Keeping a mask from moving

Keeping a mask from moving

on Apr 26, 2015 at 2:07:48 am

I want to animate a moon coming up in the night sky behind a window. My problem is that when I mask the moon, the mask needs to stay put, rather than move with the moon. Anybody know how to persuade it to calm down a little bit? Thanks in advance.

Re: Keeping a mask from moving

on Apr 26, 2015 at 3:16:17 pm

Mask the group that it is in and simply animate the moon?

- RK

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Re: Keeping a mask from moving

by David Mathis

on May 7, 2015 at 6:56:55 pm

Apply an image mask to the moon. This way the moon can move independent of the mask. Let me know if that helps.

Re: Keeping a mask from moving

on May 7, 2015 at 7:01:17 pm

[David Mathis] "Apply an image mask to the moon. This way the moon can move independent of the mask."

Considering that he said...

[John Mendelsohn] "I want to animate a moon"

I don't know how that could work, since it isn't animated. He's the one animating the moon.

- RK

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Re: Keeping a mask from moving

by David Mathis

on May 7, 2015 at 7:08:14 pm

I tried this earlier. Just imported a photo, added image mask, the mask was locked. I then animated the position of the photo with mask staying in place. Perhaps my explanation was a bit off but I do understand what you are saying.

Was merely trying to offer an explanation, hope no offense taken.

Re: Keeping a mask from moving

on May 7, 2015 at 7:21:47 pm

Neither of your kind suggestions works. I am unable to mask the whole group; the mask icon is greyed out when I select the whole group. Nor did masking the moon individually help. You see the problem is that I want the a portion of the moon to appear just above the bottom of the window, and then rise diagonally through the window, and disappear behind its right edge. As it stands, when the moon first appears, the bottom portion (that which I want hidden) is visible beneath the bottom edge of the window.

Re: Keeping a mask from moving

on May 7, 2015 at 7:28:40 pm

[John Mendelsohn] "the mask icon is greyed out when I select the whole group"

I don't see how that can be. You can create a mask on ANY selected layer with the mask tool. Groups are no exception. It would in fact be detrimental if they were an exception. But from what you describe you don't need it on the group anyway.

[John Mendelsohn] "I want the a portion of the moon to appear just above the bottom of the window, and then rise diagonally through the window, and disappear behind its right edge."

Sorry if I don't understand the problem. Since that should be extremely simple to do. Window layer -> add mask(s) as needed. Moon layer underneath -> animated as needed, therefore passing through the masked areas of the window layer. What's the issue?

- RK

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Re: Keeping a mask from moving

on May 7, 2015 at 7:50:29 pm

If it's any help, RK, I've already got the window masked, as I've got a video playing behind it. The group contains the window, the moon, and the rectangle-masked video. I kid you not about the grayed-out mask icon.

Re: Keeping a mask from moving

by David Mathis

on May 7, 2015 at 8:28:25 pm

John,

Do you have any screenshots you could provide? You also mentioned a masked video and window. As far as not being apply a mask to the group, there must be a bug. Also, not sure the mask tools are available for use on text. Could be wrong. If the mask tools are not available you can apply an image mask to the group.

Is the video behind the window? Sorry for the questions, just trying to understand what is going on here.

Here is another suggestion that may or may not work, try using the rectangle shape tool to draw shapes around the window where you want the moon to be visible. This may require multiple shapes. Place those shapes in another group. Apply an image mask to the moon, and use the shape layers as the mask. Let me know if this helps.

Re: Keeping a mask from moving

on May 7, 2015 at 8:39:58 pm

Here are a couple of screen shots. You can see the moon peeking out beneath the window at the top; I want to mask the window so that the moon appears only within it. Also please note that the mask tool is greyed out with the window group selected.

I am very grateful for your suggestions.

Re: Keeping a mask from moving

on May 8, 2015 at 10:45:13 am

[John Mendelsohn] "Here are a couple of screen shots. "

Erm... where??

Without seeing your canvas and Layers tab there's no way one could make any useful guesses at what's going on.

I just don't understand why, if your video behind the window is playing through fine, you can't just animate the moon over the video layer and have it masked out just the same??

- RK

____________________________________________________
Deutsch? Hier gibt es ein umfassendes FCP X Training für dich!

Re: Keeping a mask from moving

on May 8, 2015 at 10:49:29 am
Last Edited By Robin S. Kurz on May 8, 2015 at 10:53:45 am

IOW, if the layer with the mask isn't animated, then there's no reason why the mask should be moving. So if the MASK is moving, then there are only two possibilities:

1. the mask is on the wrong layer, or
2. you're animating the wrong layer

No idea how it could be anything else, unless you're leaving out relevant information as to how things are put together or describing it wrong.

- RK

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Deutsch? Hier gibt es ein umfassendes FCP X Training für dich!

Re: Keeping a mask from moving

on May 8, 2015 at 4:28:01 pm

Robin, I seem unable to attach screenshots to these messages. Any chance of your writing to me at johnmendelssohn@gmail.com? I will then, by return email, send the screenshots. Thanks very much for your help.

Re: Keeping a mask from moving

on May 8, 2015 at 9:53:29 pm

Hey John... I'll write you a mail, but posting images is fairly simple. Just click the IMAGE UPLOAD button above (3rd from the right), then, as it says in the window that pops up:

1) To upload your image, click browse button to find image on your machine. When you have located image click upload image button to start the upload process.
2) Your image will appear in the right hand box.
3) Select the image by clicking on it once.
4) A thumbnail image will appear in the left hand box, with it's appropriate code shown.
5) Copy and paste the embed code into your post to have the image show in your post.

Compared to other forums it's unfortunately unnecessarily convoluted (in a 1990's kind of way), yes, but doable once you get it.

- RK

____________________________________________________
Deutsch? Hier gibt es ein umfassendes FCP X Training für dich!