Select the layer which contains the path and press M to reveal the Mask Path property. if you want to animate a mask path you should set a keyframe for the mask path and adjust the shape by manually moving the vertices in the composition panel. It was kind of complicated. You will have to create a clean plate and while this can be a bit time consuming, it’s usually not very difficult. Make that the target for your tracking data so that the null moves to match the girl. Move the Time indicator a few seconds into the timeline, and move your object to a … Next select ‘Alpha Matte’ (the 1st option below No Track … Corner Pin Track. Thanks Andrew. To get started we first create a new composition, I created a small 320x240 resolution composition for this purpose, and added a text layer that simply contains a single word ‘mask’ in yellow. Work with Motion Graphics templates in After Effects Use expressions to create drop-down lists in Motion Graphics templates Work with Master Properties to create Motion Graphics templates But if you want to use the Mask tool, once you create the first mask, you need to keyframe the "Mask Path" by pressing the stopwatch icon. AfterEffects CS5: RotoBrush. Again I’m going to go to the layer panels. Note that if your background had moving elements in it like running water or branches swaying in the wind, your clean plate cannot be a static image and you will need some actual footage of the scene without your actor or object in it. Below is an explanation on how you “lock” the position of a mask in After Effects. How to fix "Display Acceleration Disabled", Fix dynamic link between After Effects and AME. There are many ways for masking images in After Effects, let’s look at a few essential steps below. In Add mode, only the contents of the mask will be visible, the rest of the layer will be discarded. Discover how the rotoscope compositing technique allows you to stitch together moving elements — even if they aren’t shot on green screen — with Adobe After Effects. You can apply one mode to each mask, but you cannot change a mask… You can use any layer as a Matte source, so long as it has an alpha channel. To start a reveal mask, select the layer you would like to mask and then click the rectangle tool (or press Q). The highlighted steps here are unnecessary. You can do this with the Pan Behind tool. I have an image file I would like to move WITHOUT moving the mask it contains. Do this by connecting back to the first node you made. Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. so that how you can create those stunning effects ! In Subtract mode, the contents of the mask will be removed from the layer.. Step 7: We can use a selection to… If you don't see mask path right now, select your layer and press "M" that will twirl open the mask path properties. What now? I couldn't get the mask to hide or reveal anything. On your top 'bird' layer, click the Stop Watch for the layer's "Position" parameter and the mask's "Mask Shape" parameter. Notice that in the screenshot below I have 2 layers for my clean plate (one left, one right) and they are both frozen at different points in time to ensure I am not visible in the frame. The mask will not take on the animation any longer. If you are just starting with AE you really should check out: Getting started with After Effects (CS4, CS5, CS5.5, & CS6). Adjust the feather on the mask. All rights reserved. Select it and the mask can be tracked to the video it is applied to. I don't understand the purpose of point 3 in this breakdown, however. Also you don't need to mask the whole door. In other scenarios you might have a very complex animated background and it could be hard to create a good clean plate that you can use. I'm a total AE newbie, but fairly proficient in Photoshop. Click and drag over a portion of the comp to create a mask. Fortunately, the video also includes a couple of seconds of footage where I am not actually in the shot. I was having the same problems as others until I found this thread and came up with my work-around. Open the Text object, go to Masks, select the mask you’ve just created and enable the stopwatch icon next to Mask Path. Simply mask around the element you want to remove, subtract the mask contents and feather it out a little bit and you should be good to go. I've been trying to figure this out for the past 2 hours. Even though removing objects from a layer does not involve masks, we thought we would include it in this article because it is a useful tool in After Effects that you may use to cut an object out instead of a mask. Go to Properties and click the stopwatch symbol next to Mask Path. You will see a keyframe (small diamond) appear on the timeline. Just the parts that cover the head. Toggle the stopwatch on to set a keyframe at the playhead’s position. Why isn't After Effects preview real-time. Change the … set the start shape and the end shape and let after effects do the work for you. Creating a wipe is as simple as masking a layer and then adding keyframes to animate the mask to move on and off-screen. Select the words Mask Path and then choose Edit > Copy to copy the path. In the project pane that's in the lower-left corner of After Effects, click and drag the spiral icon that's right of your file's name onto the Null 1 title and then release your mouse.. Place the layer with the object or person you want to cut out on top of your clean plate in Adobe After Effects. Is there any other way to prevent the mask from animating as all the other elements on the screen are also hiding with this technique. This process is called "Parenting", and it will ensure that your file is