Masking help!

[Joppa]

I dont get the masking. I want the figure to walk behind the juice. But i dont know how. Please help.


https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Tf3X ... .30.17.png

[slowtiger]

- any mask must be a filled shape.
- mask layer is always below layers to be masked.

[Víctor Paredes]

And it's always better to check with Ctrl+R if the mask is working well in the final render. Sometimes the workspace preview doesn't show the final result when the mask is complex or involves different group/bone layers.

[Pinesal]

Here is what you do!

create a group folder and place the character into it.

Make a white square where the character will walk behind. Place that into the group folder to.

Now, go to the group folder properties and change the mask options to "hide all"

then in the white square, change the masking option to "add to mask but make invisible"

these options are not verbatim. I saying this based off my bad memory, but I think you can figure it out from here.

[Joppa]

Thank you all for the advice. but it did not work. Thanks anyway.

[hayasidist]

GROUP: Masking: Reveal All
>> IMAGE layer for the character: Mask this layer
>> VECTOR layer: a filled shape to match the outline of the juice box: Subtract from mask
IMAGE layer: the scene with the juice box: NOTE: NOT in the masking group

If your scene is a Movie (?) then you'll need to animate the vector mask to match the shape and position of the juice box.

[sbtamu]

If you are having trouble understanding masking you can always use different techniques like this for example.

[Danimal]

Interesting workaround - a second image layer. Creative thinking!

[heyvern]

That double image layer trick will also work using the AS masking (once you get the hang of it of course) if you put it behind the vector layer and set the masking for it.

You save out the mask image with transparency just as described above (either the object cut out, or a hole of the object depending on what you need) and place it behind the vector layer and set the mask image to either add or subtract depending on the parent layer mask settings.

For example:
Based on the example above, set the parent group to Show all, place the "cut out carton" image layer behind the vector, set the image mask to "subtract from mask". This would then hide the vector layer in the same spot as the masked object shape.

Masking in Anime Studio works with transparent png images used as masks. I use this trick with either image layers or "fuzzy brushes" to create soft edge masking for arms at the shoulder. With an image mask you can create soft edge "fall off" that isn't possible with vectors in Anime Studio. By using brushes you can keep the masking simpler because the images can be on a vector layer with other shapes. I use this trick to have a hard edge arm shape that softly fades at the shoulder using a special custom brush.

Also, that background image could be video and the same technique would work. Many video applications have masking features. If you have access to video editing tools that allow you to create masks on video, you could have moving video with masking for an object. Cut a "hole" in your video with a mask and save it with transparency, import two video layers, one for the mask one for the visible content. Put the mask video behind the vector layer and you have a moving mask.

(The only reason I would prefer the image mask technique over "two images" without masking is that you can still tweak the scaling of the mask image to hide any fringes, but it won't effect the actual size of the visible object.)