clip and has a radial blur and is motion tweened. The alpha channel on the radial blur is 100% on the first point and 0% on the last. Can a spotlight with radial blur/fade be done without adding code or actionscript?
I've attached a photo of what I have now along with what the movieclip I'm using.
Thanks in advance for any help!
I'm on CS5, but can only use AS2, if actionscript is necessary.

Create the circle with a radial fill (any color) and have the inner fill 100% alpha and the outer fill 0% alpha. Convert that to a movieclip, give it an instance name (say you use "msk").
Convert the photo to a movieclip and give it an instance name (say you use "mc").
Place the following code in the timeline...
mc.cacheAsBitmap = true;
msk.cacheAsBitmap = true;
mc.setMask(msk);

Align/Distribute masks?

Brain isn't functioning this morning. Is it possible to use the align palette with multiple masks on the same layer?
Trying to center a couple circle masks...

No. Try copying the path, pasting in Illustrator, then align, then past back into AE.
The other option is to use shape layers. You can numerically align them or make each shape a separate layer and align them with the alignment tools.
You could also put each mask on a separate layer, align the layers, then copy and paste the masks back to a single layer.

Viewing footage on desktop and external monitor at same time

Maybe i'm missing something, but is there any way to view footage simultaneously on your desktop monitor and your external broadcast monitor (via blackmagic output)?
Right now when I enable mercury transmit, the viewer within speedgrade goes to grey and I can only see the footage on the external monitor. This makes it impossible to draw custom shapes around objects (rather than just use the stock circle masks) which I use quite a bit...I would like to have the view on both monitors like I have in resolve.
If this isn't possible, is there a quick shortcut to toggle mercury transmit on and off without having to go into the settings menu?
Any help would be appreciated...I am enjoying a lot of the controls that are in speedgrade but there are some workflow hurdles that I need to get over in order to be able to use effectively in client sessions from time to time.
Thanks!

I waited expectantly and patiently for Adobe to enable Mercury Transmit in SG and to be able to make use of my BM card and external monitor.
O.K we got it in CC2014.1...but it is either Mercury Transmit or Dual Display!
I think this half-arsed solution is an absolute fail that we cant use desktop and an external monitor simultaneously.
Has anyone on the SG team actually been in a real world CC and Grade Suite?
At least we got consistency with the blue color scheme if not how Mercury Transmit works across the suite of apps.

Circle Masking

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for