motion-tracked along with the null object. Your email address will not be published. you don't have to work frame by frame. In Adobe After Effects, select a layer, then choose a Shape tool. I’m going to make a mask here right below that and then I’ll take it and drag it up to it. Here is the order for you: Arrange the layers in this order: 1) Masked Solid Layer. A new mask layer will appear below your selected layer. You’ll need to move the mask to make it perfectly outline your object. Take a good clean plate or, even better, use a green screen to make post production easier! Just a heads up -- a really simple solution I figured out because as a noob I did not understand andrews method: pre-compose your text layer and add a mask to the pre-composed layer as you did before. Using a mask would be really inefficient because like I said before, every time you move this layer, you'd have to readjust that mask because the mask will be moving with the layer. Create a comp size solid above your text layer. Your email address will not be published. There are other modes like Intersect or Difference that only apply if you have multiple overlapping masks on the layer. Set the Track Matte setting of your text layer to Alpha Matte. You can use this basic technique in most situations, but of course your shot might not be suitable for this simple approach. Remove elements from your video and add them to live-action footage. Before You Start. Before we morph the remote into the soccer ball shape we have to tell After Effects how this shape transformation should take place. You will see that either your object or the shot moves. Removing Objects. For this, we have to define the Correspondence Points of the Reshape effect. Masks in After Effects allow you to determine the visibility of specific parts of a layer, similar to features that may already be familiar if you use Photoshop, Illustrator, or other image editing apps. In After Effects CC, masks can be made into tracking masks. How can I move each point individually to … I also tried creating a mask layer not attached to the text layer itself, but that wasn't working either. Select the layer to which you want to apply the path and press P to reveal the Position parameter. 13.4 How to Mask in After Effects. If you do a lot of commercial or sci-fi … The text layer will now adopt the alpha channel of the masked solid. Step 5: Here I import a video. You could  use the Clone Stamp in After Effects to cover up the area where the actor is standing, then freeze that frame and use the layer as your clean plate. More complicated scenarios might have other people or elements moving through the shot that overlap the object you want to remove. So I managed to do it on accident earlier, but now, whenever I click and drag on vertex points of my mask, it just moves the entire thing. 1.Make a shape layer where you want your text to appear, 2.Move that layer directly above the text layer3.Right click the text layer, hover over mask and then click new mask, 4.Click on your text layer and go into the layer flyout at the top of the screen, 7.Move the text in and out of where the shape layer, (now mask), is to reveal and hide. Apply the mask to the solid. But here we need only one. The mask mode determines how a mask is applied. Create a comp size solid above your text layer. This is purely to illustrate the technique, you can use a mask on any type of layer you wish in your projects, as we will discuss later on. When to Use It: Basic screen replacement. Reveal Masking. You will see a yellow diamond appear on the timeline. Create a comp size solid above your text layer. If you already shot the video without a green screen you will need a program like After Effects or other compositing app. Removing a visual element from a video will leave a gap where you cut them out. I want to put a mask … Why are you adding amask to the text layer? In the first part of VFX Vlog #7 I showed you my personal list of favourite After Effects plugins. In the first part of VFX Vlog #7 I showed you my personal list of favourite After Effects plugins. The key to making them work is to be sure that you properly time the transition and overlay the clips accordingly. Correspondence points are represented as lines connecting the source and destination mask and define which part of the source will be deformed into which part of the destination. On your top 'bird' layer, click the Stop Watch for the layer's "Position" parameter and the mask's "Mask … Assume you don’t have a single frame where the object or person you want to remove is not in the shot. Placing text behind moving objects in a video is a visually compelling way of revealing titles, credits, or other information in your productions. By default, all masks are set to Add, which combines the transparency values of any masks that overlap on the same layer. On the top left corner of the screen, click on the pen icon. So - you have a mask on a layer, and you need to animate the layer's content while leaving the mask fixed in place. Use the Selection tool to select the mask and reposition it. First, you need to select the object and click P, for position. /t5/after-effects/preventing-a-mask-from-animating/td-p/2953176, /t5/after-effects/preventing-a-mask-from-animating/m-p/2953177#M2272, /t5/after-effects/preventing-a-mask-from-animating/m-p/2953178#M2273, /t5/after-effects/preventing-a-mask-from-animating/m-p/2953181#M2276, /t5/after-effects/preventing-a-mask-from-animating/m-p/2953182#M2277, /t5/after-effects/preventing-a-mask-from-animating/m-p/2953183#M2278, /t5/after-effects/preventing-a-mask-from-animating/m-p/10982206#M106169, /t5/after-effects/preventing-a-mask-from-animating/m-p/11393910#M120561, /t5/after-effects/preventing-a-mask-from-animating/m-p/11655559#M156741, /t5/after-effects/preventing-a-mask-from-animating/m-p/11655613#M156743, /t5/after-effects/preventing-a-mask-from-animating/m-p/11655703#M156749, /t5/after-effects/preventing-a-mask-from-animating/m-p/2953179#M2274, /t5/after-effects/preventing-a-mask-from-animating/m-p/2953180#M2275, /t5/after-effects/preventing-a-mask-from-animating/m-p/11655621#M156744, /t5/after-effects/preventing-a-mask-from-animating/m-p/11210026#M114941. Using animated masks is a viable option if the moving element is very simple in shape. Correspondence points are represented as lines connecting the source and destination mask and define which part of the source will be deformed into which part of the destination. You may have to animate the mask path fairly precisely around your actor if there are other elements in your scene that you don’t want to accidentally cut out as well. BAM! Then when I want to animate the text and move it from behind the mask so it's now visible the mask moves with it. Right click the mask and you should see a context menu with Tracking Mask. To begin creating a reveal mask, activate the rectangle tool. I am including a fair bit around the element I want to trim, mainly because I am casting a slight shadow and I want to remove that as well. To do this as mentioned you can use a track matte, it’s very easy once you have tried it. Step 2: Import the footage to file. It provides the background onto which you can composite other elements. After looking at the First Vertex, After Effects will then attempt to line up additional vertex points, working clockwise around the mask shape. Step 6: Move your playhead 4-6 frames ahead on your timeline. Reveal Masking To begin creating a reveal mask, activate the rectangle tool. With him, it was three masks. Just realised how old this thread is. Step 1: Start a New composition. Make a solid layer, make a mask on the solid layer, parent the solid layer to the tracking data null. You can remove objects in a layer by using the Clone Stamp tool. Export an After Effects project as an Adobe Premiere Pro project; Converting movies; Automated rendering and network rendering; Rendering and exporting still images and still-image sequences; Using the GoPro CineForm codec in After Effects; Working with other applications. Removing a visual element from a video will leave a gap where you cut them out. Set the Track Matte setting of your text layer to Alpha Matte. Share fullnscreenshots to explain your issue. In the second part, I will explain how to remove a moving object or a person from your video using Adobe After Effects. Connect your file to the null object. In the second part, I will explain how to remove a moving object or a person from your video using Adobe After Effects. Just turn off the visibility of the matte (upper) layer. Set the Track Matte setting of your text layer to Alpha Matte. To remove an object or a person from your video you need to have some video of only the background so that when you cut them out of the footage, this background footage can then fill the gap in a natural looking way. Unfortunately, Andrew it doesn't work. I didn't know or realize that you could turn off the visibility of the upper layer and still have it function, so all I was getting was a masked solid covering what I was trying to animate. And you forgot to record a clean plate. To do this you can use a track matte. Switch to the Select tool in the Toolbar. First, you create a mask on a new … Next, set the mask to ‘Subtract’ mode to remove the object from the scene. page down moves one frame, it does not move the mask. Since it very difficult to create a clean plate for a moving shot I recommend you shoot your scene with your camera on a tripod. All good. We can therefore use the same layer (but frozen in time on a frame where I am not visible) as our clean plate. Create a mask around your text using the tool. This is effectively the same answer as my own above - it simply uses a Shape layer instead of a Solid layer. Apply the mask to the solid. As you scrub through the composition, readjust the mask’s position or shape to keep the object contained, in case it or the camera moves. Make a null object. Then select the pan behind tool. The Adobe page about it is here. Copyright © 2020 Adobe. Now scrub through the video a few frames forward and then reshape the mask by manipulating the anchor points instead of moving the entire mask. Auto-suggest helps you quickly narrow down your search results by suggesting possible matches as you type. For any beginners like myself I will explain Ray's wonderful tactic, broken down to the most minute of details. Normally I would just use a trackmat, but this image file already has an alpha matte, so I have to use a mask on it to constrain its shape. Click and drag your pen tool to begin outlining the object you want to mask out. The actor should no longer be visible and your clean plate layer will show through the ‘hole’ we cut into the layer to make it look as if the actor was never there. In this lesson, you will learn a bit more about masks and cropping to see how you can crop composition size, photos and video layers inside of After Effects. 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I move each point individually to … Switch to the original source of content, search... For you clips accordingly yellow diamond appear on the timeline feather property by a bit will explain Ray 's tactic. A viable option if the moving element is very simple in shape Behind After you remove them masking in Pro.